Someone Shares Wholesome Story About An Immigrant Who Is The Biggest Toronto Raptors Fan And It Goes Viral
In the United States conversations about immigration have reached a fever pitch but for their northern neighbors, the stance on inviting in foreigners is cooler. Home to one of the most diverse cities in the world, Toronto, Canada has been outspoken about how it welcomes those looking for a new home, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau even tweeting in 2017: “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada.”
Canadian Raptors superfan Nav Bhatia embodies this spirit with his immigrant story and has become a symbol for the country, proudly celebrating on the sidelines of every basketball game since he arrived. For those not familiar with Bhatia, Twitter user Muhammad Lila took to Twitter to share his story and the beauty of embracing diversity.
Someone took to Twitter to share the story of a Canadian Raptors superfan who embodies the country’s diversity
Image credits: MuhammadLila
Image credits: MuhammadLila
Image credits: MuhammadLila
Image credits: MuhammadLila
Image credits: MuhammadLila
Image credits: MuhammadLila
Image credits: MuhammadLila
Image credits: MuhammadLila
Image credits: MuhammadLila
Image credits: MuhammadLila
Image credits: MuhammadLila
Image credits: MuhammadLila
Image credits: MuhammadLila
Image credits: MuhammadLila
Image credits: MuhammadLila
Image credits: superfan_nav
In 2017 the BBC announced on BBC Radio that Toronto was the most diverse city in the world. The city has continued to rank as one of the most multicultural cities in the world. Toronto is home to over 200 distinct ethnic groups and was ranked second by the UN as the city with the largest community of foreign-born residents after Miami. The capital of Ontario has over 160 languages with English being the primary dialect.
Image credits: superfan_nav
According to The World Atlas, over 50% of the people living in Toronto come from foreign origins. The majority of residents are from the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Africa. Over 100,000 immigrants are estimated to arrive in the city annually. The city’s multicultural communities can be observed in neighborhoods like Little Jamaica, Little India, Little Italy, Koreatown, Greektown and Chinatown, just to name a few.
Image credits: superfan_nav
The diversity of the city has given way to a diverse fanbase. Not only do immigrants support the team because of newfound Canadian pride but because of the diverse rosters. Whether it is the African players (Serge Ibaka and Pascal Siakam), Canadian-born hooper Chris Boucher or Spanish powerhouse Marc (Big Spain) Gasol there is an array of faces and talent to appreciate.
Image credits: superfan_nav
People in the comments loved seeing diverse representation appreciated
85Kviews
Share on FacebookMost Sikh's I've met have been cool as hell. At the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, after Team Canada won at hockey, the celebrations in the streets where led by brown immigrants (the accents were thick). They were the most enthusiastic which was surprising considering that it wasn't a Vancouver team, it was a team of all born/bred Canadians. It was pretty cool to see how many had painted faces. On the subway home an old white businessman was on the train and saw a painted faced, turban-clad family and it brought a tear to his eye and he said "What a great place this is".
Canadians don’t make the distinction. We don’t say stupid s**t like, “We’re more Canadian like you because we were born here.” ...///... The Sikh community in Canada are as Canadian as I am - and I’m a fifth generation.
Load More Replies...I have a hard time believing he's 67, he don't look a day over 40. One heck of a super fan and great guy.
Just to clarify, he couldn't find a job as an engineer, because of his turban and his accent. So he had to start from zero in rough neighborhood selling cars. How come this post still brags about Canadian diversity? It should be more about an unappreciated hustler, who was able to thrive despite discrimination. "There's a joke in Toronto that the best place to have a heart attack is in a cab because there'll be a doctor driving that cab"
Funny thing about Trudeau's tweet: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/06/08/canada-warns-immigrants-u-s-heading-north-border/683297002/ And immigrants in America are so commonly successful and accepted that it's not newsworthy to write about, from members of presidential cabinets [remember German immigrant Henry Kissinger] to the current [Indian] CEO of Google to everyday store owners throughout this country to the massive number of technology workers all from immigrant backgrounds.
The appreciation for Nav doesn't just lie in Toronto, I live in Ottawa (Canada's capital), and I don't really follow basketball but can appreciate what an awesome human he is! While yes he is a super fan and well known at the games he came to wider attention after some douchebag likened his turban to wearing underwear on his head, Nav being the class act he is handled it with grace and it all ended with a phone call and no hard feelings
He's certainly right about the Country south of us. Mostly due to the d******d sitting in the White House eating fast food and lying about everything. There are wonderful people in the US, if only the other half would leave
You can tell when you've crossed over from USA to Canada even w/o signs or ports of entry. It's cleaner, kinder, very diverse and men wear suits when they grocery shop.
What a great story! Good on Nav Bhatia, and good on everything he's accomplished. I spent the first half of my life in Canada and the rest in the U.S., and I'm proud of the time spent in both (not quite so proud since 2016, but that's another story). The Sikhs I have met have invariably been good, hardworking and honest people. Love stories like this one. P.S. If anyone can forward this story (which has as its moral that immigration can be a wonderful thing) to the current inhabitant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, that would be great!
i was in toronto 10 yrs ago - best time of my life. I felt so free there and wellcome. everything in this article saying about toronto is true. i love canada
I'm curious about his different color turbans. Do the colors have religious significance or is it simply a fashion choice?
Sounds like a cool guy but the person who wrote this needs to be a little less condescending .
Our leaders could learn a lot from this model city. Pride, greed and cruelty, never win in the end. We need to take America back from those who live on this kind of platform.
BS article. Who legally admits more immigrants? Why not focus on the Jacksonville Jaguars who are owned by an immigrant? Ibut that doesn't fit with Bored Panda's anti-American stance
You big baby. You are the type of American the world hates.
Load More Replies...For the record, Canada has many cities, not just Toronto, and the immigrant experience isn't just a new phenomenon - this country was literally built by Chinese immigrants who built the railway "from sea unto sea". All cities are multicultural, and we don't just accept "immigrants", we also take in a large number of "refugees" who learn to thrive here. And we're seeing people seeking "asylum" here now too. Most - but not all - Canadians are tolerant of others regardless of their race, religion, creed, sexuality, or anything else that might make your neighbour different than you. I am proud of the fact that people who face unimaginable suffering in their homeland look to Canada as their new - safe - home. I love that rather than being a "melting pot", Canada is a "patchwork" of cultures. This multicultural mosaic covers all of Canada, not just the Magnificent T0
This kind of post makes me embarrassed to be American. Go Nav!!
United states also offers many times more than any other country in foreign financial aid. Millions of immigrants are welcomed with open arms, please don't let a few articles sway opinions.
Load More Replies...Samantha, it seems that you missed the whole point of the story. You wouldn't like it much here in Toronto but we'd accept you anyway, even douchebags are welcome.
Load More Replies...Most Sikh's I've met have been cool as hell. At the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, after Team Canada won at hockey, the celebrations in the streets where led by brown immigrants (the accents were thick). They were the most enthusiastic which was surprising considering that it wasn't a Vancouver team, it was a team of all born/bred Canadians. It was pretty cool to see how many had painted faces. On the subway home an old white businessman was on the train and saw a painted faced, turban-clad family and it brought a tear to his eye and he said "What a great place this is".
Canadians don’t make the distinction. We don’t say stupid s**t like, “We’re more Canadian like you because we were born here.” ...///... The Sikh community in Canada are as Canadian as I am - and I’m a fifth generation.
Load More Replies...I have a hard time believing he's 67, he don't look a day over 40. One heck of a super fan and great guy.
Just to clarify, he couldn't find a job as an engineer, because of his turban and his accent. So he had to start from zero in rough neighborhood selling cars. How come this post still brags about Canadian diversity? It should be more about an unappreciated hustler, who was able to thrive despite discrimination. "There's a joke in Toronto that the best place to have a heart attack is in a cab because there'll be a doctor driving that cab"
Funny thing about Trudeau's tweet: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/06/08/canada-warns-immigrants-u-s-heading-north-border/683297002/ And immigrants in America are so commonly successful and accepted that it's not newsworthy to write about, from members of presidential cabinets [remember German immigrant Henry Kissinger] to the current [Indian] CEO of Google to everyday store owners throughout this country to the massive number of technology workers all from immigrant backgrounds.
The appreciation for Nav doesn't just lie in Toronto, I live in Ottawa (Canada's capital), and I don't really follow basketball but can appreciate what an awesome human he is! While yes he is a super fan and well known at the games he came to wider attention after some douchebag likened his turban to wearing underwear on his head, Nav being the class act he is handled it with grace and it all ended with a phone call and no hard feelings
He's certainly right about the Country south of us. Mostly due to the d******d sitting in the White House eating fast food and lying about everything. There are wonderful people in the US, if only the other half would leave
You can tell when you've crossed over from USA to Canada even w/o signs or ports of entry. It's cleaner, kinder, very diverse and men wear suits when they grocery shop.
What a great story! Good on Nav Bhatia, and good on everything he's accomplished. I spent the first half of my life in Canada and the rest in the U.S., and I'm proud of the time spent in both (not quite so proud since 2016, but that's another story). The Sikhs I have met have invariably been good, hardworking and honest people. Love stories like this one. P.S. If anyone can forward this story (which has as its moral that immigration can be a wonderful thing) to the current inhabitant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, that would be great!
i was in toronto 10 yrs ago - best time of my life. I felt so free there and wellcome. everything in this article saying about toronto is true. i love canada
I'm curious about his different color turbans. Do the colors have religious significance or is it simply a fashion choice?
Sounds like a cool guy but the person who wrote this needs to be a little less condescending .
Our leaders could learn a lot from this model city. Pride, greed and cruelty, never win in the end. We need to take America back from those who live on this kind of platform.
BS article. Who legally admits more immigrants? Why not focus on the Jacksonville Jaguars who are owned by an immigrant? Ibut that doesn't fit with Bored Panda's anti-American stance
You big baby. You are the type of American the world hates.
Load More Replies...For the record, Canada has many cities, not just Toronto, and the immigrant experience isn't just a new phenomenon - this country was literally built by Chinese immigrants who built the railway "from sea unto sea". All cities are multicultural, and we don't just accept "immigrants", we also take in a large number of "refugees" who learn to thrive here. And we're seeing people seeking "asylum" here now too. Most - but not all - Canadians are tolerant of others regardless of their race, religion, creed, sexuality, or anything else that might make your neighbour different than you. I am proud of the fact that people who face unimaginable suffering in their homeland look to Canada as their new - safe - home. I love that rather than being a "melting pot", Canada is a "patchwork" of cultures. This multicultural mosaic covers all of Canada, not just the Magnificent T0
This kind of post makes me embarrassed to be American. Go Nav!!
United states also offers many times more than any other country in foreign financial aid. Millions of immigrants are welcomed with open arms, please don't let a few articles sway opinions.
Load More Replies...Samantha, it seems that you missed the whole point of the story. You wouldn't like it much here in Toronto but we'd accept you anyway, even douchebags are welcome.
Load More Replies...
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