Your family’s immigration story in Canada might begin with a recent journey, span several generations or sit alongside other kinds of moves. Before looking for an arrival date, ask how the person describes their relationship with the places where they have lived. Not every Canadian family story is an immigration story.
Start with the person’s own journey
First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples have their own histories and ties to their territories; they should not be folded into a story in which everyone came from somewhere else. Nor is there a single experience among immigrants, refugees or people who moved between provinces or territories.
Let the storyteller choose the words. A move may have been wanted, necessary or painful. Do not ask them to turn hardship into a triumph story. There may be topics they prefer not to record.
Questions that open the conversation
- Which place do you consider the beginning of this story?
- Who decided to move, and who took part in that decision?
- What did you want to bring, and what did you have to leave behind?
- Which languages were part of your life before and after?
- Who helped you feel that you belonged?
- What would you like younger people to understand?
Choose one question per conversation. If the topic is childhood, also use the questions about home and neighbourhood.
Documents help without replacing the account
Note full names, alternative spellings, places and approximate dates. Look for collection guides according to the period and type of record, instead of assuming every record is online. Keep gaps and the source of each piece of information visible.
For documentary research, consult Library and Archives Canada — genealogy. To hear accounts of different journeys, visit the oral histories of the Canadian Museum of Immigration.
From conversation to shared story
Ask permission to record, to translate and to share excerpts. Names, other people’s situations and intimate details can stay out of the family version. Keep the original account and check the edit with the person who told it.
A family tree with stories can connect documents to people, without reducing the family to a single route of arrival.
A possible first session
Set aside an object, a photo or a letter the person wants to talk about. Start by asking what it means to them, without deciding beforehand which stage of migration it should represent. A suitcase may recall a journey, but also someone who stayed behind; a photo may open a story about a friendship or the first time the person felt at home.
After the conversation, note what needs checking and ask whether the storyteller wants to add anything. If a story involves more than one person, do not assign everyone the same experience. Keep each version labelled and avoid publishing information about immigration status, personal documents or family conflicts without a clear agreement. The research can continue without every detail being exposed in the book.