Developed with the Feminist History Society, Resilience and Triumph is a collection of true, first-person stories from 54 racialized immigrant and refugee women that creates an eclectic mix of three generations of voices. Women in their twenties to those in their seventies provide snapshots from the 1960s up to the present that capture the many intersections of gender with race, culture, class, religion and nationality in Canada over five decades. Together these vividly recounted entries document both historical and everyday moments that reveal striking similarities and differences for immigrant women coming from many parts of the globe.
What can one learn from this wonderful book? That we are all stronger than we think; that we are all uniquely different, yet we have more commonalities than differences; that patriarchy is alive and well, thank you; that women would rather be victorious than victims; that Canada has a long way to go in its treatment of immigrants, particularly female immigrants; and that this is Canada's loss.
Despite the very different cultural, social, and historical backgrounds of the stories, certain similarities are revealed in the experience of migration narrated by these racialized women: constant tensions between their contradictory worlds, barriers to integration due to their difference and “visibility,” and reconciliation with their hyphenated identity, for example.
...the publication is as much about the development and writing of the book as about the stories themselves from some remarkable women.
Resilience and Triumph is a great collection which leaves you with the feeling that you’ve just made 50 new friends. It’s rare to find such honest recollections of Canada’s opportunities, discrimination and affect on 50 women’s lives.