The executive director of SFU’s Harbour Centre campus, Laurie Anderson was a panelist at a talk titled “The Global Migrations of the Scottish People since c. 1600: Issues, Debates, Controversies,” along with former coordinator of SFU’s Centre for Scottish Studies (CSS), Harry McGrath. Also in attendance was the dean of SFU’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, John Craig.
Anderson, a first generation member of the Scottish diaspora, who moved to Canada from Scotland in his youth, describes diaspora as being “essentially about the ‘scattering’ or movement of peoples from their original home or country of birth.
“It is studied a lot in Scotland because the Scots have migrated around the globe since medieval times, and is one of the most significant diasporas in the world,” Anderson explained. One of the main themes of the conference revolved around the ongoing dissemination of Scots over the past 700 years.
As a result the Scottish diaspora has had a large influence on our modern world, particularly in North America. However, McGrath pointed out that not all of its effects have been positive.
Over the three days of the conference, participants attempted to take a balanced view of the effect the Scottish diaspora has had on the world, McGrath stated in an email. “So, for instance, while there was some focus on Scottish achievements, there was an equal, perhaps greater, focus on issues like the Scottish connection to the slave trade, which has often been neglected or deliberately ignored,” he explained.
“Scotland for a while was by far the most diasporic nation in the world.”
– Harry McGrath, former CSS coordinator
According to Anderson, part of the importance of the diaspora aligns with Scotland’s upcoming referendum for independence. “The economy of the country is a very important aspect of being independent,” he said. “[And there are] many, many more people with Scottish connections outside of the country than in the country. If they can promote business ties, cultural ties with the diaspora, it can support the cause of the country becoming independent.”
Among the examined topics was whether the number of Scots that have left Scotland was detrimental or beneficial to the country. Anderson said, “When you have a country with so many people leaving all the time [. . .] you’re losing your best and brightest [. . .] However, one of things that [was] also talked about was the fact that many people who left the country made a lot of money overseas.
“Some people left by choice for better opportunities, and some people were forced to leave during different political uprisings.”
The three-day conference concluded with the panel, “Scotland Today: Perspectives from the Diaspora,” which was chaired by McGrath and featured Anderson as a panelist.
McGrath said of the CSS, where he worked from 2003 to 2007, “One thing I took away from the conference was the fact that the Centre for Scottish Studies at Simon Fraser University is an unusual and precious resource. There are very few such centres outside of Scotland and I would like to see it develop into a true international research hub for the Scots in Canada in general and those of Western Canada in particular.”
He concluded, “I would very much like to see the Scottish diaspora find its place in the great upsurge of interest there has been recently in diasporas from all countries.”
