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GENERATION ONE: LIVING IN TWO WORLDS Introduction Canada’s ethnically diverse population under greater scrutiny as new data and Focus is often referred to as a cultural mosaic. surveys reveal significant challenges Canadian multiculturalism has According to Statistics Canada, recent facing today’s Generation One youths. become a legally and census data identified over 200 ethnic Contrary to past assumptions that politically entrenched origins and 100 languages spoken in the Generation One youths are high institution, as well country. One out of every five persons achievers, some groups, especially those as an identifiable in Canada was born in another country, from some visible minorities, continue and, for many other with the vast majority of new immigrants to face discrimination, wage gaps, and countries, an enviable settling in Canada’s three largest cities: barriers to post-secondary opportunities. characteristic of Canadian life. But Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. In addition, these Canadian-born youths today’s Generation Canada’s ethno-cultural diversity is seem to be caught between the customs, One youths are expected to further increase, and by cultures, and expectations of their challenging this 2016, it is estimated that foreign-born immigrant parents and the need to find multicultural ideal as youth and Canadian-born youth from acceptance within societal norms— they struggle to secure immigrant families will make up a especially those of their teenaged peers. an identity within quarter of the country’s population. This In order to learn more about this Canadian society. This News in Review number will increase to nearly one-half group of Canadians, Nahlah Ayed, an story profiles the of Canadians by 2031, with the majority award- winning CBC journalist, returned experiences of various of immigrants coming from Asia and the to her old school, Churchill High Generation Ones and Middle East. School, in her hometown of Winnipeg, examines their imprint Diversity will also continue to grow Manitoba, to investigate why today’s on Canada’s cultural among “Generation Ones,” who are Generation One youths do not feel “100 fabric. defined as the first generation born in per cent Canadian.” A Canadian-born Canada to immigrant parents. Almost daughter of Palestinian immigrants, Did you know . one-half of this demographic group Ayed and her journey not only reflect In 1988, the federal is projected to belong to a visible her own Generation One experiences but government passed minority—nearly double the proportion highlight the struggles encountered by the Canadian reported in the 2006 census. However, today’s Generation One youths in their Multiculturalism Act, Canada’s ideal of multiculturalism is search for Canadian identity. which recognizes the importance of preserving and To Consider enhancing the 1. What does it mean to you to be Canadian? Reflect on your own experience heritage of Canadians, or those of your classmates. protecting the rights of aboriginal 2. Do you think Canada’s multiculturalism makes it easier or more difficult peoples, and ensuring for new immigrants and Generation Ones to feel they belong to Canadian that every person is society? Explain. equal under the law regardless of his/her ethnicity. CBC News in Review • April 2012 • Page 29 GENERATION ONE: LIVING IN TWO WORLDS Video Review Pre-viewing Questions With a partner or in a small group, discuss and respond to the following questions. 1. Are you are newcomer, a Generation One, or some other generation of Canadian? 2. Do you speak a language other than English or French at home? Which one(s)? 3. Would you classify yourself as a visible minority? 4. With which ethno-cultural group(s) would you identify yourself? Viewing Questions As you watch the video, respond to the the questions in the spaces provided. 1. How are Generation One Canadians defined? 2. Do Generation One citizens feel 100 per cent Canadian? Why or why not? 3. Why do some parents of Generation One youths think they are in a cultural war zone 24/7? 4. Why do some Generation One youths feel less Canadian at home compared with when they are at school? 5. What do recent surveys tell us about today’s Generation One youths? CBC News in Review • April 2012 • Page 30 6. What are these people’s viewpoints on being Canadian: Nahlah Ayed (reporter), Tariq (Generation One student), Shirin (Tariq’s mom from Egypt), Melissa (Generation One student), Elizabeth (Melissa’s mom from Portugal)? 7. Why is the struggle for a Canadian identity among today’s Generation One youths a potential concern for our society? Post-viewing Questions 1. Review your answers from the Pre-viewing Questions and reflect on your responses from the Viewing Questions. Has watching the video changed your views regarding what it means to be Canadian? If so, in what way(s)? 2. Based on the viewpoints of the Generation One youths in the video, do you think we should be greatly concerned, somewhat concerned, or not concerned about how they feel about being Canadian? Support and discuss your position. CBC News in Review • April 2012 • Page 31 GENERATION ONE: LIVING IN TWO WORLDS Generational and Cultural Conflicts Focus for Reading While you read this section, complete a multiple causation web. A copy of this organizer can be accessed at http://newsinreview.cbclearning.ca/wp-content/ uploads/worksheets/nir-sw2-multiple-consequences2.pdf. In the centre triangle write Generation One and then record all of the challenges impacting today’s Generation One youths. Today’s Generation One youths However, what these studies fail to describe themselves as living in show is that “not all immigrant groups two, at times conflicting, worlds: the are thriving in Canadian schools.” The cultural expectations of their immigrant success of groups from China and other parents and the social norms of their Asian countries is “masking the struggles Canadian peer group. They often of others” (The Globe and Mail, January feel they do not fit in to Canada’s 22, 2011). For example, the Toronto diverse cultural landscape. Along with District School Board, where 70 per cent dealing with typical teenage pressures of students from grades seven through 12 about acceptance and popularity, this have both parents born outside Canada, demographic group, especially those noted that students from Latin American belonging to visible minorities, is or Caribbean immigrant groups have exhibiting a drop in post-secondary some of the lowest rates of post- education, income earnings, and an secondary education. Student responses overall sense of belonging to Canadian indicated that discrimination, difficulties society. These trends, coupled with with language, and low levels of income Statistics Canada’s population projection prevented them from entering post- that by 2031 almost one-half of secondary institutions. Generation One Canadians will belong Filipino youths, part of an immigrant to a visible minority, are prompting community that has become a prominent increased research and more programs to source of workers for Canada’s strengthen their societal integration and caregiving industries, are showing enhance their sense of self-esteem. declining numbers of university- degree completion—from 37 per cent Education for newcomers to 24 per cent in the Canadian immigrant students, including Generation One category. Lengthy both newcomers and Generation One separation of family members, financial students, have ranked at the top of pressures to send earnings back home, the Organization for Economic Co- and efforts to leave caregiving jobs in operation and Development’s (OECD) order to retrain for alternate employment, standardized tests of math and reading. are placing additional strains on the next Statistics Canada has reported that generation (The Globe and Mail, March Generation One youths tend to have 19, 2011). Even though the overall lower high school drop-out rates when percentage of Generation One youths compared with youths of Canadian-born attending university is higher than that of parents (www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-001- its non-immigrant counterparts, ensuring x/2007110/article/10372-eng.htm). that all immigrant groups have academic CBC News in Review • April 2012 • Page 32 success is vital to Canada’s economic counterparts. For example, the wage gap future. for Canadian-born children of Chinese immigrants was eight per cent, for Income South Asians it was 13 per cent, and for Canadian multiculturalism involves the African-Canadians it was approximately long-standing belief that the children of 19 per cent. This wage gap tends to immigrants will do better economically decline over time for some groups, but than their parents (The Globe and Mail, does not completely disappear, which February 26, 2011). But how well are may cause future social tensions. the offspring of immigrants—especially visible minorities—really doing? Family Expectations Research indicates that the cultural, The relationship between immigrant linguistic, economic, and educational parents and their Canadian-born barriers faced by their immigrant parents children is one that is often stereotyped may continue to persist into the ranks of as a clash of cultures. In reality, this Generation One Canadians (Association relationship is complex and dynamic. for Canadian Studies, http://canada. Parenting teenagers can be stressful at metropolis.net/publications/Diversity/ the best of times, but employment and can_diversity_vol_62_spring08_e.pdf). income loss, language barriers, and a Discrimination plays a significant role lack of familiarity with Canadian social in the workplace, starting with the job institutions and cultural values pose application process. Researchers have additional challenges for immigrant found that “applicants with English- parents. sounding names were 40 per cent more Often many immigrant parents work likely to get an interview than those multiple jobs or face re-training and with identical resumes and an Indian underemployment. As a result, their or Chinese name” (The Globe and children may share less of their parent’s Mail, February, 26, 2011).