TRUTH BE TOLD

SOUTH ASIANS ARE AMONG CANADA’S HIGHEST ACHIEVERS

Grant’s Desi Achiever filmmaker Nisha Pahuja.

By DR VICKI BISMILLA

Desi News, through its Grant’s Desi Achievers Awards, has made it abundantly clear that we South Asians are among Canada’s highest achievers in every professional field.

This, despite the nasty on-line racism aimed at South Asian international students in Canadian post-secondary institutions.

Over many centuries of being in Canada most South Asians have taught, and still today teach, their children that studying conscientiously and determinedly and working hard at professions is the proper way. This approach has served generations of South Asians well. There are inspiring stories from today and from decades ago about smart, studious and hard-working people who follow this doctrine despite obstacles.  

Take for example the heart-warming story of Subodh Kanani’s journey to get to the top of his field. When Indians were thrown out of Uganda by the despotic Idi Amin, Kanani had completed three quarters of his medical degree in that country. He came to Canada in 1972 as a refugee. With focused determination he walked into the office of the Dean at McMaster University medical school to seek admission. As luck would have it that Dean was the acclaimed social justice educator Dr Fraser Mustard. Kanani was accepted, qualified and went on to a distinguished career as Dr Subodh Kanani and in addition he focused on charitable work. Read his story here.

That focus on studying hard and working hard served Ian Hanomansingh in a diametrically opposite field, broadcast and television journalism. Born in Trinidad and raised in New Brunswick, Hanomansingh went through the steps of working in various journalism jobs in radio and television until he rose to the top news job as anchor of CBC’s The National.

Another example of focused hard work in one’s profession is Inspector Baltej Singh Dhillon. Born in Malaysia he arrived in Canada in 1982. He was the trailblazer in the RCMP who challenged prejudice and paved the way for Sikh men to have their religion respected and be allowed to wear their turbans as police officers.

A Canadian of Nepalese origin, Sudarshan Gautam, is the first person without arms to climb Mount Everest without the use of prosthetics in 2013. In 2014 he was inducted into the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame and in 2017 received the South Asian Canadian Trailblazers Award.

India-born author, social worker and documentary filmmaker Alex Sangha received the Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General of Canada in 2018 for founding Sher Vancouver. It is a non-profit society for LGBTQ South Asians that works to address alienation, depression and suicide among people dealing with ostracization. Sher (lion) was chosen as the name because it symbolizes courage, pride, strength and bravery.

And don’t forget us accomplished South Asian Canadian women! Nisha Pahuja is the Delhi- born, amazing Oscar, Emmy and Peabody nominated filmmaker who is renowned for her vigorously researched and poignant documentaries that delve deep into social issues that plague the human condition.

Saadia Muzzafar was born in Karachi and arrived in Canada as a 19-year-old. Today she is the founder and President of TechGirls Canada, co-founder of Tech Reset Canada. A modern-day technology innovator, Saadia is a techpreneur, an author, a diversity activist and has worked hard at minority representation in the fields of math and science. She champions the cause of immigrant women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). She is on the advisory board at the University of Guelph’s Centre for Advancing Responsible and Ethical Artificial Intelligence, a cutting edge responsibility in today’s tech-highways.

Zeba Khan is an up and coming academic to follow. Originally from Bangladesh, she arrived at the University of British Columbia in 2015. With degrees in Physiology and Neuroscience, Zeba is currently a PhD student at UBC and already proving to be a strong community voice as an advocate for healthcare equity. She founded Free Periods Canada to provide free menstrual products for young women. Her PhD research focuses on barriers in the way of seeking care for dysmenorrhea among Canadian youth.

Another young South Asian Canadian university student with great potential is Bhanvi Sachdeva. In her final year as a BSc student in behavioural neuroscience at University of Toronto, Scarborough, she delivered a speech to the delegates at the UN Economic and Social Council Youth Forum in New York in 2023. She combined her studies in neuroscience and gender studies and found that there was little mention of women in neuroscience where women students are under-represented. Her goal is to encourage girls to pursue the sciences to fill the gap. She is presently working on her Master’s degree in public health and hoping to attend medical school.

And then there are trailblazing South Asian doctors (my daughter included) who are selflessly serving patients, doing important research to improve patient care, working round the clock with poise, excellence and determination. An example here in Toronto is Dr. Pooja Viswanathan, who studied neuroscience in India and Canada and is now at Mount Sinai, researching how our brains change over our years.

Desi News and Grant’s already diligently and proudly recognize the work of hundreds of our bright and accomplished South Asian Canadians and I don’t mean to or need to reproduce their trailblazing work. The point I am making is that we South Asians are a proud, accomplished, hard-working people who, for generations have put parents, studies and work among the top of our life’s priorities. Let’s be proud, hold our heads up high and never lose sight of who we are! A bright, honourable, accomplished and intelligent people!

Dr Vicki Bismilla is a retired Superintendent of Schools and retired college Vice-President, Academic, and Chief Learning Officer. She has authored two books.