Heart & Soul Gens de cœur

Ann Silversides

he academic year was just beginning and faculty Beiser, 63, grew up in Regina, the child of Jewish immi- were swamped, but Dr. Morton Beiser couldn’t let grants who ran a corner store. “It’s not just an accident it pass. The article in the National Post — “These what field you end up focusing on. With my background refugees and immigrants can be deadly,” the headline said it’s no surprise that I am concerned with the fair treatment — had suggested that malaria, syphilis, leprosy and tubercu- of immigrants and refugees.” But he is adamant that “you losis were being spread among unsuspecting , and don’t let personal passion interfere with scientific objectiv- Beiser was furious at the misinformation. The psy- ity. The best way to stay honest is to acknowledge the ten- chiatrist, who is director of the 3-year-old Joint Centre of sion and to do research that is as impeccable as possible.” Excellence for Research on Immigration Beiser has little time for sloppy thought. and Settlement, was concerned because A well-known radio interviewer told him the article was “frankly fearmongering. It that “everyone knows” that the boat people cites the source of disease as people from did well but people should not “generalize” Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle because of their experience. “Why is it East and Eastern Europe. I am con- considered unacceptable to generalize cerned that health is being used as a from good news when no one hesitates to smoke screen for other kinds of ‘purity.’ ” generalize from bad news?” asks Beiser. Beiser promptly organized a public After graduating from the University forum and, at short notice, managed to of British Columbia, Beiser became part bring together expert panellists such as of the brain drain of the 1960s by doing Dr. Jay Keystone (Tropical Disease his psychiatric residency and graduate Unit, Toronto General Hospital) and work in sociology in the US. By 1970 he Dr. Ron St. John (Global Surveillance was an associate professor at the Harvard and Field Epidemiology, Health School of Public Health; his mentor was ). “Tuberculosis is a serious issue, psychiatrist Alexander Leighton, 91, who yes,” Beiser says. “But as for the rest, said in an interview that he and Beiser Morton Beiser: media reports are how can you say immigrants are respon- have shared “a fascination with how cul- “fearmongering” sible for syphilis, when immigration is up ture works in creating and mitigating and the incidence of syphilis is down?” mental illness.” Beiser’s angry response reveals much about a man whom In 1976, married with 3 young sons, Beiser decided to re- colleague Dr. Sam Noh describes as someone “who inte- turn to Canada and accepted a position at UBC. “It was grates what happens on the street with scholarly pursuits.” hard to give up Harvard, but there comes a moment when So compelling was this blend to Noh that he left a tenured you have to decide if you are Canadian or not. And I found university position to move to Toronto and work as a se- there were things about this society that were too precious nior research scientist in the Culture, Community and to give up. One of the tangibles is freedom from fear.” Health Studies Program that Beiser established in 1991 at Beiser is proud that his Culture, Community and Health the Clarke Institute (now part of Toronto’s Centre for Ad- Studies Program has attracted more than $4 million in ex- diction and Mental Health Studies). “There was a recogni- ternal research funding and several senior scientist awards. tion that Toronto was so diverse ethnoculturally that this But as Noh notes, “the issues of immigrants and refugees had implications for mental health services,” he explains. don’t seem to hit the heart of scholars and policymakers. Beiser’s trademark blending of scholar with compassion- When there is debate, it centres on the political and indige- ate activist is also evident in his recently published book, nous interests of the main group.” Strangers At the Gate: The Boat People’s First Ten Years in For years Beiser has been trying to convince the MRC Canada ( Press, 1999). It is based on and National Health Research and Development Program his study, which tracked 1300 refugees and revealed that to promote special competitions involving health and im- they used fewer health and social services than the general migrants. “Canada receives about 200 000 immigrants and population as they settled into Canada. The book engages refugees a year. We know they have problems accessing readers through the personal stories of many refugees — health care, and yet there is no research money dedicated those who’ve flourished and those who’ve floundered. to these topics.”

176 JAMC • 11 JANV. 2000; 162 (1)

© 2000 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors