Funded by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF), Roots brought together roughly one hundred and sixty Arab Canadian youth from coast to coast to explore what it means to be Arab, to be Canadian, and to build a stronger, more inclusive community for the future.

Through collaboration with six student clubs and associations in Halifax, Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver, CAI co-hosted local workshops on identity, belonging, and community leadership.

The knowledge and insights gathered across these sessions have now been compiled into a national report, amplifying the conversation about what unites us and how to move forward as a community.

What we heard

• Identity is contextual, not fixed. Youth felt most Arab among non-Arabs, and most Canadian when visiting family abroad.

• Family, food, language, and hospitality are the anchors of Arab heritage.

• Religion, gender, and visibility are the most-felt intersections of daily experience.

• Representation is felt as absence, most keenly in politics and media.

• Community is the destination; belonging is something youth actively seek and build.