The Political Refugees: A History of the Estonians in Canada

Hans B. Neumann is a history lecturer at Scarborough College, University
of Toronto.

Karl Aun, professor of political science at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, has written an informative, objective, highly readable book on one of the least known ethnic chips in the Canadian mosaic: the Estonians. This book represents one of a series entitled “Generations: A History of Canada’s Peoples.” The series was commissioned by the Department of the Secretary of State of Canada.

Aun’s paperback is divided into three major sections. The first explains the settlement story of the Estonians in their native environment on the south shore of the Baltic Sea across from Finland, their singularly unhappy modern history as unwilling victims of the major powers of the Baltic region, and the reasons for Estonian immigration to Canada (almost all of which took place between 1948 and 1953). The second section details the organizations and activities of the Estonian community in Canada (of which Tartu College is perhaps best known to Torontonians). The third section deals with the problems experienced by the new arrivals in adapting to their new homeland and the future prospects of the Estonian community in Canada. Sixteen pages of black-and-white photographs accompany the text, and there is a highly useful appendix of 14 separate tables of statistics, which clearly delineate the Estonian place in the overall Canadian demographic picture.

Some of the attractive features of this book are its solid and authoritative source base, its non-fawning, scholarly perspective (which distinguishes it from most others in this genre), and a lively writing style. Of great interest to the general reader would be the distinction Aun makes between refugee and immigrant identity as an important factor in ethnic self-perception and willingness to adapt to the new surroundings, and his depiction of the Estonian response to Canadian society upon their arrival (chapter eleven).

Aun’s book marks a bright contribution toward making the Estonian experience in Canada accessible and comprehensible to all Canadians. He not only honors the Estonian contribution to Canadian society but also fosters understanding and knowledge of one of the many ethnic strands that distinguish our country.