By Shaira Tasnia and Arion Tarik
[East York, July 6th, 2024] – On this beautiful Saturday morning, from 10 am to 4:30 pm, leaders, participants, and community members gathered at Taylor Creek Park Picnic Area #5 to attend the 9th annual summer fun-day picnic event, hosted by the Toronto Bangla School. This event is catered especially towards the kids, with their families in attendance to cheer them on. Over 200 people participated, including about 60 children.
A day for families, kids, and their mother tongues
The Toronto Bangla School's annual event is a vibrant celebration designed to immerse participants in the richness of Bengali culture and language. The day kicks off with registration and breakfast, setting a welcoming tone as families gather and socialise. Children engage in art and bubble activities throughout the morning, letting their creativity run wild and enjoying themselves. There were three sports activities for the children dividing them in three different groups based on their age. The sports include free style running to a specific destination and Bengali word running which is designed for children to tell the translated Bengali words being shown while they are running. These engaging activities provide a wonderful platform for the young ones to bond and express themselves.
As the day progresses, attendees enjoy a delicious pizza lunch, creating a relaxed atmosphere for further interactions. Families have a great chance to bond over this shared meal and exchange stories. After lunch, inspiring speeches on the value of learning and using one's mother tongue in a foreign setting are given by special guests and chosen individuals. Their insights emphasise the importance of preserving cultural heritage and instilling a sense of pride in the community.
Family activities for adults are also a highlight, offering engaging and enjoyable experiences that reinforce cultural ties and provide a chance for parents to bond over shared traditions. These activities are designed to be both entertaining and educational, fostering a deeper connection to Bengali culture.
The event culminates in a series of cultural performances, showcasing the talents of both children and adults. Traditional music, dance, and drama performances highlight the rich cultural heritage of Bengal. The prize-giving ceremony celebrates the achievements of participants, acknowledging their efforts and talents.
As the event wraps up, participants leave with cherished memories, a strengthened sense of cultural identity, and a renewed commitment to preserving and promoting their mother tongue and culture. The Toronto Bangla School’s event is not just a celebration but a powerful reminder of the importance of community, heritage, and the joy of coming together to honour one's roots.
A new theme is introduced: anti-racism & discrimination
This year, a special theme was introduced to the event in collaboration with the Bangladeshi-Canadian Community Services (BCS)’ Education & Allyship Program (EAP). This year, the focus was shifted towards gaining an understanding of and listening to the members of the Bangladeshi community on topics of racism and anti-discrimination. Thoughts were gathered and education was disseminated on this topic to people of all ages and experiences with Canada (immigrants, newcomers, long-time citizens) alongside the festivities. This is a poignant and pertinent topic that pertains to many of our community members, especially in the Bangladeshi circle. The mass gathering of respected Bangladeshis to this event (200+) was a perfect avenue to make our communities that much more accepting and cognizant of the diseases that plague our societies, causing needless war and hardship in our daily lives.
An EAP booth and table was set up, where about 15+ people participated in interviews as spectators watched. A video compiling the interviews is planned to be uploaded at a later time.
“Some people, they are going by, shouting ‘Immigrants! Immigrants! You are the immigrants!’ … I have seen it so many times … But ‘officially,’ Canada government is not discriminatory. Canada is a ‘United Nations’ country. They advertise, they open the doors for us. That is why we came. It is not that we came knocking on the door [rudely]. It is a societal problem,” recounts Akhlaq Hossain, resident of Canada for 41 years. “Sometimes I say to those people, that this is not your right. You [also] just came from somewhere. England, France, or somewhere. This country belongs to the native people, not you! Maybe your forefathers came, and I [simply] came [during] my generation.” His profound reflections highlight the logical discrepancies of racism and discrimination towards immigrants.
“We cannot protest rudely, we have to convince them! This is the country, it belongs to everyone. We came here because the door was [open], the government welcomed us. Not that we came and are taking the opportunity [from you].” “Even my Bangladeshi people too, I am from Sylhet, they ask from which part I am from [discriminating based on region too]. This is normal, but in a discriminatory way, in a hating way, then that’s a problem. … Not everybody is the same.”
Umme Tasneem Hyder is an international student from Bangladesh, studying at TMU (formerly Ryerson), and is a young leader in the EAP campaign. “... I was thinking, what did I do wrong? Is it [actually] even wrong for me to study in a different country? Did I make the wrong decision, coming to a different country rather than mine? Maybe I could have had a better job and better lifestyle there [in my own country]…” She shared her heart-wrenching personal hardships and serious self-doubts after becoming a victim of racism and discrimination from her professor and in the education sector at large. Other newcomer students agreed that they felt they were being treated differently from their peers at educational institutions, in unsolicited ways, and that this discouraged them or made them feel lesser-than.
One community member also shared that he admits he once had prejudices against black people. He thought they were loud and aggressive. But after his daughter was saved from a car by a black woman, he has been trying to right his wrongs and no longer feels that way. He says that there are bad and good people in every race. It is not right to treat someone based on how they look before even getting to know them; that would be akin to a false prosecution.
Another community member shared that she once tried getting help from municipal officials for her two sons that got hurt after falling and fighting with each other, only for the officials to separate her from her children, causing them to cry. They had tried to insinuate that she hit them. They asked her elder son if she hit him, but she saw other lighter-skinned people getting similar help without this interrogation and questioning. She truly felt that she was being falsely painted as a villain because of her skin colour, accent, and the stereotypes associated with them.
However, not all is doom and gloom. Abu Taher Rabu, a newcomer from Sylhet, Bangladesh that came about one month ago, shared that his white neighbours were very friendly and welcoming to them, despite our darker skin colour. He truly loves Canada, the friendliness he felt from this nation’s people that may even trump his own, and hopes to stay.
Others also conveyed that things are much better than before, but that there is still much work to do. From this event, many hidden and dark secrets were uncovered that are not often talked about, because people do not want to disturb others with their hardships or feel it is natural to face such things as immigrants / people of colour. As high school student and newcomer Ibtihaj Fairuz relates, “Nobody ever really says it, because they just want to protect their own peace.” This highlights the importance of programs such as EAP, and we hope to tackle this issue to make our community more peaceful, comfortable, and loving for all.
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