Close Reading

I teach ESL so I talk with a lot of newcomers and immigrants as part of my job. The case of one of my students sticks out in my mind. She originally came here from Ukraine because of the war. She wants to get PR status because she wants to settle here and make a life for herself and her family. She was explaining the process to me and she seemed really caught in a Catch 22. She held advanced degrees in mathematics and economics already, but in order to qualify here she would need to go back to school, which would require a different visa than the one she was here on. She was working, but at a low paying job where she was just making ends meet. So she has to decide whether to go back or stay, basically because of bureaucracy and no other reason. She was strongly considering going back home because of how expensive the cost of living is here. And I can't say I blame her. I was born here and if I had the resources, I would move. I would love to move abroad because the standard of living in most European countries is so much better.

Chorkor u are doing a very good job. Pls need help my daughter is already in canada since 2021 pls I need to talk with u ASAP thanks

It’s been 5 years for me here and I honestly can say I have achieved nothing in my life yet. It scares me when I think I can’t return whatever my parents had invested in me. The fact is you’ll never have a good paying job in Canada being an immigrant. When I say this trust me I mean it. Most you’ll get is a minimum wage job which can make you survive the life here. Taxes are high definitely and what I feel is you’re working to make someone else’s life easier. \n(P.S: people who’ve stayed in Canada will understand who I’m implying to)\nNo one wants to be your freind, scope of socializing is zero coz mostly it’s cold round the year so everyone hardly come out, especially in Northern provinces like Yukon, Saskatchewan, Manitoba.\nHealthcare is a joke. If you feel sick and not well and you wanna see a doctor be prepared to wait for hours and hours. I once had stomach infection and I had to wait 5 hours till someone could see me. I asked for painkiller at-least so I could bear the pain but they refused that as well. You might well see someone you love dearly and with whole heart die in-front of you and you could do nothing. (I’ve experienced it myself hence saying)\nYou’re a lone survivor who’ll always keep fighting. \nThe only person who can make money here is businesses and high paid jobs which are reserved to Canadians. That’s how Canada’s job market is. Canadians’ first and if there’s something left they’ll look at you. By the amount of money people invest here they can establish a nice business back in their country itself and earn accordingly on own terms. \nMost importantly you’ll cut yourself from all emotional supports like family, freinds etc.\nI was social person back in India who liked making new freinds and memories but it’s nothing like that here. \nAnd it’s the same life, no different.\nYou wake up, dress, eat, go to work, come back, eat, sleep. No different.\nNo fun and nothing. You actually don’t live in present, you live in an expectation of a better tommorow.\nYou’ll always have a smile when you greet someone but I guarantee you no one’s gonna check on you to if you don’t start a conversation even with a simple “Hi”. Mostly Canadians are nice but again some will systematically judge you and say nothing but you’ll see in their actions, the way they’ll talk in a twisted way etc.\nYes I’m not saying that Canada’s bad or it’s no good but trust me it will take forever to build a life here especially with the number of people moving here from round the world. \nIf you’re well off financially from back home Canada’s a paradise for you. Indeed it’s a beautiful country with lots of beauty and lots to explore but remember everything comes with a cost here. Everything comes with a cost. People need to stop believing in this fake illusion and come only if they got a purpose here. The only reason why they’ll let you in the country is for money and once you’re in you’ll have to keep spending, doesn’t matter if you’re broke or whatever you have to.\nOnce I earn I’ll happily give up my PR status and go back to India as i very well know what the situation is how it’s gonna be in future.\nSo just one piece of advise to every middle class person like me, guys please invest and spend your money wisely coz we know how hard it is to earn and it’s high time Canadians start appreciating what immigrants like us do for them by burning ourselves day and night and start realizing that their past generation once came from some other part of the world as well and settled here. Being white doesn’t make you a nice Canadian, you’re actions defines you more than your words. \n90% of this country is built by immigrants and that’s how it’s gonna develop in future, so if they keep treating us the same way good luck to them ?.\nAlso a plus note to anyone thinking that Asians are stealing your jobs, go get outside and have the balls to face them and take it away from them. Staying home and ranting and abusing us that we’re taking your opportunities and blah blah isn’t gonna work. We are so successful round the world because we are hardworking, honest and respectful to everyone. Even if we’re earning minimum and barely surviving here we always make sure we’re not burden on the government or anyone else and won’t keep crying.\n\nA big shoutout to all you guys who came here in the hope of a better future but are still struggling.\nKeep hustling and you’ll reach there, if not step down and go back and start your life again on your home soil. There’s no shame in experimenting continuously rather than sitting ideally and crying about future. \n\nAll the very best my people and lots of love to you ❣️

These politicians talk incessantly about those poor refuges living on the streets. They never mention the 500,000 Canadians who are homeless. The government of Canada is ignoring the desperate Canadians who have nowhere to live and nothing to eat. I'm not against immigrants or people of any nation, but we have a serious homeless problem in Canada and it seems senseless to continue to fork out our Tax dollars to those who have contributed nothing and ignoring the needs of it's own citizens. This is a disgrace and completely unacceptable.

Canada's system need improvement. That's an understatement if I ever heard one. When the necessities of life are made difficult to acquire and the government doesn't do it's job to fix it, you don't have much of a choice but to leave. It's basic survival. One of the basic necessities of a functioning government are to make sure its population is fed, yet I don't see anything being done about it. Lots of talk. Absolutely nothing done.

You need to bring someone to your show to talk about healthcare cost in USA. Healthcare in USA is scary to me...I don't want to save money and spend everything on healthcare.

The difficult part is gelling with people. That is difficult, because we are not raised that way, but my son has no issues, because he was raised here. Moreover we also need to change a bit ourselves. Talking in Hindi in public places loudly, no one likes that. Throwing garbage the way we do in India, who would like that? Many people won't like what I'm writing, but that is the fact. Smoking in smoke free zones, spitting on the road, screaming in your balconies. No one likes that. \nYou need to merge in the society, not to stand out differently.

Good morning Mr chorkor. Pls can I have your email address cus I really need to talk to you pls

Mr chorkor pls i need your email. I need to talk to you pls

I'VE NEVER CHALLENGED YOU BUT ON THIS TOPIC, LET THE OGs TALK ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC AS A HOLDER OF CANADIAN/DUTCH/GHANAIAN PASSPORT WHO LIVED AND WORKED IN 11 COUNTRIES ACROSS 3 CONTINENTS - YES THERE'RE MORE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE NORTH AMERICA BUT ALSO IN EUROPE AND THE SCANDINAVIA - DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY STORES ARE OWNED BY AFRICANS IN THE BIJMEER AMSTERDAM? DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PROFESSIONALS WE HAVE AT THE CORPORATE LEVEL IN THE UK? THIS IS REALLY NOT YOUR TOPIC - YOU MUST LIVE IN EUROPE TO SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES - THERE ARE AFRICANS ALSO MAKING IT IN EUROPE/SCANDINAVIA - WE NEED TO HAVE A PODCAST TO SHARE EXPERIENCES - YOU CAN EASILY BUY PROPERTIES IN USA/CANADA BUT ALSO STAGNANT AS ALL DEPENDS ON THE INDIVIDUAL - CONTACT ME AT info@kwamekuewor.com THANKS!

I live in Ontario and because of our Premier, our hospitals are in a horrendous position. I am in need of an MRI and have been waiting since April. Where I live in Waterloo Region, the wait is now at least 10 months to find out when your appointment is. My specialist told me to go to Buffalo, so I ended up paying $500 USD and had it 3 days later. Now , I can be referred to the neurosurgeon and have been waiting for this MRI since April for this referral. We talked with the radiologist and it was the most pleasant experience I’ve ever had. What I would add is that unfortunately, it’s expensive, but at least one less person in my region will need an MRI now. I am still waiting to hear about my appointment in Ontario…

I’m glad I’m Canadian ??? I enjoy visiting the States but with my health issues!!! I wouldn’t be here to talk about it, some months I see Dr’a more than 6 times/month!!! Not including surgeries, hospital stays and very expensive drugs!! My 1 drug is $20,000 2/year and I’m on over 20 different daily meds, that doesn’t include the special ones I need from time to time!! Thank you Canada ?

Hey there, you fine American... Just to let you understand, our system is FAR from perfect, but it's still easy access and quick service IF you don't need a rare specialist or a not so rare one). The thing is, it's ALL priority based, so if you wait, it's because someone needs your resources even MORE than you do. Sometimes, it ends up in a tragedy, but MOST times, it allows for the neediest to get it first. \nAs far as having children here, we have a NEGATIVE birthrate, so our government PAYS us to have children. My son grew up in Quebec, and they have a double everything. Double taxes (not that bad after the tax deductions and credits), but they also Double the safety net and services, compared to the rest of Canada. Not only was childbirth free, so were the pre-natal courses and everything else, AND we got around 1000$/mo in childcare benefits, until he turned 18, with full of tax credits per kid. Plus, daycare was 5$/day back then, it's 7$/day almost 20 years later.. Pretty citizen friendly. \nThings MIGHT be changing though. Our conservatives are taking their talking points from the US GOP since COVID, and they are all-in to please their Oil lobby overlords and donators out in our prairies region. The Alberta Premier is a far-right conspiracy nutcase and her new pet-project is Capitalist healthcare (among her trolley of lunacies). SAME place the far-right rednecks always come at us from. It's like they binge-watch FUX nonnews and get their ideas from the dumbest idiots there. Disgraceful Canadian MAGAt wannabes are the result of Trump polluting everything since 2016. He made shameless individuals get some traction in this new, crazy world we live in. And it infected the whole Western world. Canada is not immune to idiocies, Q , conspiracy nuggets, and belly-button Anarchists everywhere.\nSorry a bout this little rant, but things are getting steadily worst as the year goes on. \nAnyways, YOU give me a sense that what we SEE about Americans isn't all there is to see. Some of you are decent, so keep it up and don't let the ranting morons give your whole country a bad rep.

I mean no offence by this but my wife and I love your content because you really seem like the average American and we are super interested in all the gaps in your education and experiences. no insult at all but as a Canadian I am baffled by how you guys just don't talk about things that need to be discussed.

I find it funny and sad that the politicians fighting for universal Healthcare in the U.S. are labeled far left, communists and socialists. I watch American media talk about universal Healthcare like its some weird imaginary concept. \n\nWe got politicians here undermining our universal Healthcare. They drain as much funding as possible, leaving our hospitals struggling to keep up, then they sit back and let the media push the narrative that our system is failing and we need to privatize. It's depressing because some Canadians are falling for it and it's a real possibility that we might not have it if our citizens don't stand up for it.

We talk about moving back to the US, but the medical coverage stops us dead. Haven't seen a health care bill in 19 years, since moving to Canada. Its freer in Canada. \n\nIt's freer in the sense that our basic needs are seen too. We pay high taxes in Canada to have a social umbrella, that is not available in the States. I lived in MA and worked in human services and in the education system. They have to fight for every nickel every year. The tension in these environments is high. Lots of fund raising, lots of volunteer duties, low pay. Not that way in Canada.

Hi Chorkor I need to talk to you privately please.

Pls? I need to talk to you!! I need some information pls

You can't just get clips on tick tok and make a story that are very uninformed. How do you expect people who came a month ago as refugees to have a job? This does not happen in any country. That notion of going as an expert does not hold either in Canada. People are misinformed about moving abroad, they need to talk to people who live in a particular country, do good reach and find out why they need to move to any country first before moving. Every country in the western world has very high cost of living

Stop promoting BetterHelp, it's not a substitute for psychotherapy. We need more people in the field of Psychology and Psychiatry to apply hands-on practice, not online talks.

They're breaking the law coming in our country the wrong way u.s. citizen needs help you're using up all our resources Annie broke the law to get here this world is so crazy I give up on United snakes of America I can't wait till China Russia North Korea give us a wake-up call we need it I don't need no replies look at our politicians all they do is talk about each other I don't get s*** done I can't wait till Trump stop all this border shit where to buy American and the people who came here the Rite-Way

Chorkor Millionaire, you are really a good educator. You are saying nothing but the truth. I need your WhatsApp number so we can talk. I am interested in relocating to Canada on a tourist visa.

Sweet sister, these people who talk like that just need someone to take their own frustrations out on....they don't bother to think about the facts before they say such things. It can be difficult to ignore it sometimes. You work hard, and you are constantly busy with work, school, revision, and a family.....yet, they think that they can dictate to you what kind of videos you should make and when. Making videos is in itself a lot of work, and sometimes you have to remake the video if it doesn't come out right. You're doing your best to help others who are wanting to relocate, and to support others who are having difficulties, as well as keeping up with your channels. People don't realise how much work is involved with each of those channels, nor do they realise that you are a human being who has a busy life. I'm glad that you're telling people these things, because they need to start thinking about others.

Do we have a government in office? And I aint talking about just just President Biden cause hes d*** show not doing his job, but the republicans and the democrats. You all need to address this border. S***, this is going on too long. It's time to shut that s*** down. Making people turn their a**** around and go home and end about 10 million of the ones that already got through over the past 10 years need to round all day a**** up and send them back as well. And then I have to get through sending him back. There's another 30 million that's over here illegally. And it's not okay, it's making it hard for the Americans that has to live here. And it's not right to the taxpayers that work hard every day. Yeah, you illegal aliens. Ya'll might get over here and take a job from someone else. And yeah, Uncle Sam, take taxes out of your check. But you still, you're taken from other Americans, it's not right. It's time to go back, what's wrong? It's not my fault, and it's not our fault. What's wrong is the same thing? That's wrong, and our government is wrong in your government. Corruption corruption kills so corruption need to be killed. One way or another to have a better country and a better government. You have to rude out the poison.

Everyone talks about building more houses … we need more affordable housing not luxury houses where town homes are start at 600k with no upgrades lol … no politician talks about this. It’s just the general “we need to build more house” … “we need more affordable homes”. NO PARTY HAS A SOLUTION

Ohhhh yes chuko yes we need to help our brothers who need to charges there lifes.....you sis from kenya in s.korea. i real want to talk with you concerning business.

There is too much tax in canada and the return of benefits is very low comparwd to other developed advanced countries \n\nThe education and health sector is the worst \n\nPublic transport too expensive and not available in many areas \nAnd i am talking of grater toronto area \n\nAnd southwest ontario \nThe heart of canada \n\nIf we move slightly west or north of this area \n\nGod knows how these people are coping with that \n\nIt was easier for them to live away from cities \nBecauss of cheap land and housing \nAnd cheap fuel prices \nThey have their own cars and it was very affordable to drive long distance \n\nThe goods were not expensive \nSo overall the did not need \nPublic transport in many areas \n\nBut now with increasing housing coloniesb and infrastructure \nWith increasing population \n\nAnd increasing car and fuel prices \nBank loan interests \n\nPublic transport is needed and needed at affordable prices \n\nMobile phone networks \nInternet \nIs expensive too expensive \n\nIf you earn good you dont feel it \nBut low income and part timers \nStudents feel the high rate \n\n\nAllowing skilled people especially in health sector education sector and office administration is a must \n\nHospitals dont have the staff \nDont have doctors \nClinics dont have doctors and staff \n\nU dont find a family doctor for months or even longer \nAnd \nEven if find one \nHe stays not for long and leaves \n\nIf u r sucking taxes like blood sucking parasites \nThis is not going to last very long \n\nU have to provide if u take high rate of taxes \nU cannot let people wait for hours in emergency \n\nFor months to get an specialiat appointment \nFor months to get a medical test like ct scan ultrasound etc \n\nEven under developed countries \nAre providing the option for health tests and private treatment \nWhich is even paid by governments to certains extent \n\nI am totally disappointed in canada as developed country \n\nLow salaries \nExploiting immigrants as cheap labor \n\nStudents as cheap labor and rent payers \n\nEducation expensive \n\nHealth care almost not available \n\nBank interest rate high \n\nIts an bank interest binding economy\n\nWhich doesnt want the people tonget out of the financial cycle of paying interest and mortgages\n\nIn other words you have mortgaged ur life ur everthing to the financial institutes \n\nAnd u think u are free and rich\nBut are a slave \nA robot\nWho is controlled by the big sharks of the industry \nAnd the government

I May need to talk to you I may be getting a job here

Good luck ❤❤! Use your time wisely. I am a student in Vancouver. If you need to talk, happy to help ?

Those are people that has more rights to this American land than anyone else so what are people talking about... Americans need to work on going back to where they came from..... Americans want to save the world an can't save themselves...this place is cursed by the white man...

May be his translator, now he understands shit Nd no one understands wt shit he is talking ? similar to d manual we get when we buy Chinese gadjets, we understand shit, now he will know the pain and he would understand that he needs to learn English,

Let's talk about the people in Nigeria who need doctors. Who are in dire need of all those doctors who left the country. And about the doctors that stayed IN Nigeria and that are now totally overworked because of all those who left.

This guy cracks me up …he needs to hear himself talk. Canada is not that bad but Nigeria is from good lol that’s why he’s there!!! Twit

From all this talk and everything money is what is needed, those who are well to do will complain but for those who are struggling and want to move for greener pastures i think they should as someone in the united States I agree it hard but the opportunities are limitless, even with the discrimination, inflation and all i am able to live a comfortable life and provide for my siblings, and we talk about discrimination even among us Africans we have tribalism, we prefer our tribe than others so lets not just make it as if abroad is the only place discrimination occurs, in all i think its your choice everything has its good and bad , i am grateful for my life so i am not going to complain, good luck to anyone travelling abroad ,

Sir, you not telling the whole truth... you talking about yourself.. People travel because there is no money and they need to make money to help their family... If you were stable, why travel to another country.

About the muslims,i will agree,but if we as Canadian citizens have to show our faces on our ID cards,so should any new comer to our country,it has nothing to do with racism,it has everything to do with safety,so,this section is also incorrect, a percentage of muslims coming i er in hijabs have been males portraying as females,...you really don't know what you're talking able here,once again,this is Justin Trudeau's liberal government incompetence, and i really really like how you haven covered how they come here segregate into their own communties which our tax dollars pay for,they bring their laws over which they say they're evading,which is clearly otherwise,...im only 3:59 into your clip,...what about the fact that our government says our veterans are asking for to much,but thw government can set up safe election sights,and as you have stated waste 200,000 of Canadian tax payer dollars on the homeless junkies....you need to do better research before you slander an entire nation...like i said,I'll continue watching, and I'll continue commenting

I don't know but the government's need to do something about this s*** our government needs to talk to their government and tell them to step it up

Dude... at 16:50 you mention children's safety as something that has already come up, but utterly ignore that this woman is also talking about her rights being stripped away. Something that you consciously ignored previously in your presentation. Maybe you need to sit down and consider what's up with that. Because what's up with that?

The arbitrary aspect of the immigration system is the most depressing aspect of living here in the US. I guess when the system was implemented it may have had some use (such as being impartial to everyone by employing a lottery system) but these systems are pretty outdated at this point and only a leverage for political parties to throw gang signs at each other talking about how bad immigration is. I also don’t think anyone wants to solve immigration problems really, I mean even some of the nicest local people I know throw their hands up like “I don’t know” and I think it’s because immigration suffers from the same thing that many other problems suffer from and that is a lack of focus. Illegal immigration takes up so much time and space that fixing legal immigration seems like a daunting challenge and not at all worth trying. If I were a betting person I would never hedge my bets on immigration, I just need to have the time to digest and understand a lot of knowledge about how immigration helps me and my country. It’s honestly up to the Government imo to give it the proper fix it deserves but, again, why bother if it doesn’t help?

Sorry but most of these came for a handout. I don’t hear any of them talking about wanting jobs. 60 million dollars will be paid by Canadian taxpayers who are already over taxed. Thanks Trudeau. Cause we need more taxes

Please ? how can I talk to you. I really need your help.... it's urgent and important.. please ?

You would think that our president would secure the border , but he's to busy sniffing children's hair and pretending to eat babies to care about our national security. Myorkis needs to be arrested for assisting in this invasion of our country. He is a saboteur and a traitor. And is committing high treason. And all congress does is talk they are all guilty of treason. If you don't have borders you don't have a country it's that simple. We have to round these invaders up by the millions and send them back to their countries. They are all here illegally. Biden needs to go to jail for life . If they railroad president Trump , there will be a war in this country. The people have had enough of this Biden administration style treason!!! ?

Yeah, go on just rename Canada as new India now. Talk with an average Canadian and you’ll know how shitty the country has become. We don’t need more immigrants.

We dont have good relationship with Venezuela. We wont even sit down with them with their neighbors sitting down too. \nWe squander opportunities to talk with the lower Americas because we let money dictate our foreign policies. \nWe are the definition of bottle neck policy makers. We make decisions one one day that make the coming months more problematic than need be!

That is so frustrating. I know it's tough down there but they need to stop giving Fox News something to talk about.

Health care seems over talked about but it is soo important to have good health care to well being. at some part of our lives we need it and don;t want to worry about going bankrupt

All these countries need to get their sh** together , we already have millions of homeless people here already. We can only let in so many people while our own citizens struggle. I don’t think the USA is the best country in the world but its still a good country & find it Ironic how much people talk bad about us but then flock here by the thousands

My wife and I have talked about moving away from Winnipeg. We've floated a lot of ideas, but there were places where we'd have to learn a new language that ranked higher than moving just a short drive south, into the USA. We'd need to have a damn good reason to even consider it.

As a American there is a lot of things to say, I want to in the future duel with the uk/eu or Canada. I’m surprised they haven’t talked about the high excelation of racism, and as a Asian person it hasn’t been fun. Until we at the lowest minimum (not my actual minimum) fix our healthcare system is close to nhs that is basically free healthcare payed by your taxes, then I don’t see much people wanting to go to the states; aside from maybe university. There is a lot that plays a role, but in my eyes living in Cali or Portland or Seattle or nyc are the better places. One thing that I’ll say is though we need higher wages, I think that is kinda something we get more at times than other countries to a extent.

I've always wanted to live in the US, so many happy vacations there as a child and teen. Sadly now due to the health care situation, there's no way I could. If someone makes a lot of money and can afford private insurance and the drugs they need, lucky for them. Especially as a diabetic, the price of insulin is around 5 x in the US what it is here. I don't earn enough to afford the drugs I need if I lived in the US, add in every three month blood work, dr visits, for a self employed person, it's just not doable on what I earn. \n\nAn American I talk to said one of his co workers was being laid off and the co worker was a diabetic and he didn't know what he was going to do without the health insurance the company provided him. It's insane health insurance is tied to employment in the US. people that are self employed would have huge private insurance bills, and people that get laid off or are fired, they could be taking thousands of dollars of drugs a month and all of a sudden it's gone with the job. My mom wouldn't even let us go to the US for a weekend without getting out of the country medical insurance coverage.