Isabelle Kessedjian, a Canadian citizen and an accomplished author, was recently killed in a car crash. Kessedjian is survived by her two children, her parents and numerous friends and colleagues from her former profession. While it is uncertain as to what caused the accident, Kessedjian was reportedly involved in a relationship with a man under the pretense of being married. As is often the case in Canada when celebrities die young, her death was treated as a family matter and Canadian authorities have been investigating the circumstances surrounding her death for some time now.
Although details of her death are sketchy at this point, the most prevalent question about Isabelle Kessedjian’s nationality is her age. She was born in Barbados and gave birth to her two children by an American man whose citizenship was revoked because he had served time in jail for robbery. Kessedjian’s nationality was never compromised in any way by her death, nor has it ever been revealed that she planned to switch her citizenship and live in Canada. Her two children are American and Canadian, as was her mother, although both are entitled to American citizenship under Canadian law and the birth mother would likely have been granted equal status in their homeland had she not died. Kessedjian is the only known Canadian woman who committed suicide by driving her vehicle into a lake.
There are several possibilities as to what caused her death, including a blow to the head that resulted in the death of her brain to alcohol or other substance abuse, although it is unclear what substance she may have been using. Her close friends and colleagues are quick to point out that she was always willing to talk about her heritage, her upbringing in Barbados and her connection to Canada. The Canadian government recognizes that many people do not know much about their nationalities, especially those of children who have been removed from families and put under the care of strangers. Kessedjian’s death is still being investigated, but her death does raise questions as to the manner in which older citizens leave their former countries to settle down in Canada. While it is true that the lack of contact with family does give some the impression that an expatriate is an easy target for criminals, it is also important to note that no one could honestly accuse this young lady of being anything less than an accomplished and respected member of her community in Barbados.