An Uneasy Belonging
My parents were from Kolkata. For work, they moved to Delhi — a city that offered opportunities but never quite felt like home. Ours was a Bengali household in every way: the food we ate, the language we spoke, even the small cultural rituals that tied us to our roots.
Yet, growing up in Delhi, I often sensed that we were slightly out of place. Every summer, we would travel back to Kolkata — the city of our stories and nostalgia. But over time, something shifted there too. We had become visitors.
Too “Delhi” for Kolkata, too “Bengali” for Delhi. That lingering feeling — of being in between — stayed with me. It wasn’t rejection, but a subtle reminder that identity is not only about geography; it’s also about perception. And lately, as I watch the global climate of rising hostility toward immigrants, I see that sense of “outsiderness” mirrored everywhere.
When Outsiders Build Nations
Across the world, anti-immigrant sentiment is gaining ground. Protesters chant slogans against people who look different, sound different, or simply come from somewhere else. The irony is hard to ignore — many of the same societies that depend on immigrants for economic survival are the ones shutting their doors.
A recent speech by the Prime Minister of Ireland underscored this contradiction. She spoke candidly about jobs that citizens were unwilling to do — cleaning, caregiving, long shifts in kitchens — all taken up by migrants who kept essential services running. “They do the work that keeps our society alive,” she said.
It was an honest admission, and one that applies globally. From North America to Europe, migrant labour forms the backbone of economies. In Spain, 88% of new jobs in 2024 were filled by immigrants. In Germany, companies are losing skilled foreign workers to racial discrimination. And in Italy, the Prime Minister herself called immigration an “invasion,” even while acknowledging that her nation’s economy would collapse without the contribution of migrant workers.
Yet, despite such economic dependence, the narrative of “us versus them” only hardens.
Canada: A Multicultural Ideal Under Strain
Canada presents itself as a beacon of multiculturalism — a country that celebrates diversity and inclusion. But the reality, at times, tells another story.
Earlier this year, in Mississauga, a stone slab near a public park was defaced with racist graffiti comparing Indian immigrants to rats. The act was hateful, but more than that, it was revealing. It exposed an undercurrent of resentment that continues to exist beneath the surface of Canada’s carefully curated image of harmony.
“Inclusivity isn’t optional — it’s the foundation of a healthy society. Canada thrives when we don’t just adapt to what exists, but when we also embrace the diversity that makes us who we are. No one was air-dropped into Canada — apart from our Indigenous people, we are all settlers — some first generation, some tenth. To be anti-immigrant in Canada is, in a way, to deny our collective story.
The recent graffiti comparing Indians to rats was painful to see. It is not just hate — it’s ignorance. Most immigrants are law-abiding citizens who pay taxes, raise families, and strengthen this country every day. This kind of hostility comes from entitlement and a lack of understanding. Canada’s strength has always come from openness and shared values.
At Voice of Mississauga, our belief is simple: one city, one community. When every citizen participates and feels seen, we all move forward together,”
— Ashish Fitkariwala, Founder, Voice of Mississauga.
This sentiment captures what many of us feel but rarely articulate. Canada’s federal immigration programs actively invite newcomers to fill critical labour shortages — in healthcare, technology, and manufacturing. These immigrants contribute immensely to Canada’s growth, yet many still face barriers in employment, housing, and social acceptance.
“As an immigrant, I am laughing at the ongoing circus. I am amused because a certain section is being targeted for no reason — almost like a flavour of the month. Instead of addressing the real issues — the economic downturn, job losses, and inadequate policies — scapegoating migrants has become a convenient deflection,”
— SM, a concerned citizen who immigrated a few years back.
This rising discontent makes one wonder: who really is an outsider in a country of immigrants? European settlers arrived centuries ago, displacing Indigenous communities and establishing systems that redefined belonging. Generations later, their descendants are considered “insiders,” while new immigrants — who sustain the economy and uphold the same laws — must still prove their worth. “It is sad how things are playing out. Immigrants were called — we didn’t force our way. We were needed; pathways were created, and that resulted in our coming here. There are economic, physical, social, and psychological implications of the move. To be treated as unwanted is beyond unfair,”
— Zain Shah (name changed on request).
Even within North America, the notion of belonging has been contested. Former U.S. President Barack Obama, despite being born in Hawaii and serving two terms in the White House, faced relentless attacks questioning his citizenship and legitimacy — the infamous “birther” conspiracy. Vice President Kamala Harris, born and raised in America to immigrant parents from India and Jamaica, has also faced similar rhetoric — deemed “not quite American” despite a life of public service.
Their experiences show that the outsider label transcends borders — it is wielded to question identity, belonging, and even patriotism itself.
The Global Paradox of Labour and Exclusion
The paradox isn’t limited to Canada or the United States. Across Europe, governments are struggling with labour shortages while quietly relying on immigrants to fill the gap. Germany, with over a million job vacancies, depends on foreign workers even as right-wing rhetoric grows louder. In Italy, political leaders rail against migrants while acknowledging their economic necessity.
It’s a pattern as old as migration itself: societies depend on outsiders while denying them belonging. Immigrants become both the workforce and the scapegoat — needed and resented, visible yet unseen.
Outsiders Within: A Universal Experience
Even within a single country, the politics of the outsider plays out in quiet ways. My family’s move from Kolkata to Delhi was a form of internal migration, but the dynamics were similar — cultural adjustment, subtle exclusion, a search for identity.
India, too, has its internal hierarchies of belonging. Migrants from one state often face prejudice in another. Regional accents, food habits, or names become markers of difference. The outsider, it seems, is not defined by passports alone, but by perception — by who is deemed to belong.
Who Decides Who Belongs?
The question of belonging is no longer about crossing borders; it is about who holds the power to define “us.”
In Canada, where almost every citizen traces roots to migration, who truly counts as an insider? The Indigenous peoples, to whom the land rightfully belongs? The settlers who colonized it? The immigrants who sustain it today?
Perhaps the politics of the outsider is, at its core, a politics of fear — fear of losing cultural dominance, economic control, or identity. But it is also a failure of empathy. Every migration story, whether from Kolkata to Delhi or Syria to Toronto, is a story of courage — of starting over, learning anew, and building a life from scratch.
To belong, one must first survive, contribute, and hope that one day, being part of the system means being seen by it.
The Way Forward
As global migration continues to shape economies and societies, it’s time to rethink what belonging means. Multiculturalism cannot remain a slogan; it must become lived reality — rooted in equality, dignity, and shared humanity.
The politics of an outsider is not just about who crosses borders. It’s about who gets accepted once they arrive. Because, in truth, no one remains an outsider forever — unless a society insists on keeping them that way.
Originally Published in Voice Of Mississauga
