New citizen Jessica Gonzalaz remembers when she first arrived in Canada

CBC, 11 May 2017.  Jessica reflects on being teased in high school and not having the words to respond.

“It was really hard [coming to Canada]. I didn’t understand anybody at all. I remember I didn’t want to go to gym class because everyone was playing and I didn’t know how to speak English. I remember I didn’t want to go to gym class because everyone was playing and I didn’t know how to speak English. There was a guy that always saying ‘Senorita! Senorita!’ and I looked at him so badly. If I only knew English, you know?”

— Jessica Gonzalez, born in Cuba. Lives in Halifax, became a Canadian citizen on August 17, 2016.

This story is part of Becoming Canadian, a year-long project sharing stories of struggle and triumph from new Canadian citizens.

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