Immigrant Identity and Alberta's Referendum: A South Asian Perspective

The column opens with the story of Mrs. Sukhdev Kaur Hari, known as Gick Harry, whose great-grandfather Harnam Singh Hari arrived in Calgary in 1910 and is commemorated by a city park. As Alberta heads toward a referendum that will address immigration and the province’s ties to Canada, South Asian residents report a resurgence of anti-immigrant sentiment. The author argues that while policy discussion is legitimate, conflating immigrants with the problem undermines democratic discourse.

South Asians are portrayed as integral to Alberta’s workforce, tax base, and charitable efforts, including support for Calgary hospitals, the Food Bank, and disaster response in Fort McMurray. The piece urges the province to recognize long-standing contributions and to include immigrant voices in the referendum conversation, rather than forcing them to constantly prove belonging.