Blog

By Iván Barradas

Read the interview in its original Spanish version.

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The month of October was designated as Latin American Heritage Month by the Parliament of Canada in 2018. This fact highlights the significant contribution of Latin American communities to the social, economic, political, and cultural fabric of Canada. It is also an opportunity to learn more about Latin American heritage and culture and to honor the rich traditions of Canadians of Latin American origin.

The term ‘Latin American’ refers to individuals who identify themselves as such and who were born in the macro-region known as Latin American, and also to those persons (and their direct descendants) who emigrated to Canada from countries and regions located in the American continent that have large Spanish-speaking and Portuguese-speaking populations. According to the 2021 census, there are more than 580,000 Canadians of Latin American origin. However, more recent data published by the Canadian Hispanic Congress in 2023 showed that there are more than 1.6 million Latin American residents living in our country.

The growing presence and influence of Latin Americans across Canada is a fact that brings challenges in terms of representation, integration and plurality, but also creates an opportunity to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. One of the agents of change who’s raising awareness on this topic is Bibiana Pulido, Cofounder and Executive Director of Québec Equity-Diversity-Inclusion Network (RIQEDI).

I was pleased to have a conversation with her (in Spanish), on topics related to our cultural identities, the need to increase the visibility of our communities, and her role at RIQEDI.

Iván:

Bibiana, thank you very much for agreeing to this interview.

First of all, would you like to share a bit about your personal trajectory as a Latin American (or Latina, if we apply “the economy of language”), as a Latina-Québécoise or as a Latina-Canadian? Do you identify more with any particular identity, or none at all?

Bibiana:

I was born in Colombia and immigrated to Canada when I was 7 years old, so I have spent most of my life both personally and professionally in this country. Being in the province of Québec, I feel good to be considered as a Latina, as I have the impression that I am well accepted (especially living in the Montréal region), where people, in general, are more aware and inclusive of the so-called visible minorities.

However, I think that the perception is different in other cities or smaller towns, because when I visit them, people look at me in a particular way, as if thinking: “You’re not from here,” something that can also come out because of my québécois accent… And then, the awkward question arises: where do you come from?

As we well know, the reason for asking this question can be interpreted in a thousand different ways. And although I answer with pride, explaining my origins and some childhood memories, this also implies providing a context about the time and the complex period in Colombia’s history, when violence caused by drug cartels and paramilitary guerrillas ravaged the country. It is curious that these facts, on some occasions, produce a certain distrust and make some people think that my family was directly involved in such conflicts.

On the other hand, regarding my identity as a “Latina-Québécoise,” I feel proud to be one especially when I am in other Canadian provinces. Why? Because it is then that I realize that people from Québec have a Québec identity that differentiates us from the rest of the inhabitants of Canada.

Iván:

This leads me to ask you about the sense of belonging to one (or several) nations. Given that Latin Americans have national identities well rooted in our cultural background, how do you conceive this aspect being at the same time Colombian, Québécoise and Canadian?

Bibiana:

The question of nationalism is a complicated issue. I would say that my Québécois identity began to take shape when I arrived in Québec in the 1990s and when I began to study in French, a language that I appreciate very much.

At that time, Bill 101 (also known as the Charter of the French Language), which establishes French as the official language of the provincial government and Québec society, as well as compulsory education for immigrants to study in French was already in force. At the same time, I remember very well the atmosphere of the second Québec sovereignty referendum campaign in 1995, and in particular, the concession speech of then Premier Jacques Parizeau, alluding to “money and the ethnic vote” as the cause of the triumph of the “no” camp.

That fact constituted a breaking point for many immigrants (including my parents and my siblings), who hoped for a full integration into Québec’s society and culture. And interestingly enough, it also influenced me to strengthen my identity and sense of belonging as a Canadian.

Regarding the use of language, I personally thank my parents for the fact that I was educated in both English and French (which is a privilege for many people in any country), and at the same time, I think that imposing a language in a forced way is not the best way to integrate immigrants. It is a process of gradual integration which they must be left to decide. Also, a lot of parents that have immigrated to Canada want to ensure a wide range of opportunities for their children so that they can thrive as a global citizen.

Finally, I have also questioned my “Colombian identity” a lot, because even though I was born in that country, every time I visit it, I do not feel totally Colombian. The example that most marked me in that sense happened one summer, after I had completed my baccalauréat in Political Science, when I wanted to learn more about Colombia, and I was able to take part in an exchange program for six months.

This is how I managed to enroll in the Universidad de los Andes (perhaps the most recognized private university in the country), and from the very first moment I experienced a “culture shock” when my classmates asked me: What social status do you belong to? [!]

I simply fell silent. I realized that many people there define other people according to their belonging to a certain social class based on their social status and purchasing power, and that infuriated me, because in Canada we are not used to do that.

In the end, the experience was enriching because I was able to make friends of other nationalities (Germans and Americans), but not Colombians. For them I was a foreigner who was born in Colombia but has lived practically all their adult life in Canada.

I have learned to live with that, and to feel that every time I go to Colombia “I am not Colombian” (to others), although I will always be quite proud to consider myself Colombian.

I love my country. I think it is one of the most beautiful countries in the world! I always make sure that my kids identify in some way with Colombia (and also Mexico on their father’s side). Their mother tongue is Spanish and we make sure that we go back to our countries on a regular basis, so they can learn and be proud of their Latin American heritage.

Iván:

Under a decolonization approach, the term “Latin America,” is considered incorrect and even derogatory, as it was created and imposed by a Eurocentric vision that invalidates the pre-Colombian vision of Indigenous Peoples and ignores the influence of other cultural identities, such as African. What is your opinion on this?

Bibiana:

Personally, I have had the opportunity to get to know some Latin American countries (although not all) – and I say this thinking specifically of Colombia – it is true that, despite the advances in terms of equity, we can still affirm that a good part of the population of our Latin American countries continues to face classism and racism, and many Indigenous populations and those of African descent continue to be undervalued. Unfortunately, racism is very present in the idiosyncrasy of Latin American societies. The idea of knowing that a white, green-eyed Colombian person, for example, is considered “superior” to a person with mestizo features or an Indigenous person. This causes the latter to be marginalized, even though the majority of the populations are not white.

Moreover, it is true that Eurocentric thinking is part of the way of thinking of many people in Latin America. It is enough to remember how people of African descent and Indigenous people are treated. Some people still use derogatory terms to refer to these populations.

Iván:

Tell us a bit about your professional experience in Montréal – how did your interest in the DEI space come about?

Bibiana:

For as long as I can remember, I have always been a sensitive and critical person in the face of injustices. I became interested in DEI when I decided to study Political Science at the university (although it was not called DEI at that time). Later I studied Latin American Studies and then I did an exchange program in Colombia, where I collaborated with the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare. At that time, thanks to a series of peace dialogues between the Colombian government and the militias, there was a program of reintegration homes for young people who had been recruited by the guerrilla groups (many of them were forcibly taken from their parents).

That is how I was able to visit some of these “secret” houses on a weekly basis, and you have no idea of the testimonies I heard. For example, many girls were raped and many of their parents were killed. This experience led me to become interested in Human Rights advocacy.

Following my master’s degree and my doctoral studies in industrial relations at Université de Montréal, I was more interested on workers rights and well being in different organizations, so I became more involved in issues related to diversity, until I came to work at Polytechnique Montréal, in the area of human resources. Eventually, the growing interest in DEI gave me access to Université Laval, where I worked for three years as a director, strategy – partnerships – training of the Institut EDI² (equity, diversity, inclusion and intersectionality).

In parallel, interest in DEI motivated me to co-found a non profit organization, the Réseau québécois de la diversité, de l’équité et de l’inclusion (RIQEDI), in 2019, which has since transcended the university environment and now brings together other organizations from other sectors. It started with 30 people and now counts hundreds more.

Iván:

Speaking a bit about inclusion and diversity, we Latin American people in Canada constitute a cultural bloc more or less well identifiable by other equity-seeking groups and by the Anglo-Canadian and French-Canadian majority, but we are not unified in making collective decisions to improve our communities and organizations. What can we do to correct this fact?

Bibiana:

First of all, I think that today there is still a representation problem. For example, despite the fact that more and more Latinos and Latinas are accessing higher education and pursuing university programs and excelling in various fields, there is still little visibility of Latin American DEI practitioners focused on different fields of expertise as well as in DEI-related topics. In fact, I know of only a few in the Montréal region.

This aspect has not changed much in recent years. When I was an undergraduate, I was one of the very few Latinas in a program where the rest of the students were white. Even in classes related to mobility and international cooperation, I found it incredible that there were very few. In my master’s and doctoral studies there were no other Latin Americans at all.

This definitely influences the persistence of problems related to discrimination and misunderstanding (or ignorance) of the diversity of Latin American identities. To address this fact, and in relation to the Latin American Heritage Month in Canada, my dream is to organize an annual event that will make visible the work, projects and achievements of people of Latin American origin (or who are allies of our communities), and who come from different career paths and disciplines.

In addition, I would love to join the effort (in collaboration with other institutions and the diversity of Latin persons), to create a network of Latin American people where, regardless of their experience, field of interest or career path we could all be in contact and discuss current issues, relevant both in Québec and the rest of Canada, that impact our lives.

It is necessary to create a solidarity network that dives into the different realities of Latin American persons (privileged or not), and offers a voice to people with different occupations and from different backgrounds: from academia, private companies, non-profit organizations and government agencies at the local, provincial/territorial and federal levels.

Iván:

What are your professional goals as RIQEDI’s executive director for the year 2025?

Bibiana:

For the following months and during 2025, we plan to continue with several projects in collaboration with other organizations. From a professional point of view, RIQEDI is like a “baby”. In addition, it is a source of pride to know that the funding organizations, both at the provincial and federal level, consider it as an example of management, administration, research and advocacy capacity to raise awareness of the great diversity of issues related to the DEI field, not only in the province of Québec, but in the rest of Canada.

As if this were not enough, we are planning a second “Forum of organizations: from theory to practice in DEI” in 2025. It is worth noting that the first forum held in February 2024 was a resounding success that exceeded all expectations, both in terms of convening capacity and positive response from participants.

DEI is often thought to boil down to talking about basic terms like equity vs. equality, the sense of belonging or about microaggressions and unconscious biases. And as a DEI practitioner, there is some truth in the fact that we repeat these themes so much that they can become overwhelming. However, it is important to note that events like the “Forum of organizations” allow us to go further, addressing new topics, as happened this year with discussions on mental overload in DEI practitioners and the importance of speaking out, the support of trans people and their challenges in the workplace, the inclusion of ethnocultural diversity in organizations or how to reconcile DEI, disability and neurodiversity, just to cite four examples. This generates new conversations attracting other fields of research, allowing us to learn and expand our knowledge.

In my opinion, as far as DEI is concerned, “No one can be an expert in everything.” It is a multidisciplinary sphere where the possibility of learning and educating is unlimited.

Iván:

Thank you very much for the time dedicated to this interview!

For further information about Bibiana Pulido or RIQEDI, please contact: [email protected]

Tags CDNdiversity CCDI Diversity Inclusion Equity Accessibility DEI DEIA Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion Latin American Heritage Month