Migration Conversations

In this episode I speak with Gabriela Casineanu about the Immigrant Writers Association, how writing can be cathartic and an important way to share stories and perspectives of migrants. Check out their four anthologies of writing from various writers.

Meet Renisa Mawani, Canada Research Chair in Colonial Legal Histories at the University of British Columbia. She is the author of Across Oceans of Law published by Duke University Press. I speak with Renisa about her research tracing the currents and counter-currents of British / colonial law and Indian radicalism through the 1914 journey of the SS Komagata Maru.

Meet Heba Gowayed, an economic sociologist at Boston University. She is the author of "Refuge: How the State Shapes Human Potential". Her book follows the journeys of Syrians who sought refuge in Canada, Germany and the United States. Dr. Gowayed's insights in how states design refugee programs and how that affects people's resettlement experiences is illuminating.

Meet Jennifer Elrick, professor in the Department of Sociology at McGill University. Author of Making Middle-Class Multiculturalism: Immigration Bureaucrats and Policymaking in Postwar Canada, we talk about how bureaucrats in the federal government drove policy making in the area of immigration through their review of who is admissible to Canada in individual decision-making. A fascinating look at how Canada's immigration system was built in the administrative arm and how perceptions of race, skillsets and family are reflected in policy.

Meet Natalie Wee, a queer poet who writes about migration, borders, papers, and interrogates what it means to be a queer, racialized person in Canada. We talk about what it is like to live with precarious immigration status, and how writing is a source of comfort and advocacy.

Meet Deepan Budlakoti. Born and raised in Canada, Deepan had a Canadian birth certificate and Canadian passport. Then one day he was told he was not a citizen and overnight he became a foreigner and stateless. We talk about how he became stateless, what his life in limbo is like, and what you can do to support his fight to reclaim his citizenship.

Meet Dr. Shauna Labman, the expert on refugee resettlement in Canada. She is an award winning author of two books: Crossing Law's Border: Canada's Refugee Resettlement Program and Strangers to Neighbours: Refugee Sponsorship in Context. We talk about what is resettlement, the complementary features of the program, and critiques and concerns as the program evolves. We also talk about the current refugee situation globally in Afghanistan and Ukraine in particular.

Meet Carrianne Leung, Jenny Heijun Wills and Lindsay Wong, all award winning authors in Canada. We talk about the craft of writing, the fluidity and complication of identity as writers, and how migration and diasporic experiences inform their work.

Meet author Francesca Ekwuyasi, author of Butter Honey Pig Bread. Her debut novel was longlisted for the 2020 Giller Prize, finalist for CBC's 2021 Canada Reads competition, the 2021 Lambda Literary Ward, 2021 Governor General's Award, the 2021 Amazon Canada First Novel Award and the 2021 ReLit Award. We talk about migration but also about folklore, food, relationships and writing.

Meet Kashif Ali, a criminalized migrant who was detained in Canada for seven years. Kashif talks about his addition, how his addiction led to his criminalization and repeated imprisonment, and how his statelessness kept him in prison indefinitely without any hope for deportation. Kashif hopes his experience will convince people that immigration detention should not be used to manage our borders.