The country I am mostly connected to is Chile. My mom and grandma are both Chilean which makes me half Chilean. For this assignment, I decided to interview my grandmother to learn why she immigrated to Canada and what her life was like in Chile. I’ve learned that my life in Chile would be similar to my life now in Canada, with only a few changes.

According to my grandma, “schools were very strict, you had to wear uniforms, you were not allowed to wear any makeup, or have anything in your hair, and if you disobeyed those rules, you would get sent home or hit with a ruler.” She dropped out of school in grade 6 and got a job working for a private company to help out her family, as her mom was a single mother with 8 kids. Her mom couldn’t afford to pay for high school, therefore she never got a high school diploma. I learned that, although health care was poor, it was free for everyone. It didn’t cost anyone anything for medicine, operations, or to see a doctor. My grandma, then, told me that “back then, like many places, people born with disabilities were often hidden from the public because their families were either ashamed or afraid of judgement.” She also said the same about homosexuals. These problems, like discrimination, were issues in Chile back in the 1960-70’s, and still continue today. Some other rights include respect for political rights, civil rights and labor rights. She said they had a lot of political problems when they lived there. When the government took over, they would get a card and would have to wait in line for rations because there would be no food in any stores. She said they couldn’t go outside after 6:00p.m and weren’t allowed to walk around in groups of more than 3 people. I discovered that Chile is much different now as it was about 50 years ago, as the rules and living has changed. Lastly, she said she enjoyed her life in Chile but even if there were no problems, she was still going to immigrate to Canada.

                                                

My grandpa came to Canada in 1972 for 6 months. His brother would tell him how much he enjoyed his life in Canada. He returned to Chile and he and my grandma applied to become a Canadian immigrant and got access to a visa. My grandpa moved to Mississauga in 1974, got an apartment and started working. Two months later, my grandma came with my mom and uncle. Once my grandma immigrated, she “had to take an English class for 6 months.” She said “it was extremely hard, but learned it quick.” I discovered that the main reason my grandma immigrated was for a better life. My grandpa had seen the living here and liked it. She said Canada was a better and safer place. So, overall, she chose to immigrate because she wanted a better life for herself and her family.

After research and an interview with my cousin in Chile, I learned that my life would be similar there as it is here. I learned that in Chile, girls that are 16 are not allowed to work unless they have parental consent because it is their responsibility to study for school, meaning that society is strict about education because they don’t want anything to interfere with their work. They are allowed to start working once they turn 18. My cousin said, “education is good in Chile and the teachers are still very strict as they were back then and schools you pay for tend to be much better.” I found out that their health care is still poor. The hospitals are old and some collapse. It is free until you turn 18 and then you get 5-10% deducted off your monthly salary. Some of their rights and freedoms include having a house to live in, clothes and food, they must all have an education and health care, and respect for the elderly. Lastly, I learned that racism and discrimination is still an ongoing issue today in Chile. Overall, I discovered that living in Chile today as a young person would be very similar to living in Canada.

So, I have discovered that if my ancestors did not immigrate, my life would not be much different in Chile as it would be here. I would value education and healthcare as a teenager in Chile. Overall, my life would be similar in Chile, with just a few changes.

Works Cited

Araya, Isabel. Interview. 7 Jan. 2016.

Ignacia. Instant messenger interview. 3 Jan. 2016.

Our Students from Chile. www.afsusa.org/host-family/countries/chile/. Accessed 3 Jan. 2016.