Analyzing the Impact: A Report on Canadian TED Talks

This report analyzes two TED Talks, one by Truepayna Moo, a Burmese refugee, and the other by Honorable Ahmed Hussen, Canada’s Minister of Immigration and Refugees. Moo's talk focuses on her personal experiences with multiculturalism and the challenges faced by refugees in Canada, highlighting the importance of understanding and curiosity. Hussen's talk discusses the duality of Canada, acknowledging both its generosity towards immigrants and the existence of systemic racism. He shares his personal experiences with racial profiling and discrimination, emphasizing the need to address these issues. The report explores the themes of immigration, cultural integration, systemic racism, and the diverse perspectives on Canadian identity presented in these TED Talks, providing a comparative analysis of the speakers' experiences and viewpoints. The report also includes links to the original TED Talks.

Running head: TED TALKS FEATURING CANADA
TED TALKS FEATURING CANADA
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

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TED Talk I: Truepayna Moo
Truepayna Moo, a Burmese refugee in Thailand who came to Canada at the age of just 9
years, presents her experience in Langley, Canada as a refugee. Moo begins her talk by sharing
her first experience of facing multiculturalism when in Grade VII, her sticky rice wrapped in
banana leaves became a puzzle for the girl sitting next to her. She describes that the girl would
have felt it either weird or interesting but she never knew, as the girl never gathered the courage
to ask or inquire about it. Moo has an unconventional take on being a refugee. She shares the
statement by the Tennessee Office for Refugee, “To be called a refugee is the opposite of insult;
it is a badge of strength, courage and victory”. According to Moo, it is actually true because she
has spent the first decade of her life in a refugee camp and she knows the strength and courage it
takes to endure what she endured.
She brings forth the problems she had to face while starting her school in Langley,
Canada in 2007 due to language barriers and the cultural differences. During the ending few
minutes of her talk, Moo highlights the issues of multiculturalism in Canada. In her own
experience she has found that immigrants and refugees in Canada are often misunderstood, feel
lonely and isolated too. In the end, she encourages people to ask questions and be curious about
the refugees without bothering about the reactions because in that way, people will b able to
know about each other on a personal and deeper level.
TED Talk II: Honorable Ahmed Hussen
Honorable Ahmed Hussen, Canada’s Minister of Immigration and Refugees has
presented the TED Talk in 2017 at Toronto. The theme of his talk revolved around the two faces
of Canada – one of generosity and the other of systemic racism. He had arrived in Canada at the

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age of 16 after fleeing from his home country Somalia with his parents at age of 15. Mr. Hussen
begins his TED Talk by reminiscing about his initial years in Canada and the way he was moved
by the generosity of the Canadian people who had lent a helping hand during his times of need.
He shares how the people helped him post a letter in the letterbox, with the laundry and many
other things.
On the contrary, as he gradually grew up, he faced situations that made him feel what it
was like to be a black man in Canada. He shared his experience of being pulled over by the
police while on his usual walks and being asked questions like where he is going, the contents in
his pocket, his ID card and such others. He found this experience to be humiliating because it
used to happen regularly in front of his neighbors and passers-by. Mr. Hussen describes another
incidence when he was a political staffer and a white Canadian asked him if he was an
entertainer and refused to believe him. These experiences lead to the need for recognizing
clearly, the systemic racism in Canada and the ways to deal with it.

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Links to the two TED Talks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9EXoKb7el4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28cnj-PBbUo