ALEJANDRO BAEZ

  I was born in a tiny town in Cuba. My father died when I was just  18 years old; with him being the sole provider for the family, we were struggling to put food on the table. I remember standing in the kitchen looking at my mother, not knowing what to do. A month after he passed, I started working as a Welder's Assistant in an Ice factory and my town's Sugar Mill, making only $5 to $7 per month. I had to start looking for other ways to support my mother, so I heard new Hotels were being built in Cayo Coco, which led me to pursue a career in the hospitality industry. I learned to do everything in the industry to my fullest potential, from washing dishes to waiting tables to bartending and making Cuban's famous Mojitos. I was able to support my mother and make more than the average Cuban, but when you live in a Communist country, everything you own could be taken away, so I decided to leave and come to Canada to pursue a better life.

PETTY LE 

In 1984 my family moved to Canada from South Vietnam. I came from a typical immigrant family. Both my parents worked in the factory industry, while my 72-year-old grandmother took care of the four of us. Unfortunately, due to the circumstances, the wages of industrial workers were not sustainable for a family of 7. My parents used to work night and day to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. After five years of arriving in Canada, they saved and bought their first home in Mississauga in the Rathwood neighbourhood. I went to the neighbourhood schools and worked at the local mall, Square One, for five years.