Sudbury historian says Syrian refugees not unlike Germans, Italians who faced discrimination
Dieter Buse argues those against letting refugees into Canada "don't understand their own history"
Sudbury's flag-crested "Bridge of Nations" might seem like a sad irony to one local historian these days.
As one Sudburian of Syrian decent reports episodes of discrimination in the last few weeks, retired history professor Dieter Buse says we needn't look very far back in history for examples of newcomers settling in Sudbury and facing racism and xenophobic attitudes.
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Buse said Italian, Germans, Finnish and Chinese people were all saddled with the derogatory name "foreigner" when they arrived decades ago — but today, are an integral part of the city's fabric.
"People here don't understand their own history," he said. "They haven't gone back to look at how their own ethnic groups [were immigrants or refugees]."
"I think that we as a society are capable and strong enough to integrate all newcomers."
Listen to the complete interview with historian — and child of refugees — Dieter Buse here.
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