Moving To Canada Personal Statement

Growing up in a family who immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong, my sibling and I was the first generation of my family to have moved to an English-speaking country. When we first landed in Canada, my parents had to learn the language and become acquainted with a new society while spending countless hours trying to find work and housing. Both my parents instilled in me the value of persistence and risk-taking. Although my aunts and uncles disapproved our move to Canada because of the uncertainties it brought to the family’s future, this risk was something that my parents were willing to invest in – they knew that the changing school systems and government within Hong Kong would not foster a family environment that my parents had envisioned for me and my brother.

I am deontologically inclined due to my upbringing – my parents constantly reminded me that I was the first to receive an education from certified teachers and that I had the privilege of growing up in a country that had an authentic democratic system in place. Both of my parents guided me through rules and laws, always mentioning to us that because we emigrated, we would have to learn to adjust and acculturate ourselves into Canadian society to be accepted by the Canadians around us. By working hard and staying focused on my goals, I have managed to become resilient in times of adversity – although my relatives claimed that coming to Canada was a poor decision and a waste of money, I have proved to them that my parents could raise their children amidst being in a foreign country by graduating from high school and entering post-secondary