Thursday, October 26, 2023 | Friends House, 60 Lowther Avenue, Toronto
With the support of collaborators from Western University, ASALCA held a series of Zoom meetings to launch what will become The Book of the Salvadoran Diaspora. From these sessions, an agreement was reached to engage 40 Salvadoran community leaders living in the City of Toronto. Participants were asked open-ended questions designed to gather insights in four key areas: the Pre-Migration Phase, the Settlement Phase, the Post-Settlement Phase, and ideas for what they would like to see included in the community book.
General Questions
• What motivated you to attend this workshop on the Salvadoran diaspora experience in Canada?
• What motivated you to emigrate to Canada?
• What were the challenges and achievements during your first five years in Canada?
• What were the challenges and achievements after your first five years in Canada?
• What would you like to see included in the book about the Salvadoran diaspora in Canada?
Participants were divided into four groups and provided with the same set of questions. Each group recorded their responses in writing and later presented their reflections to the larger group. We also recorded the group discussions to maintain an accurate record of what was shared. These recordings may serve as a reference for documenting the methodology used to develop the book, for including direct quotes, or for incorporating other materials that enrich the final publication.
We plan to replicate this participatory exercise in other Canadian cities where we are also collecting testimonies for the Virtual Museum — including Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, Edmonton, London, and possibly Halifax. Depending on logistics, some of these sessions will be held in person, while others will take place via Zoom.
The transcription and translation team has completed the recordings from the book workshop, and all scripts have undergone a final review. The finalized documents have been shared with the ASALCA Board of Directors.
If you are Salvadoran, or someone who supported Salvadoran settlement efforts in the 1980s, we invite you to share your thoughts and suggestions on what you would like to see featured in The Book of the Salvadoran Diaspora in Canada.
