{"id":452945,"date":"2022-05-25T17:11:10","date_gmt":"2022-05-25T14:11:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/im-an-immigrant-living-in-quebec-bill-96-makes-me-feel-like-a-second-class-citizen\/"},"modified":"2022-05-25T17:11:10","modified_gmt":"2022-05-25T14:11:10","slug":"im-an-immigrant-living-in-quebec-bill-96-makes-me-feel-like-a-second-class-citizen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/im-an-immigrant-living-in-quebec-bill-96-makes-me-feel-like-a-second-class-citizen\/","title":{"rendered":"#I\u2019m an immigrant living in Quebec. Bill 96 makes me feel like a second-class citizen."},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4128415f92f\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4128415f92f\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/im-an-immigrant-living-in-quebec-bill-96-makes-me-feel-like-a-second-class-citizen\/#%E2%80%9CIm_an_immigrant_living_in_Quebec_Bill_96_makes_me_feel_like_a_second-class_citizen%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;I\u2019m an immigrant living in Quebec. Bill 96 makes me feel like a second-class citizen.&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CIm_an_immigrant_living_in_Quebec_Bill_96_makes_me_feel_like_a_second-class_citizen%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;I\u2019m an immigrant living in Quebec. Bill 96 makes me feel like a second-class citizen.&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n                            The controversial Bill 96, which enacts French language reform laws across Quebec, is making non-French-speaking immigrants like Alena Matushina reconsider their future in the province.\n                        <\/div>\n<div>\n                                                                        <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unable to return to her studies in China due to COVID-19, Russian native Alena Matushina, 27, found a new home in Montreal. But her plans of settling in the predominantly French-speaking city may have to change with the implementation of Quebec\u2019s Bill 96, which was passed by the provincial legislature on Tuesday. The bill will make far-reaching reforms to various publicly owned sectors in an effort to affirm French as the province\u2019s official language. The bill will also force immigrants to communicate with the government solely in French six months after they arrive in the province. With the current political climate in her home country, neither Russia nor Quebec <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ear to be viable living options for Matushina.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014As told to Tara De Boer<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I left Russia in 2013 to study in England, then I went to China in 2014, which is where I met my boyfriend, who is from Montreal (we were both international students at the time). When the pandemic started, I decided to come to Montreal in 2021 and stay with him and his parents. Having not been able to go home to Russia, I started to consider Montreal as a place to build a home.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My first language is Russian, English is my second language, and my third language is Chinese. I studied a little bit of French in my undergraduate degree, but I\u2019m still at an elementary level. When we became very serious, he said, \u201cIf you ever want to make this work, you will have to come to Montreal and learn French.\u201d And now that I\u2019m here, I see what he means\u2014you do need to know the language.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I love the French language. I think it is beautiful. But at the same time, it\u2019s an added pressure to learn another language in order to integrate and find a job. So, to be completely honest, the passing of Bill 96 has me reconsidering whether or not I would be able to build my future here.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>MORE:\u00a0My escape from Ukraine to Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It takes years to learn a language. It took me nearly a lifetime to learn English. I started learning when I was five and I am now 27. And I still make mistakes. Six months\u2014the amount of time the provincial government will give new immigrants before making them communicate solely in French\u2014is not enough.\u00a0 I see where they are coming from with implementing Bill 96\u2014French is an important part of the culture here and they are trying to protect it. But it\u2019s already hard enough immigrating and coming to live somewhere new. Now they\u2019ve made it infinitely harder.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once I realized I couldn\u2019t go home to Russia, I started the application process for my permanent residency. I have been gathering many documents for the last three months, medical exams, police certificates and proof of identity. I have also had to gather about eight letters of recommendation from friends. Once I apply, it will be another six months of waiting. Before then, I would have been better off living in Moscow, where I did not need to learn a new language, where I had friends, and where I don\u2019t have to feel awkward when my boyfriend speaks French.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Without permanent residency, I cannot apply for the free French classes that the government provides. So I\u2019m learning French on my own using a textbook. I\u2019m planning on paying for courses through McGill, which cost between $1600 and $2000, not including books. Considering rent is already high, these expenses are difficult to afford.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The thing that scares me most about Bill 96 is that in the courts or in hospitals, it may be much more difficult to access services in English. That is a scary thought\u2014not just for me, but for all non-French-speaking immigrants across the province. Those are the situations when you are most vulnerable, when you are most scared for your health or legal status. Not being able to express yourself or understand what people are saying is restrictive to my freedom.\u00a0As a non-French-speaker in Quebec, I feel like I am a second-class citizen.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My biggest fear right now is that I will be going through this whole application for permanent residency, which takes about a year, and I\u2019ll pay over a thousand dollars for it, only to then apply for jobs and get a refusal letter because I can\u2019t speak fluent French. I\u2019m worried.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Currently, I teach English to Chinese children through my online school, which I run myself. Being self-employed gives me the flexibility and spare time to apply for my permanent residency. My degree is in international relations, and I\u2019m hoping to get a job in that industry one day. But in order to work in foreign affairs, I will need to learn French.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>RELATED:\u00a0Scenes from the war in Ukraine<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My goal is to be able to apply for jobs here in Montreal rather than work online. I want to feel like I\u2019m integrated, like I\u2019m part of the system. I want to call it my home, and right now I can\u2019t. Sometimes I consider going home to Moscow. Here, I just feel like I\u2019m not good enough because I do not speak French.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My friends are mainly anglophones. They feel unhappy that the bill has passed. I think it will cause unrest and protests. It really feels like my chances of getting a job or integrating into Quebec society are shrinking. Before Bill 96, I had a choice between living in Moscow and living in Montreal. Neither seem like good options anymore. <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"under-article-widget-nl\">\n<p class=\"under-article-widget-title\">Looking for more?<\/p>\n<p class=\"under-article-widget-description\">Get the best of <em>Maclean<\/em>&#8216;s sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>, commentary and analysis.<\/p>\n<p>                <iframe style=\"display:none;width:0px;height:0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/society\/im-an-immigrant-living-in-quebec-bill-96-makes-me-feel-like-a-second-class-citizen\/about:blank\" name=\"gform_ajax_frame_26\" id=\"gform_ajax_frame_26\" title=\"This iframe contains the logic required to handle Ajax powered Gravity Forms.\"><\/iframe><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer crossorigin=\"anonymous\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/general\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/society\/im-an-immigrant-living-in-quebec-bill-96-makes-me-feel-like-a-second-class-citizen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;I\u2019m an immigrant living in Quebec. Bill 96 makes me feel like a second-class citizen.&#8221; The controversial Bill 96, which enacts French language reform laws across Quebec, is making non-French-speaking immigrants like Alena Matushina reconsider their future in the province. Unable to return to her studies in China due to COVID-19, Russian native Alena Matushina,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":452946,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/ALENA-MATUSHINA-TARA-DE-BOER-MAY25-766x431.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[107415,18737,33487,32681,14090,67879],"class_list":["post-452945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-bill-96","tag-french","tag-immigration","tag-politics","tag-quebec","tag-society"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/452945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=452945"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/452945\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/452946"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=452945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=452945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=452945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}