Immigrant Voices Archives

Innisfil’s first Black councillor, says ‘everybody needs to have a voice’

Black Voices, Immigrant Voices, Thought Leadership, Voices of Colour / By Michèle Newton

Michèle Newton, a speaker, expert and advocate on inclusion, told Simcoe.com that BIPOC representation in positions of power is crucial. “Getting diversity in positions where they have the opportunity to affect change, systemic change, is really important,” said Newton, who is also a founder and board member of Making Change. “It’s certainly wonderful to celebrate having …

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Michele Newton Peterborough Examiner 27 May 2021

Adjustment not easy for immigrant families

Immigrant Voices / By Michèle Newton

As Canadians, many of us may take freedom of choice for granted. In China, where families were only allowed one child for a long time, little freedom of choice exists. At nine years old, Lisa Zhao and her father left China for Canada, searching for a better life with more opportunities. While her father worked …

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Building inclusion through awareness and advocacy

Cultural Views, Immigrant Voices, Voices of Colour / By Michèle Newton

I’m known for my better together philosophy – building collaborations and partnerships to create social change. This approach has connected me with many like-minded people, including Julie Kumar, a local advocate for diversity and inclusion. Kumar moved to Barrie from India to attend Georgian College in 2006, moved to Toronto, and then relocated to work …

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To build inclusion and end exclusion, we must speak up

Immigrant Voices, Voices of Colour / By Michèle Newton

Listening with true empathy to people’s stories, triumphs and struggles, can change us. We learn that people’s experiences actually are very different from our own. We learn that being different and unique is a strength. We begin to reflect on what we can do differently to make our community more inclusive. Through my work, I …

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