Faces of Diversity
Ballinran Entertainment has partnered with the Kiwanis Club of Stratford to create a series of short documentaries entitled "Faces of Diversity", produced with support from the Stratford-Perth Community Foundation Smart and Caring Community Fund.
The series is inspired by the personal experiences of film and television producer Koi Thompson, (featured above) who moved to Stratford, Ontario, after 17 years in Japan.
“Strangers say 'Hi' to each other here. That doesn't happen in Japan. I didn't know what to say, so I wouldn't look up when I went out. People thought I was cold, but I'm not.”
- Koi Thompson
Meet Lissette.
Lissette came to Canada from Guatemala several years ago to improve her English thinking she would return home and resume her career as a television reporter. Her life changed when she met the man she would eventually marry. The surprise came when she learned his family was Mennonite. Lissette describes a how a extroverted Latino like her fits into her new life in small town Ontario.
"In Guatemala, we say hello with a hug and a kiss, so when I met my husband’s friends for the first time, of course, that’s what I did. It took them by surprise so my husband said:
‘I’m sorry, she’s a hugger.’"
Meet Jatinder
& Rajbir.
Jatinder and Rajbir are both mechanical engineers who emigrated to Canada in 2014 to obtain their Masters Degrees. When they found jobs in Stratford, they discovered there was no place to buy the food and staple items they were used to back home. So they took matters into their own hands and opened Stratford's first Indian grocery store and takeout. It’s been a big success in unexpected ways.
"We opened the business to serve the Indian community. So we were shocked at the number of other Canadians who came to support our store. They were more excited than we were.”
Meet Meryl.
Imagine yourself at 16 years of age. You have your whole life planned out, or so you think, and your parents announce you are emigrating to Canada. That was the experience of Meryl who moved from the Philippines only to be thrust into a new environment. This is the story of how she adapted to her new surroundings in Stratford, Ontario and has now created a career for herself in theatre.
"Not all the Filipinos who live here are my family. That is a myth. But they are found family and I feel very much that yes, this is a good place to start digging those roots.”
Meet Lily.
Lily moved to Canada from China to give her son acmes to a well-rounded education and become fluent in English. While her son eventually moved to Hong Kong, Lily was enjoying her new life in Canada and decided to stay, settling in Stratford, where she teaches Mandarin and enjoys attending the theatre whenever she can.
"In China, the next generation’s future is very important and parents are expected to make sacrifices for their children’s life and education, even if means moving to a different country.”
Meet Yoko.
Stratford is home to several Japanese auto parts companies. Each company sends senior managers and technical experts with their families to live and work here for anywhere from three to five years. This is the story of one such family, the challenges they faced and the rewards they experienced living in a culture very different from their own.
