Despite residing in a nation which celebrates the diversity of our communities, marginalized identities continue to fall between the cracks of our cultural mosaic. Institutionalized discrimination in the form of refugees’ precarious access to health, black communities’ experiences of police brutality, and unprecedented numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous women are amongst the many diverse struggles faced by innumerable residents in Canada. In such a context, what does it mean to be resident of Canada when one’s identification and life experiences cannot be represented by the concept of a national “Canadian” identity? What are the implications of diaspora communities settling onto colonized Turtle Island, whose relationships are governed by a relatively singular political and legal system? How can residents of ‘Canada’ self-determine in their struggle for identity and justice, while supporting fellow neighbours as allies in solidarity and in structural, systemic change? With such a multiplicity of languages, cultures, and backgrounds, we hope to explore the strengths and challenges of identifying with numerous different national identities while residing within the borders of what is known today as ‘Canada’.
