“We should embrace those fleeing Islamic terrorism just as we did those fleeing communism.”
Imagine yourself in a different country. You have few possessions and do not speak the local language. How uncertain would you be? How afraid? Now, imagine being 16 years old and being told that this situation is permanent because everything your family once had back home is gone, all either stolen or destroyed. That is how my family came to Canada.
Like most Canadians and Americans, I am from an immigrant family. The mosaic of my heritage includes the Isle of Man and India (on my father’s side) and the United States and Bulgaria (on my mother’s). What makes my Bulgarian side so intriguing are the circumstances that caused my family to seek refuge in Canada, a country I have called home for my entire life.
My great grandparents, Pauline and Boris Todoroff, were eclectic entrepreneurs in Bansko, Bulgaria, a small ski village nestled at the foot of the Pirin Mountains. They owned and operated a bakery, liquor store, and an inn at the center of Bansko. Because of their success as entrepreneurs, they were able to afford some luxuries that others could not, most importantly the ability to leave Bulgaria to avoid the turmoil of World War 2. When they left, however, they did not know that their hometown would never be the same and that they would never be able to return.
In the fall of 1944, Soviet troops invaded Bulgaria, beginning the era of Soviet influence in the country. As a result of the invasion and political upheaval, my family lost everything. Their businesses were seized by the Russians and their land was partially destroyed. Upon news of the terrible loss, the Todoroff family decided to make Canada their permanent home.
My family took its entrepreneurial spirit to Dundas Street in London, Ontario where they owned and operated a shoe repair shop, selling shoes and hats. There is something amazing about the spirit to persevere after losing almost everything and I’m proud that my family, like so many others, continued to look to the future and embrace their new home despite such adverse circumstances.
What my Bulgarian family’s story demonstrates is the importance of compassion when we talk about refugees coming to North America. The Todoroff family came to Canada unexpectedly, with few language skills and very little to their name. But, in short order, they were contributing to the growth of London, Ontario for decades. The movement of refugees into Canada not only provides refugee families a place to rebuild, but it provides communities with opportunities to grow and benefit from these new additions.
Much like those who are now fleeing the horrendous grip of the Islamic State, my family lost everything, but was able to rebuild in North America. With this in mind, North America should be readily admitting Syrian refugees. Denying them a new life in a freer country denies them access to the most basic means of wealth creation and sustenance. And this is a loss for everyone. From my own family’s difficult experience, I know what’s at stake. Because this new Canadian family was able to own property, we could make our own lives better, as well as contribute to the community that embraced us. I hope that we can extend that same level of compassion to the victims of ISIS and the Syrian refugee crisis.
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