Cultural Challenges In Canada

Today Canada is one of the most multicultural nations in the world; however, certain minority groups struggle to represent their true identity. One of these groups includes South Asian girls, who face cultural challenges as well as the attached stigma of being a girl in a South Asian culture. Some of my personal challenges include trying to keep up with cultural standards, striving for perfection, and trying to maintain my parent’s expectation. Firstly, South Asians have a rich cultural heritage that has become a major part of their lives. Ranging from festivals to ethnic clothing and cuisine, these customs have been passed down through the generations and make up our cultural identity. However, as generations go on, our culture is
fading as youth try to integrate into Canadian culture. I struggle to balance out aspects from both cultures as they often clash with each other. Nevertheless, living in Surrey has made this progression easier as both cultures are celebrated and accepted by most. Therefore, this challenge was easy to overcome. Secondly, our culture imposes great value on attaining perfection and being the best at everything. Growing up I was constantly compared to other family members, especially, on an academic basis. Furthermore, I was scrutinized in every aspect and expected to complete perfectly every endeavor. This pressure forced me to work hard and try my level best to pass with flying colors. However, this helped attain a good work ethic and determination to achieve my goals. Thirdly, in most South Asian families parents have high expectations for their children. Our parents always emphasize the importance of a good education and how with hard work you can achieve anything. Some of their expectations include having good grades, being respectful of others, having a stable career and family life. Most parents are quite involved in their child’s life and impose strict regulation to prevent them from wandering off the right path. Overall, maintaining my cultural beliefs while trying to be the perfect daughter and meet my parent’s expectation can be challenging. However, I am proud of my cultural heritage as it has given me a firm foundation and will help me fulfill my goals.