The exodus of Vietnam War 'draft dodgers' across the northern border created the myth of Canada as a 'refuge from militarism.' However, the inherent promise has failed Afghanistan and Iraq War resisters who made a similar choice in the early 2000: They struggled in vain to remain in Canada permanently. In her talk, Sarah J. Grünendahl shows how this experience has affected both 'generations' of war resisters in terms of their integration and sense of belonging in Canada. She highlights not only changes in the Canadian political landscape over the course of nearly four decades, but also the salience of narratives of Canada as a "refuge from militarism" and a "peaceable kingdom," respectively.

An alumna of the North American Studies Program, Sarah J. Grünendahl is a research associate at Hochschule Düsseldorf's Faculty of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies as well as a doctoral candidate at the University of Siegen. In her PhD thesis, she examines the migration and integration experiences of U.S. war resisters living in Canada.