Meet Tahseen Zaidi, a member of CMH’s Diversity Council who works in the Health Information Management Department.
Tahseen spent her earlier years in a small town on the countryside of Pakistan. With a lake only a walking distance away from her childhood home, Tahseen has many fond and colourful memories of her adventures by the water and exploring the rural area.
After receiving an education in healthcare and moving to Canada with her husband, Tahseen worked in a pharmacy for a few years before joining CMH to play an essential role in patientcare behind the scenes. Tahseen's work maintaining accurate, timely and confidential health information not only serves as an important foundation for quality patient care and effective clinical decision-making but also provides her with a sense of purpose in life.
While Tahseen comes from Pakistan, she describes her Asian heritage as Indo-Pak which reflects how her heritage is shaped by cultural aspects of both India and Pakistan. Influenced by these two countries, the values of togetherness and sharing are deeply embedded in her culture.
“We share every celebration. Not just with family and friends, but the whole community. Most celebrations are actually shared broadly with the public and food is always at the centre. Bringing people together adds to the joy of celebration.”
Tahseen proudly carries her religion and culture as a South Asian Muslim woman alongside her identity as a Canadian. One thing Tahseen admires most about Canada is its multiculturalism. The acceptance of different cultures and sharing the joy of celebration with others helps her feel closer to her cultural identity and makes her proud to be Canadian. This also influenced Tahseen’s decision to join the CMH Diversity Council to represent her heritage and contribute to the hospital’s acceptance and celebrations of different cultures.
When reflecting on Asian Heritage Month, Tahseen sees it as a time to learn about cultural differences, especially in communication. Non-verbal cues like eye contact, body language, and facial expressions play a significant role in communication and are heavily dependent on cultural context. For example, direct eye contact can be seen as disrespectful in some Asian cultures but considered as a sign of confidence and sincerity in Canada.
“While there is a lot of cultural acceptance in Canada, there will always be opportunities to better understand each other. It is important for people to know that cultural differences in communication influence how messages are expressed and received. A person’s cadence and tone could sound harsh at first, but you may later find out that they are struggling with a language barrier. Try to avoid making assumptions based on appearance, demonstrate more curiosity, and don’t be afraid to start a conversation. We are all human.”
Thank you to Tahseen for sharing her story!