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We, the Others: Allophones, Immigrants, and Belonging in Canada
A poignant look at intergenerational struggles, conflicting loyalties and heartfelt questions of belonging.
Ungrateful, opportunistic, moochers, dangerous, incompatible with our values and our way of life...Every immigrant demographic has heard these descriptors at some point in their migration history. WE, THE OTHERS takes a contemporary look at the xenophobia, ethnonationalism, and fear of the other that leads to discrimination and the belief that immigration is a polluting force.
Rooted in the author's personal family history as the secondgeneration daughter of Greek immigrants, and from her research as a journalist and columnist covering identity politics and social issues in Quebec and Canada for the past 20 years, Drimonis courageously tackles this country's history and practices, divisive legislation like Bill 21, and various nationalist movements that have influenced policy. WE, THE OTHERS is a poignant look at intergenerational struggles, conflicting loyalties and heartfelt questions of belonging.
"WE, THE OTHERS makes a strong case in favour of immigration and tells us how newcomers make us richer in every way. Thanks to immigrants, we discover new ideas, languages, foods, and cultures without going much further than the local dépanneur. As Drimonis notes, every new wave changes us imperceptibly until, over time, the others are now simply us, and we are all the better for it."--Michael Fukushima. Canadian filmmaker, NFB film producer
Canadian Politics. Sociology.
Ungrateful, opportunistic, moochers, dangerous, incompatible with our values and our way of life...Every immigrant demographic has heard these descriptors at some point in their migration history. WE, THE OTHERS takes a contemporary look at the xenophobia, ethnonationalism, and fear of the other that leads to discrimination and the belief that immigration is a polluting force.
Rooted in the author's personal family history as the secondgeneration daughter of Greek immigrants, and from her research as a journalist and columnist covering identity politics and social issues in Quebec and Canada for the past 20 years, Drimonis courageously tackles this country's history and practices, divisive legislation like Bill 21, and various nationalist movements that have influenced policy. WE, THE OTHERS is a poignant look at intergenerational struggles, conflicting loyalties and heartfelt questions of belonging.
"WE, THE OTHERS makes a strong case in favour of immigration and tells us how newcomers make us richer in every way. Thanks to immigrants, we discover new ideas, languages, foods, and cultures without going much further than the local dépanneur. As Drimonis notes, every new wave changes us imperceptibly until, over time, the others are now simply us, and we are all the better for it."--Michael Fukushima. Canadian filmmaker, NFB film producer
Canadian Politics. Sociology.
- GenresNonfictionCanadaPolitics
223 pages, Paperback
Published September 16, 2022
16 people are currently reading
258 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 7, 2022
Toula’s book on the reality of immigrants in Canada, particularly Quebec, should be an essential read. She writes frankly about racism, Quebec politics, and life as an other (those who are not francophone or anglophone). She writes of her parents emigration from Greece, and living in Montreal as a second-generation immigrant. I learned a lot, and will definitely re-read this book as I’m sure I’ll learn something each time.
February 19, 2023
I'm not sure what higher praise I can give a book than the fact that when I finished reading a copy from the library, I immediately went out and bought my own copy to keep and reread. Even as a non-allophone immigrant in Quebec, this book made me feel seen. It was a quick read but not a light one, never dry, and so engaging I had to stop myself from tearing through it all in one go so that I could better digest and appreciate it.
August 12, 2023
Je suis indépendantiste. Je parle quatre langues. Je fais des fautes de français. Et j'aime profondément le Québec. Tout ces aspects cohabitent de façon plus ou moins harmonieuse. Ce livre explique avec tendresse pourquoi ce n'est pas toujours évident pour des personnes issues de l'immigration de s'approprier l'identité québécoise. Avec une lucidité désarmante, elle décrit les chicanes qui déchirent le Québec. J'ai adoré ce livre.
January 7, 2025
J’ai adoré ce livre,vraiment.
Je vous encourage grandement à le lire. Je vous assure que vous allez sortir «gagnant » à plusieurs niveaux de cette lecture. C’est humain, plein de nuances, de témoignages qu’on entend malheureusement peu souvent dans les médias « mainstream ».
Bref, même si ça peut paraître cliché ce que je vais dire: ouvrez grand votre cœur, votre empathie, votre écoute et prenez quelques heures pour lire ce livre. Et si vous préférez en faire la lecture en français pcq votre compréhension de l’anglais est plus difficile, la traduction française sera disponible prochainement!🙏🏻
Merci Toula pour ce livre plus que nécessaire surtout en ces temps de grande polarisation.
Je vous encourage grandement à le lire. Je vous assure que vous allez sortir «gagnant » à plusieurs niveaux de cette lecture. C’est humain, plein de nuances, de témoignages qu’on entend malheureusement peu souvent dans les médias « mainstream ».
Bref, même si ça peut paraître cliché ce que je vais dire: ouvrez grand votre cœur, votre empathie, votre écoute et prenez quelques heures pour lire ce livre. Et si vous préférez en faire la lecture en français pcq votre compréhension de l’anglais est plus difficile, la traduction française sera disponible prochainement!🙏🏻
Merci Toula pour ce livre plus que nécessaire surtout en ces temps de grande polarisation.
November 10, 2022
A fantastic look at what it means to belong, in an insightful and heartfelt way. I loved this book, as it is quintessentially Montreal.
November 29, 2022
A balanced, intelligent look at the immigrant and allophone experience in Quebec and Canada from a great writer who always manages to say just what I think.
July 17, 2023
this is immigrant realities laced with personal stories of her greek family, from her parents or her as daughter of immigrants. i think this was very good and it was a nice surprise to find in a little library specializing jewish literature and jewish voices on queen-mary, montréal.
of course, this read deals with multiple face in what concerns immigration: the immigration itself and the emotional and material process to installing themselves in a new environment, the colonial hospitality and hostility, the nasty myths around immigration and their real numbers, the social mandates imposed on immigrants and how impossible they are and rooted in xenophobia, islamophobia or just casual racism and the legislation that enabled or enables discrimination, how much the canadian and québec society actually need immigration, challenges what's to be a québecois and identity, the hypocrisy in québecois population to reject immigrants who want to be québecois (and are) like the rest of canada rejects them, more xenophobia, islamophobia and racism, unconscious bias and more. she speaks on those topics and extends this microphone to the actual people that are affected. very good exemple of voicing important messages while including the people they concern.
all of this is super digestible though, perfectly separated in chapiters and all. it's very accessible, though it does require that you know certain concepts and do engage in canadian/québecois politics and history (which her audience obviously is). everything in this read is supported by a plethora of articles, reports, statistics and more - heavily sourced and well-sourced, almost one per page on average. there's a surprising lightness to this. it's written like it is talked out loud without ever being not proper, like a speech from a well-spoken and well-educated person (as she is). it's clear and intentional writing, it's easy to follow and has a light grown-up humour time to time, sarcastic at times. i really like the fact that she takes relatively recent or fresh in memory event to show examples of things. since it's fresh, it's easier to provoke or challenge the reader who has already read on it - she uses the covid-19 pandemic, controversial articles in québec/montréal media that usually sparked outrage, bills too and more. there's overall a good amount of history paired with fleeting remarks and anecdotes. no sentences were wasted. her journalistic background shows and does a great service for this nonfiction. it's very much "here's the menu, this is what i'm serving, this is what i do" energy and she did. she gives great recommendations too.
i do wish she was more forthcoming with her opinions, like yes, reserve three paragraph for whatever you want to elaborate. after all, this is nonfiction, not an article for a journal so it's okay to leave the journalism behind more then usual then in columns.
i do have couple issues with this read though. the idea of "othering" she coins - i get the idea and at its core, it's good. but at the same time, i couldn't help but shale the feeling that they sometimes felt like euphemisms for a stronger and maybe more appropriate word. often, i would think "the word discrimination" or "to discriminate" was the better swap. i'm saying sometimes it needs to hit hard and it needs to hurt, bcs "othering" can feel like a softening.
the last two have to do with the indigenous treatment. first would be pierre falardeau's quote at p.174, of which contains the word 'esk*mo' which is racially charged and derogatory. i understand that you are quoting his word but i did see that you had censored the word 'nigger' for pierre vallière's 1968 book. i would have been good to extend that sensitivity to 'esk*mo' too. the second: i wish there was more talk from indigenous voices. they are mentioned but i was expecting a chapiter at least on them or on what they think or how this is perceived in their community. i know that immigration is the focus but since we visited multiples point of view, i was expecting and was sadly let down, especially since they were mentioned thrice.
overall, this is a solid read! would recommend it to my parents and all.
of course, this read deals with multiple face in what concerns immigration: the immigration itself and the emotional and material process to installing themselves in a new environment, the colonial hospitality and hostility, the nasty myths around immigration and their real numbers, the social mandates imposed on immigrants and how impossible they are and rooted in xenophobia, islamophobia or just casual racism and the legislation that enabled or enables discrimination, how much the canadian and québec society actually need immigration, challenges what's to be a québecois and identity, the hypocrisy in québecois population to reject immigrants who want to be québecois (and are) like the rest of canada rejects them, more xenophobia, islamophobia and racism, unconscious bias and more. she speaks on those topics and extends this microphone to the actual people that are affected. very good exemple of voicing important messages while including the people they concern.
all of this is super digestible though, perfectly separated in chapiters and all. it's very accessible, though it does require that you know certain concepts and do engage in canadian/québecois politics and history (which her audience obviously is). everything in this read is supported by a plethora of articles, reports, statistics and more - heavily sourced and well-sourced, almost one per page on average. there's a surprising lightness to this. it's written like it is talked out loud without ever being not proper, like a speech from a well-spoken and well-educated person (as she is). it's clear and intentional writing, it's easy to follow and has a light grown-up humour time to time, sarcastic at times. i really like the fact that she takes relatively recent or fresh in memory event to show examples of things. since it's fresh, it's easier to provoke or challenge the reader who has already read on it - she uses the covid-19 pandemic, controversial articles in québec/montréal media that usually sparked outrage, bills too and more. there's overall a good amount of history paired with fleeting remarks and anecdotes. no sentences were wasted. her journalistic background shows and does a great service for this nonfiction. it's very much "here's the menu, this is what i'm serving, this is what i do" energy and she did. she gives great recommendations too.
i do wish she was more forthcoming with her opinions, like yes, reserve three paragraph for whatever you want to elaborate. after all, this is nonfiction, not an article for a journal so it's okay to leave the journalism behind more then usual then in columns.
i do have couple issues with this read though. the idea of "othering" she coins - i get the idea and at its core, it's good. but at the same time, i couldn't help but shale the feeling that they sometimes felt like euphemisms for a stronger and maybe more appropriate word. often, i would think "the word discrimination" or "to discriminate" was the better swap. i'm saying sometimes it needs to hit hard and it needs to hurt, bcs "othering" can feel like a softening.
the last two have to do with the indigenous treatment. first would be pierre falardeau's quote at p.174, of which contains the word 'esk*mo' which is racially charged and derogatory. i understand that you are quoting his word but i did see that you had censored the word 'nigger' for pierre vallière's 1968 book. i would have been good to extend that sensitivity to 'esk*mo' too. the second: i wish there was more talk from indigenous voices. they are mentioned but i was expecting a chapiter at least on them or on what they think or how this is perceived in their community. i know that immigration is the focus but since we visited multiples point of view, i was expecting and was sadly let down, especially since they were mentioned thrice.
overall, this is a solid read! would recommend it to my parents and all.
November 4, 2023
Analysis both personal and professional, this work about the political and personal relationships amongst Quebec Francophones, Anglos and "allophones" is intelligent, pragmatic and very well researched. The author makes appropriate and accurate observations about the past and present social climates. She provides a greater context of the historical position of Quebec within a Canadian context. She is unfailingly gracious to those with whom she is not entirely in agreement, which sometimes is impossible for political players in Quebec related issues. An excellent bibliography adds value
December 18, 2023
Lecture oh combien importante, ce livre devrait être obligatoire à l'école, mais je dirais surtout à l'Assemblée nationale!
L'immigration est un sujet chaud et franchement trop peu de gens comprennent vraiment les enjeux, mais aussi le vécu et le ressenti des personnes immigrantes. C'est clair que je suis plus sensibilisée à la cause depuis que je partage ma vie avec un immigrant. Notre parcours a été privilégié, et ça, on en est très conscients, mais je l'ai reconnu à bien des reprises dans ce livre. Surtout à propos du sentiment d'appartenance.
"Seul, on va plus vite, ensemble, on va plus loin" disait le proverbe. Pour ça il faut connaître l'autre afin de créer cet ensemble.
Si tu préfères lire en français, la traduction sera en librairie en janvier sous le titre "Nous, les autres".
L'immigration est un sujet chaud et franchement trop peu de gens comprennent vraiment les enjeux, mais aussi le vécu et le ressenti des personnes immigrantes. C'est clair que je suis plus sensibilisée à la cause depuis que je partage ma vie avec un immigrant. Notre parcours a été privilégié, et ça, on en est très conscients, mais je l'ai reconnu à bien des reprises dans ce livre. Surtout à propos du sentiment d'appartenance.
"Seul, on va plus vite, ensemble, on va plus loin" disait le proverbe. Pour ça il faut connaître l'autre afin de créer cet ensemble.
Si tu préfères lire en français, la traduction sera en librairie en janvier sous le titre "Nous, les autres".
May 27, 2023
It's a decent read. It's a good insight into the political landscape of Quebec and the insecurities of the French polity, significantly supported by the francophones too. But one should take this as a guide to also, "what not to do". It's well written, albeit not without any blindspots of the author which becomes obvious on certain issues. And while the author goes quite into detail, narrating the instances of otherizing in Quebec, some of the pages turn into plain whining, rather than any insight.
What's interesting is that even while the author has focused on the "otherizing" process of Allophones in Quebec (mostly by politics), the author ends up doing the same with a micro minority. The book starts with a profound quote from Ramana Maharishi, "There are no others", in response to a question asked to him, "How are we supposed to treat others?". What is surprising is that such profoundness doesn't trigger the author to investigate and understand the underlying philosophy. No mention of that anywhere in the book.
In another instance, while discussing the Komagata Maru incident, in spite of mentioning the media at that time scaremongering with headlines of "Hindu invasion", the author, when mentioning the 2016 apology of Trudeau, doesn't find it strange that why only the Sikh community was apologized to? Isn't that "otherizing" by the government? And to a lesser extent, by ignoring that otherizing, by the author too?
The author seems to be too obsessed with the word "pundit", using it too often and not right. Becomes irritating to read.
One thing that could have improved the book would have been providing a solution or instances where immigrant communities have been well integrated into the ethos of the country without giving up their cultural identity. And the underlying success factor is NOT "tolerance", it's "acceptance".
Overall, I am still looking for a better book, a little less biased, to understand the Anglophone-Allophone-Francophone equation in Quebec.
What's interesting is that even while the author has focused on the "otherizing" process of Allophones in Quebec (mostly by politics), the author ends up doing the same with a micro minority. The book starts with a profound quote from Ramana Maharishi, "There are no others", in response to a question asked to him, "How are we supposed to treat others?". What is surprising is that such profoundness doesn't trigger the author to investigate and understand the underlying philosophy. No mention of that anywhere in the book.
In another instance, while discussing the Komagata Maru incident, in spite of mentioning the media at that time scaremongering with headlines of "Hindu invasion", the author, when mentioning the 2016 apology of Trudeau, doesn't find it strange that why only the Sikh community was apologized to? Isn't that "otherizing" by the government? And to a lesser extent, by ignoring that otherizing, by the author too?
The author seems to be too obsessed with the word "pundit", using it too often and not right. Becomes irritating to read.
One thing that could have improved the book would have been providing a solution or instances where immigrant communities have been well integrated into the ethos of the country without giving up their cultural identity. And the underlying success factor is NOT "tolerance", it's "acceptance".
Overall, I am still looking for a better book, a little less biased, to understand the Anglophone-Allophone-Francophone equation in Quebec.
November 23, 2023
An excellent book. I’ve read a lot of books about the immigrant experience, but this is the only one that manages to put into words how it sometimes feels to be a child of immigrants / allophone in Quebec (villified and a threat to the survival of French language and culture).
The author makes good points about how Quebec politicians cherry-pick census data about home language to suit the narrative that French is declining… when in reality 94.4 percent of Quebecers can have a conversation in French. Because most people in QC speak French! Maybe we should look at how many people are able to converse and work in French to determine if the language is declining….
The author also touches on how anglophones and allophones are criticized whenever they dare to criticize Quebec policies. “English-speaking and allophone minorities are often perceived as having ulterior motives and acting in bad faith when they express valid criticism of Quebec. However, one rarely sees accusations of Quebec-bashing lobbed against French-speaking Quebecers who publicly voice concerns or share difficult truths.” So, so true.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the allophone POV better in Quebec.
The author makes good points about how Quebec politicians cherry-pick census data about home language to suit the narrative that French is declining… when in reality 94.4 percent of Quebecers can have a conversation in French. Because most people in QC speak French! Maybe we should look at how many people are able to converse and work in French to determine if the language is declining….
The author also touches on how anglophones and allophones are criticized whenever they dare to criticize Quebec policies. “English-speaking and allophone minorities are often perceived as having ulterior motives and acting in bad faith when they express valid criticism of Quebec. However, one rarely sees accusations of Quebec-bashing lobbed against French-speaking Quebecers who publicly voice concerns or share difficult truths.” So, so true.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the allophone POV better in Quebec.
July 28, 2023
A fantastic look at what it's like to be an allophone immigrant in a Quebec that is continuously occupied with language infights between its francophone and anglophone communities. That conflict is so rooted in its population, that anything language related becomes a hot button issue. And while Canada likes to praise itself for its multicultural values and welcoming attitude towards immigrants, recent political turns has Quebec closing up its borders even more.
Drimonis makes a wonderful case that multicultural histories, values, traditions ultimately enrich a society instead of diluting it. All one's different identities are layers and not fractions, contributing to a multi-lingual, more diverse and therefore richer community.
Canada is quite a new country, founded on immigration (and conveniently likes to forget the indigenous languages its British and French colonizers drowned out). Learning how to integrate and empathize with immigrants, how to avoid to 'other' them, is a important challenge for many other older nations as well.
Fantastic book, very Montreal. Let me go out and buy my own copy now.
Drimonis makes a wonderful case that multicultural histories, values, traditions ultimately enrich a society instead of diluting it. All one's different identities are layers and not fractions, contributing to a multi-lingual, more diverse and therefore richer community.
Canada is quite a new country, founded on immigration (and conveniently likes to forget the indigenous languages its British and French colonizers drowned out). Learning how to integrate and empathize with immigrants, how to avoid to 'other' them, is a important challenge for many other older nations as well.
Fantastic book, very Montreal. Let me go out and buy my own copy now.
January 4, 2023
I absolutely LOVED this book! I read in on vacation and simply couldn't put it down. As an 'other' in Québec for the last 30+ years, everything she said resonated with me. I am not an immigrant, but am an anglophone from the ROC who CHOSE to learn French and live here. I was touched by her and her parents' life experience....it showed grace, integration without compromise, and is backed up by stats. Thanks so much Toula. I hope you are planning to have it translated into French so I can share it with my franco boyfriend and my many, many franco friends. Never lose who you are and stay as pluraistic as you want to be.
March 24, 2023
Excellent book; read in 2 days. Once started, difficult to place down. A tribute to her parents and her upbringing, Toula's book resonates with all immigrants who have landed on Canadian soil. The curriculum for the infamous and new 'Quebec Citizenship & Culture course would greatly benefit from using this book as reading material for the youth of 2023. As Toula mentions in the book, the students of today learn to interact with peers that may look and/or sound differently than they do but instead of alienating them, their youthful curiosity allows them all to mix, laugh, cry, study, party, and grow together.
November 29, 2023
A year before I picked up a copy I read a critique in the Montreal Review of Books and I feel it summarizes the issues I had regarding framing of issues better than I ever could: https://mtlreviewofbooks.ca/reviews/w...
While I think this book is interesting in terms of self exploration of being an allophone in Canada (and more specifically Québec) it stops short of naming the issues tied to the marginalization of other languages, namely the white supremacy and racism that lies at the root of this othering.
While I think this book is interesting in terms of self exploration of being an allophone in Canada (and more specifically Québec) it stops short of naming the issues tied to the marginalization of other languages, namely the white supremacy and racism that lies at the root of this othering.
April 23, 2025
We, the Others… juste wow. C’est un livre qui bouscule sans heurter, qui éclaire sans aveugler. Avec une lucidité remarquable, l’auteure parvient à sonder ce qui crée des "autres" — et surtout, comment cette altérité devient une richesse, une force, parfois une douleur, mais toujours une vérité à accueillir.
Il y a une tendresse dans le regard porté sur les identités multiples, les marges, les fractures intimes. On sent à chaque page une volonté sincère de comprendre plutôt que de juger, de relier plutôt que de séparer.
Une œuvre nécessaire, à mettre entre toutes les mains.
Il y a une tendresse dans le regard porté sur les identités multiples, les marges, les fractures intimes. On sent à chaque page une volonté sincère de comprendre plutôt que de juger, de relier plutôt que de séparer.
Une œuvre nécessaire, à mettre entre toutes les mains.
October 28, 2025
While I appreciate the book and a lot of the stories the author shares about québécois politics, history and her own story, I found the book hard to follow. As an immigrant to Quebec - without all the historical knowledge of who and what was said when and where - I sometimes felt I was reading a very long op ed piece that was missing some of the context.
So while some of the content really resonated, the writing style and narrative didn’t speak to me. But I’m glad I took the time to borrow this from the library. And I’m curious how I will feel about my identity in Quebec the longer I stay.
So while some of the content really resonated, the writing style and narrative didn’t speak to me. But I’m glad I took the time to borrow this from the library. And I’m curious how I will feel about my identity in Quebec the longer I stay.
April 21, 2023
A fascinating reflection on immigration and identity politics in Quebec and Canada that looks behind the curtain on some of Canada's less finer moments with racism. I flew through this book, it was so very engaging. Toula hit the nail on the head about what it means to be at once torn between many cultures and a representative of many cultures. I would eagerly read more.
June 1, 2025
Toula’s words beautifully capture the feelings of being an outsider living in Québec. A must read for anyone looking to gain more insights on Québec society and struggles that immigrants might face. It’s a powerful reminder that cultural integration doesn’t have to mean the loss of québécois culture (whatever that means); have more layers, not fractions.
April 9, 2023
I just finished We, The Others, and it was excellent. Toula Drimonis has written an incredibly informative and insightful book about the immigrant experience, one which is valuable to all Canadians, not just those in Quebec.
August 27, 2023
I’ve had many emotions reading this book! It taught me things about Canada’s and Quebec’s history I did not know. I felt seen, as a fellow allophone Québécoise and first generation immigrant. This book made me feel less alone but also angry and sometimes hopeful. A must read 🫶
November 6, 2025
this book made me mad but in a good way.
i loved how she showed the immigrant experience of 60 years ago (similar to our family) and the one from today, so interesting
Alsoo Quebecois identity.. what is it really 🤔
i loved how she showed the immigrant experience of 60 years ago (similar to our family) and the one from today, so interesting
Alsoo Quebecois identity.. what is it really 🤔
December 21, 2022
Loved it
March 17, 2023
To be read by every Quebecker. A lire par chaque quebecois.se!!
April 6, 2023
Well-written, informative, made me miss Montréal very much.
August 30, 2023
I learned a lot about Quebec!
July 24, 2024
Thoughtful and a great overview of Quebec politics that I'm still trying to wrap my head around, having lived in the ROC (rest of Canada) since I immigrated to Canada.
January 29, 2024
Je ne recommanderais jamais à personne d’avoir une quelconque ouverture d’esprit ou d’avoir de l’intérêt à lire ses livres. M Drimonis se positionne en victime à cause de son manque d’intégration face à notre culture qui est différente du reste du Canada. On parle en français et elle a un grave problème avec ça malgré notre désavantage numérique en Amérique du Nord. Elle rêve d’un Québec uniquement Anglophone. Elle appuie sans gêne Henry Zavriyez - un cancer de l’immobilier au Québec - qui achète des habitations pour personnes âgées et les évincent parce que.. il est anglophone! J’ose dire que M. Drimonis .. vous n’êtes qu’une sale suprémaciste! ;)
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews