Clearly you are a multi-skilled person and can achieve anything that you set your sight on. Well, it is a wild guess - you will be writing an excellent novel soon.

As  a socially colour-blind person,  it is difficult to comprehend significant focus on the natural nature of a person, being proud.  "And as a person of colour, these are roadblocks at every step along the way." Well, true. So did  the Irish, Italians, Jewish and, Ukrainians had gone through so that the next generations are ok. Yet primarily Italians mix around with other Italians and not in Irish bar. 

You have to remember: pennies make pound; each is a penny, got to withstand  the environment for the other penny to join. If you have spent it none left.   Rome wasn't built in a day.  Changes in the last 50 years are phenomenal in Canada. You will be an excellent seed for the future generations. It will be safe bet that your  appraisal in another 50 years will be " what the hell was I writing about fitting in 2017."