Supporting Canada's Newcomers

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Supporting Canada’s Newcomers

Q&A with EgyptianCanadian actor Mena Massoud

Learn How to Succeed in A Whole New World with Mena Massoud Mediaplanet sat down with Disney’s Aladdin star, Mena Massoud to share his newcomer journey in Canada as an Egyptian immigrant. As an actor, Mena opens up about his career path into acting, discusses the importance of representation in the entertainment industry, and shares his inspiration behind the Ethnically Diverse Artists Foundation.

What was your experience as a newcomer and growing up in Canada as an immigrant? Overall, Canada, and more specifically Toronto, was an incredible place to grow up. The best. But like any immigrant experience, there are major adjustments and challenges you face. Especially after 9/11. As an Egyptian, the narrative around my culture, home life, and traditions completely changed. My community started looking at me differently. And that was tough. But like I said, Canada being such an eclectic place that celebrates so many cultures made overcoming those challenging experiences easier.

What’s the importance of representation in the entertainment industry? The importance of representation isn’t up for debate — it’s paramount. But I think that over the next decade, demand will decide how quickly that representation becomes a reality. The international markets are growing rapidly. They want to see themselves expressed in film and television, so regardless of whether Hollywood champions artists of colour or not, we will see change. Like any industry, demand drives change, and we’re beginning to see international markets soar. Projects like Money Heist, Tehran, Parasite, the list goes on and

on. These projects are paving the way for real change.

What's your message to newcomers in Canada? Canada is a place where anything is possible. Truly. So, decide as quickly as possible what it is you want to pursue and commit. Once you do that, you'll be able to achieve whatever it is you put your mind to. There will be barriers. There will be struggles. There will be challenges. But you can overcome all of them — not all at once and not tomorrow, but if you put your head down, focus, and give it your all, anything is possible in a country as great as Canada.

Newcomer Services Ease The Settlement Process

M

oving to a new country can be difficult at the best of times. It's even more difficult in the midst of a pandemic. Throughout the current COVID-19 pandemic, people from around the world continued to arrive in Ontario with hopes and dreams of building a new life here. Immigrant-and refugee-serving agencies across Ontario stayed open to help new arrivals settle in a new community and adjust to a new life in Canada — yes, even in the middle of a pandemic. Settlement services are available to all new arrivals in English and French. They're free and always confidential.

Services can include help to fill out application forms, interpretation, translation of documents, help to find a job, training, schools, housing, health care, classes to learn English or French, information about other community services, and opportunities to connect with other new arrivals and people in the local community. In the midst of the pandemic, many of these services were provided virtually, or sometimes face-to-face by appointment. Almost all services are funded by different orders of government. Some services have eligibility rules required by the government funder, and therefore may not be available to everyone.

When it is safe for everyone for services to fully re-open, you can expect to see settlement staff in places such as schools, libraries, and community centres. They will be there to answer questions and connect people to services provided in other locations. When services re-open fully, you can also expect to participate in community events organized by immigrant-and refugee-serving agencies to help new arrivals get to know the Indigenous nations and traditional territory in which they're building a new life and the local community and people who will become their new neighbours and help them feel at home.

For more information, visit settlement.org or etablissement.org.. This article was supported by the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants.

Publisher: Rayan Hassan Business Development Manager: Melanie Kosev Country Manager: Nina Theodorlis Content and Production Manager: Raymond Fan Designer: Lauren Livingston Web Editor: Karthik Talwar All images are from Getty Images unless otherwise credited. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve Toronto Star or its editorial departments. Send all inquiries to ca.editorial@mediaplanet.com.

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