How
      To
      Become
      a
      Canadian:
      My
      Story
     
    
   
   
    
     
      If
      you
      are
      born
      in
      Canada,
      you
      are
      already
      a
      Cana-
     
     
      dian.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      However,
      there
      are
      people
      like
      me
      from
      other
      coun-
     
     
      tries
      who
      would
      like
      to
      become
      Canadians,
      but
      can’t
     
     
      do
      so
      automatically.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      was
      16
      at
      the
      time
      when
      my
      family
      applied
      to
      the
     
     
      Immigration
      department
      for
      permission
      to
      migrate
      to
     
     
      Canada.
      There
      are
      categories
      in
      which
      people
      can
     
     
      apply
      under
      in
      order
      to
      live
      in
      Canada,
      and
      my
      dad
     
     
      applies
      under
      his
      profession:
      Statistician.
      This
      is
      to
     
     
      show
      that
      my
      family
      is
      capable
      of
      survival
      in
      Canada
     
     
      because
      for
      the
      profession
      that
      he
      is
      in.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It
      was
      a
      few
      months
      later
      when
      we
      heard
      from
      the
     
     
      Immigration
      department!
      again.
      They
      wrote,
      request-
     
     
      ing
      an
      interview
      with
      my
      parents.
      They
      wanted
      to
     
     
      make
      sure
      that
      my
      parents
      have
      the
      fundamental
     
     
      knowledge
      of
      Canada
      --
      if
      one
      does
      not
      know
      any-
     
     
      thing
      about
      Canada,
      one
      is
      not
      allowed
      to
      live
      there.
     
     
      My
      parents
      have
      to
      know
      the
      history
      of
      the
      Country,
     
     
      as
      wellas
      Geography,
      cultures
      etc.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      After
      the
      interview
      is
      approved,
      all
      of
      us
      have
      to
     
     
      undergo
      a
      medical
      test
      to
      assure
      them
      of
      our
      perfect
     
     
      health.
      We
      passed
      every
      test
      with
      flying
      colours.
     
    

    
     
      It
      was
      after
      that
      we
      received
      certificates
      indicating
     
     
      that
      we
      were
      Canadian
      Immigrants,
      and
      we
      could
      live
     
     
      there
      permanently.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      procedure
      for
      becoming
      a
      Canadian
      Citizen
      is
     
     
      rather
      easy.
      The
      requirement
      for
      qualifications
      is
      that
     
     
      one
      has
      to
      live
      in
      Canada
      for
      three
      years.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Less
      than
      a
      year
      ago,
      I
      applied.
      I
      am
      in
      legal
      age,
     
     
      therefore
      I
      could
      no
      longer
      become
      a
      Canadian
      Citizen
     
     
      automatically
      under
      my
      parents.
      I
      went
      to
      the
      Cana-
     
     
      dian
      Immigration
      and
      Citizenship
      office
      in
     
     
      Charlottetown
      to
      pick
      up
      the
      application
      form.
      in
     
     
      order
      for
      them
      to
      process
      my
      application,
      I
      have
      to
     
     
      pay
      $50.00,
      and
      show
      them
      my
      identification.
      My
     
     
      application
      was
      sent
      to
      New
      Brunswick,
      where
      the
     
     
      Head
      office
      is
      located.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Again,
      my
      application
      took
      several
      months
      before
      it
     
     
      went
      though.
      After
      that,
      I
      have
      to
      go
      through
      an
     
     
      interview
      with
      a
      Judge.
      The
      interview
      is
      based
      on
      my
     
     
      knowledge
      of
      Canadian
      history,
      Geography,
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Politics.
      I
      studied
      all
      these
      information
      througha
     
     
      book
      that
      was
      given
      to
      me
      by
      the
      Citizenship
      depart-
     
     
      ment.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      the
      interview,
      Judge
      Bernadette
      LeBlanc
      asked
      me
     
     
      all
      sorts
      of
      questions,
      lasting
      for
      almost
      half
      an
      hour.
     
     
      As
      a
      Canadian
      citizen,
      I
      am
      to
      be
      aware
      of
      my
      respon
     
     
      sibilities,
      my
      privileges,
      and
      my
      rights
      (plus
      the
      basi
     
     
      knowledge,
      eg.
      the
      provinces
      and
      Territories;
      the
     
     
      official
      languages
      etc.)
      Also,
      Iam
      to
      know
      my
      Char-
     
     
      ter
      of
      Freedomchart.
      (SometimesI
      wonderifthe
     
     
      natural
      Canadians
      know
      as
      much
      about
      their
      country
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      as
      I
      have
      to
      know.)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Once
      my
      interview
      is
      approved,
      I
      have
      to
      be
      prepared
     
     
      for
      my
      Court
      Ceremony,
      which
      took
      place
      in
      the
     
     
      Confederation
      of
      Arts
      Centre.
      During
      the
      ceremony,
     
     
      I
      have
      to
      say
      my
      oath,
      and
      to
      sign
      ‘‘in’’
      as
      a
      Cana-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      dian.
      This
      is
      what
      I
      have
      to
      say
      in
      front
      of
      everybody
     
    
   
   
    
     
      while
      my
      right
      hand
      is
      raised:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ]
      swear/affirm
      that
      I
      will
      be
      faithful
      and
      bear
      true
     
     
      allegiance
      to
      her
      Majesty
      Queen
      Elizabeth
      the
      Second,
     
     
      Queen
      of
      Canada,
      Her
      heirs
      and
      Successors,
      according
     
     
      to
      law,
      and
      I
      will
      faithfully
      observe
      the
      Canadian
     
     
      laws,
      and
      fulfil
      my
      duties
      as
      a
      Canadian
      Citizen.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Hmmm,
      I
      am
      surprised
      I
      still
      remember
      it.
      Honestly,
     
     
      I
      don’t
      think
      that
      I
      will
      ever
      forget
      it
      because
      it
      is
     
     
      such
      an
      important
      oath
      to
      live
      by.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      To
      those
      who
      like
      to
      become
      a
      ‘‘reborn’’
      Canadian,
     
     
      feel
      free
      to
      say
      the
      oath
      and
      be
      proud
      of
      who
      you
      are.
     
     
      i
      said
      my
      oath
      about
      a
      week
      ago,
      and
      people
      are
     
     
      asking
      me
      if
      I
      feel
      any
      different.
      After
      much
      thought,
     
     
      I
      can
      truly
      say
      that
      I
      am
      happy
      to
      be
      a
      Canadian,
     
     
      regardless
      of
      whether
      I
      am
      to
      reside
      anywhere
      in
     
     
      Canada,
      or
      ina
      ‘‘distinct’’
      french
      society.
      Itis
     
     
      DISTINCT
      just
      to
      be
      a
      Canadian.
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Kheng-Wee
      Wah.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      TREC
      INDE:
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      X-P
      RESS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      November
      21,
      1991