Illustration by Diana Lippolis

Discovering the world through exchange programs

Daniel Caicedo woke up one morning to find a castle outside his window. He went to Norwich, England, on academic exchange through the University of British Columbia’s Go Global program and had arrived the night before. “That building,” he says “is older than any of my grandparents … than the entire country of Canada, older than anything I’ve ever seen in my life.” [Read more…]

Victoria Vaseleniuck, Glyn Lewis, and Debra Pool, of Canadian Parents For French

Merging two official languages

Since the Official Languages Act was passed in 1969, Canada has had two official languages: English, and French. In theory, it was designed to ensure easy access to all services in either language. In practice, it has meant that the divide between Francophone and Anglophones has stretched ever further, with little incentive to bridge that gap at all, either culturally or linguistically. [Read more…]

Carla Hilario and William Fritzberg, a cross-cultural couple – Photo by Jan Hilario

B.C. is the cross-cultural hotspot for couples

As Metro Vancouver’s population becomes increasingly diverse, more opportunities blossom for individuals to form relationships with someone from a different ethno-cultural background. Cross-cultural relationships vary according to individual characteristics such as generational status, birthplace and particular visible minority groups. They could be comprised of one visible minority group member and one non-member, or of individuals who belong to two different visible minority groups. [Read more…]