I think, in Canada.... Look, a Black child, for example, is more likely to face questions, some of them well intentioned and some, perhaps, malevolent. You know, it's “Where are you from?” and “Where is your family really from?” Again, I'm speaking about a couple of the Black veterans whose families came here after the American Revolution. A Black individual in Canada, of course, is more likely to face those questions than someone who has lighter skin. I don't think that's a controversial opinion. Someone who is not Black, indigenous or brown won't have that same sort of pressure to prove they belong here. It's assumed they belong based on the colour of their skin.
The idea of using veteranhood or service as a path to social acceptance and belonging is unique to indigenous and racialized veterans. Again, it's a path to social mobility for poor people. Everyone's life gets changed, sometimes for the better. I'm often cautious, because these interviews reveal trauma and some of those cascading impacts. However, I also recall a woman veteran of Afghanistan. She said, “Look, because I'm a woman who served in Afghanistan, everyone expects me to say that war was hell and that I'm broken.” She said, “No, many of us are happy with what we did.” That inflection point or shift can be a positive one. It is a path to social mobility and post-service workplace skills for veterans, regardless of their background.
I think what I'm arguing and what I think is reflected in these interviews is that, in terms of veteranhood or service as a pathway to acceptance as a Canadian and to belonging, despite looking different, is that it's unique to racialized veterans in a way it's not to white veterans. I think I'm comfortable saying that.