Nizam Ally

After being illegal for eight years, the day which was scheduled for me to get my landed papers my Sponsor refused to attend. Regardless I went in.  I was honest to the immigration officer, he realized at the time how honest I was, and he approved my documents. It was one of the happiest days in my life. 

 

While running from immigration for over eight years some of the things I endured; immigration came knocking on my door, I had to sneak out the basement window in the middle of January with just a t-shirt no shoes or socks and ran about a mile and a half in freezing weather to some friends’ place. The guy who helped me to escape from immigration that night got deported, Somehow after sometime he found a way back to Canada, unfortunately he ended up in an industrial accident and died; another on a different occasion ended up in a car accident and became a vegetable, another was caught by immigration, tried to escape from the 8th floor by tying sheets together, fell to the side walk and dislocated his hip and was later deported. At times there was eight to ten of us living in one basement, we  constantly had to move every 3-6 months because people were always reporting us. A very good friend of mine who died a few years ago helped me on several occasions to preserve Tropical Nights. Because of these people who are no longer here and helped me so much I feel obligated to stand up against injustice. To this day I often think of these guys, and it brings tears to my eyes  because if it was not for them I would not be in this country today. 

 

In those days, where ever we went people would call us Paki.

One incident, my friends and I were walking down the street, a guy shouted from his car “you Paki people go home”. Being young, I told the guy to go “F**k off”, he came out his car and punched me in the face. I couldn’t do anything because I was illegal in the country. New in Canada from Guyana, it was one of the most embarrassing things I had to deal with at the time; surrounding by friends unable to defend myself. One night because of our appearance, a guy refused to go in the same elevator with us, verbal and physical exchanges occurred, later he came to our apartment with a gun, he did not see anyone of us and thought he had the wrong apartment. I never got that thought out my mind of how close we came to death. Again, not to keep repeating my self, I don’t want you to feel sorry for me I just want you to acknowledge the things I went through

 

I accept the fact I did not sign the appropriate documents at the time and I take the blame for that, but it does not give anyone the rights to take my life’s sacrifice and livelihood away from me. As  humans we should not live our lives on technicalities, we should live according to our status, as Human Beings. Since I came to Canada I have never been on welfare or unemployment. I contributed more to the system than a lot of citizens, an estimated tax collected and paid throughout the years is over two million dollars. I was always working overtime and after I started Tropical Nights I was doing double and triple the normal work week hours. Likewise, the wrong things a small percentage of the people have done to me in the past, I had to do embarrassing things which I am not proud of, e.g. asking friends and family for money. I know now 95% of it is not because I am lazy or do not want to work or because I am an alcoholic or a gambler.  I am just a trust worthy person that give people the benefit of the doubt; a lot of people in the past helped me and I honour that. I strongly believe my story will help several people out there, some who may be in similar situation, people who are afraid to speak up or feel it may bring them shame, people who do not have their own voice. So let’s stop doing these unjust things and work together, this way we can accomplish a lot more.