| It’s Black History Month. Let’s Move Inclusion Beyond VisibilitySemowo, Elizabeth. 2024. “It’s Black History Month. Let’s Move Inclusion Beyond Visibility.” The Tyee, February 6. https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2025/02/06/Black-History-Month-Inclusion-Beyond-Visibility/ | Publication | 2025-02-06 | Elizabeth Semowo |
| Citizenship and belonging: A research and service provider perspectiveCitizenship and belonging: A research and service provider perspective
Beyond legal status, citizenship is also the expression of a collective identity based on
a shared sense of belonging to a national community. However, government-sponsored
narratives of citizenship often differ from lived experience, which can obscure inequities.
This workshop presents preliminary findings from three studies examining questions
about such tensions. First, is multi-step immigration a contributing factor in the observed
decline in Canada’s naturalization rate? Second, how are equity-denied groups
represented in Canada's citizenship guides over time? Finally, how is citizenship-related
programming envisioned, delivered, and negotiated by the settlement sector in relation
to a changing Canadian citizenship context?
● Session Chair/Moderator: David Lee, Director of Employment, Language, and
Social Enterprise, MOSAIC
● Adrienne Bale, Senior Manager, Settlement & Integration, MOSAIC
● Marcela Fuller, Manager, Adult Learning and Newcomer Services, YMCA BC
● Lisa Brunner,Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Migration Studies,
University of British Columbia
● Sandra Schinneri,Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Migration Studies,
University of British Columbia
● Anjana Donakonda, Master’s Student, Public Policy and Global Affairs,
University of British Columbia University of British Columbia | Activity | 2024-10-30 | Brunner, L. |
| Making Immigrants into Settlers: Colonialism and Reconciliation in Canadian Citizenship Guides“Making Immigrants into Settlers: Colonialism and Reconciliation in Canadian Citizenship Guides,” presented by Lisa Brunner and Antje Ellermann, Migration, Borders, and the Politics of Inclusion and Exclusion conference, Belfast, UK, June 15-16, 2025. University of British Columbia | Activity | 2025-06-15 | Brunner, L., Ellermann, A. |
| Narratives of Indigeneity and settler identity in citizenship study guides“Narratives of Indigeneity and settler identity in citizenship study guides,” presented by Lisa Brunner and Antje Ellermann, Canadian Ethnic Studies Association conference, November 16, 2024. University of British Columbia | Activity | 2024-11-16 | Brunner, L., Ellermann, A. |
| Representations of Black, Forced Migrant, and Refugee Experiences in Citizenship Guides“Representations of Black, Forced Migrant, and Refugee Experiences in Citizenship Guides,” presented by Elizabeth Semowo, Pathways to Prosperity conference, Vancouver, Canada, November 25-26, 2024. | Activity | 2024-11-26 | Elizabeth Semowo |
| Representations of equity-denied groups in Canadian citizenship guides“Representations of equity-denied groups in Canadian citizenship guides,” presented by Anjana Donakonda, Metropolis Identities conference, Vancouver, Canada, October 30-31, 2024. | Activity | 2024-10-30 | Anjana Donakonda |
| The negotiation of Canadian citizenship narratives in the settlement sector University of British Columbia | Activity | 2024-10-30 | Brunner, L. |
| The Shifting Dynamics of Diaspora Politics in Canada: Towards a New Framework, Vancouver, B.C. 9/12/2025. Panel - New Directions in Canadian Immigration: The Impact of India’s Diaspora.
Toronto Metropolitan University, University of Toronto | Activity | 2025-09-12 | Ruparelia, S., Triadafilopoulos, P. |
| Truth and reconciliation in Canadian and Australian citizenship guides“Truth and reconciliation in Canadian and Australian citizenship guides,” presented by Lisa Brunner and Antje Ellermann, American Political Science Association annual conference, Vancouver, BC, September 11-14, 2025. University of British Columbia | Activity | 2025-09-11 | Brunner, L., Ellermann, A. |
| Truth, reconciliation, and an evolving national identity“Truth, reconciliation, and an evolving national identity,” presented by Lisa Brunner and Antje Ellermann as part of the panel “Impact of changing identities and public perceptions on newcomer experiences,” AMSSA Leadership Forum, September 25, 2024. University of British Columbia | Activity | 2024-09-25 | Brunner, L., Ellermann, A. |
| Expert witness testimony for House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Citizenship and ImmigrationOn October 9, 2025, I appeared before the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration to provide expert witness testimony for its International Student Program and Study Permits study. University of British Columbia | Activity | 2025-10-09 | Brunner, L. |
| National Immigration Roundtable with MP Julie Dzerowicz, Chair of House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Citizenship and ImmigrationInvitation to join National Immigration Roundtable with MP Julie Dzerowicz, Chair of CIMM University of British Columbia | Activity | 2025-10-29 | Brunner, L. |
| Centre for Migration Studies-Sector Research Collaborations Day 2024The UBC Centre for Migration Studies (CMS), AMSSA (Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC), and UBC Connects hosted the 2024 CMS-Sector Research Collaborations Day, an annual event designed to bring together migration researchers and professionals in the immigration and settlement field. The event was for those interested in considering migration research through a decolonial lens and building mutually beneficial connections between CMS researchers and BC’s settlement sector.
The public session took place in the morning, with a separate add-on registration for the more focused afternoon session. The morning session featured a panel presentation and moderated discussion with three guest speakers. Together, they explored the critical questions and paradoxes that arise when trying to engage in decolonizing actions while navigating Eurocentric systems.
In the afternoon session, which was for sector professionals and university affiliates who wanted to build connections, CMS showcased ways it can support the sector’s research needs. This was followed by a Speed Networking activity where participants could connect, share ideas, and explore potential research collaborations.
81 people attended. | Activity | 2025-11-13 | |
| Making Immigrants into Settlers: Colonialism and Reconciliation in Canadian Citizenship Guides“Making Immigrants into Settlers: Colonialism and Reconciliation in Canadian Citizenship Guides,” presented by Antje Ellermann at Waseda University, October 8, 2025. University of British Columbia | Activity | 2025-10-08 | Ellermann, A. |
| Canadian international student policy at a crossroadsBrunner, L. R. (2025). Canadian international student policy at a crossroads. Policy Brief No. 1, October 2025. Institute for Research on Public Policy; also in French: Le système d’éducation internationale canadien à la croisée des chemins. University of British Columbia | Publication | 2025-10-08 | Brunner, L. |
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