When I was a kid, I didn’t like the word ‘immigrant.’ I’ve always felt that being an immigrant wasn’t the problem. I was born in Trinidad and moved to Canada when I was four (in December—and yes, that went over exactly as well as you think it did), and I was very proud to be from the Caribbean, even though it was very clear to me that Canada was now home. But calling myself one? No, thank you. It was the ’90s and no one in media or pop culture was talking about immigration like it was a good thing. I remember news stories about whether Canada was letting in “too many” immigrants, speculation that those newcomers were unfairly accessing resources earmarked for “real” Canadians, and pointed questions about whether they were really trying hard enough to assimilate. No wonder the word immigrant felt…shameful, somehow.

As I grew up, though, I gained a better understanding of geopolitics, imperialism and economic inequity. I began to understand how and why immigration happens, and saw the political value in applying that word to myself. And at some point after that, I actually started to like identifying myself this way.

I appreciated how efficiently it communicated the things that make me me, and that it offered a way to connect with other people, even if they weren’t Trini too. I still love discovering that a new friend makes a similar dish to one I grew up eating, or laughing over memes about immigrant behaviour that could apply to any number of ethnicities. (Which, okay, is often due to colonization, but still.)

It’s that same sense of connection that I hope you’ll find in 3. Whether it’s profiles of boundary-breaking third-culture individuals and immigrants, in-depth reporting about health care disparities or sharp columns about the way our political system may not always serve our interests, my primary goal is to tell immigrant stories—our stories—with authenticity, nuance and compassion.

And my next is to lean into the power of print to make a magazine that warrants a second (and third, and fourth…) look. From the stories to the photography to the design, we’ve tried to infuse 3 with moments of delight and offer readers a sense of discovery. I can tell you with some authority that this is a very fun way to make a magazine; I hope you find that it’s also a fun way to read one. All of which is to say, welcome to 3. I’m so thrilled you’re here. 

— Stacy Lee Kong, Editor-in-Chief

Introducing the team behind 3

Making a magazine is always a group effort, but that’s especially true of 3. For us, it’s not just a matter of dividing and conquering the work of writing, editing, photographing, illustrating and designing each story, it’s also about ensuring we’ve taken a diversity of perspectives into consideration at every stage of the editorial process. That’s why I’m so excited to introduce the dream team behind 3—the issue you’re holding literally couldn’t have happened without them.