Of Elections and Immigration

Over and over again, be it via email or in chat rooms, my friends and acquaintances have asked me about reactions to US presidential elections on this side of the pond. Naturally, Europeans are almost universally opposed to Bush, but even here, in the heartland of America’s closest neighbour, the reaction has been quite astonishing: Americans are writing letters in Canadian newspapers en-masse about their intentions to leave the country rather than suffer another term under Bush. Gay rights activists are despairing for if Bush manages to hammer through his amendment for constitution, then gay marriages will become virtually impossible in US, and the people of the rainbow are eyeing Europe and Canada as well with immigration in their mind. Many Americans fear that another war during the second term is a foregone conclusion, and find this morally unacceptable. Canada, always on a lookout for more immigrants to fill their astonishingly large country, is welcoming all comers with open arms, another trait that never ceases to astonish me: foreigners seem to be genuinely welcome here. I know that Canada had its share of ethnic problems as well, but the overwhelming majority of Canadians see multicultural society as integral part of their society. Certainly, American immigrants that bring their skills and wealth to US should find it exceptionally easy to adjust to life in Canada.

Canadians themselves are not quiet about the election results either. The company I work for is not exactly a bastion of socialism, but even very high level managers are quite openly criticizing the selection of President Bush while dealing with their American counterparts –something I thought I’d never see, as business and politics have never mixed in places where I have worked before. Even some Canadian politicians speak openly against Bush, which is almost unheard of. Yet it seems that the American religious right, the chief supporters of Bush has actually gotten out of touch even with their traditional conservative allies abroad. Canadian businessmen look at the combustible combination of fundamentalist Christianity, eagerness for war and isolationism with worrying eyes and draw their own conclusions.

It is weird for me to think about this: I left my native Finland to pursue an opportunity in my chosen line of work rather than because of political protest. Lacking any suitable qualifications (not to mention that there were no educational programs for games designers at that time) I had pretty much 0% chance of making my career in my homeland. But I know all about the difficulty of leaving your home, your language, friends and family behind for the uncertainty of a new country with its own laws, customs and culture. Yet I would imagine that for your average American leaving your nation behind is much more daunting task, though as one of my friends in Boston put it: we are nation of immigrants. It is in our blood.

Good luck to those who make the decision to move.