• The characteristics and experience of immigrants on settlement in Canada Consequences of Migration • Canada: roughly 250,000 “immigrants” yearly How does Canada cope with so many migrants? How do the migrants cope with all the changes?

Adaptation (initial arrival)

Acculturation (first generation: immigrants themselves)

Assimilation (possible for the second generation: the children of immigrants)

Economic integration??

– Adaptation • Adjusting to new physical and social environment • Learning how best to negotiate everyday life • Loss of support from family/friends

• On arrival: – Language and cultural obstacles • Some speak neither English/French • Language of migrants:

• If the migrant speaks the language of the host country, much easier to adapt.

• Note: Major Issue for immigration to Japan. • How many outside of Japan can speak Japanese?

• For Canada, less of an issue: Globally, there is almost a billion people who can speak either English and/or French.

Most migrants to Canada are proficient in either English or French when they arrive

Recall Points System (extra points for language) Canada – Permanent residents and language ability, 2012 (showing percentage distribution) on arrival in Canada

Almost 3 in 10 do not speak English or French NOTE: KNOWLEDGE OF LANGUAGES DIFFERS BY IMMIGRANT CLASS:

Family Economic Refugee Canada – Permanent residents by category and language ability, 2012 (showing percentage distribution) on arrival in Canada

FAMILY ECONOMIC CLASS REFUGEE

Applicant’s family Primary applicant ALMOST 4 in 10 Family Class and Refugee Class Immigrants Can not speak English/French on Arrival in Canada

Not speaking English/French: One of the largest barriers to meaningful employment

One of the largest barriers to civic engagement e.g. voting; community involvement;

Federal/Provincial Governments provide -> Free English SL and French SL programs

The Toronto District School Board (TDSB)

More than 50 per cent of students speak a language other than English at home

Various programs for new Canadians:

Newcomer Assessment Center: English language skills and mathematics skills are assessed. These assessments will help the local secondary school support the new student.

English as a Second Language/English Literacy Development (First year/Elementary Age/ High School Age)

LEAP Program: for students aged 11- 18 who did not have the opportunity to attend school regularly before arriving in Canada. Two processes that make Adaptation easier for the migrant:

Chain Migration Ethnic Enclave Chain Migration process by which immigrants from a particular town/region or country follow others from that town/country region to a particular city or Neighborhood in an immigrant-receiving country e.g. Italian Immigration to Canada during the 1950s Chain Migration

-> process makes it easier for the immigrant to adjust -> was more important in Canada’s past: prior to the introduction of the points system Ethnic Enclave a physical space with high ethnic concentration; thus these spaces are culturally distinct from the larger receiving society. e.g. Chinatown in Toronto Chinatown, Toronto Little Portugal, Toronto

Little Italy, Toronto Little India, Toronto WORLD CUP (FOOTBALL) CELEBRATIONS: TORONTO 2014! Ethnic enclaves

Adaptation – first years after arrival – adjusting to a new culture/language/day to day life

Familial culture of country of origin.. Social/economic support

But as a potential problem: Can sometimes hinder longer term “adjustment and integration”

Desirable to avoid “ethnic ghettos” (economically marginalized ethnic communities)

Desirable to avoid high levels of ethnic segregation over the longer term (e.g. Blacks and Whites in the US)

This is lower in Canada than in the US.. Beyond “Adaptation” – day to day basic needs & acquiring basic language skills:

-Acculturation A more comprehensive understanding Canadian culture and social practices

Immigrants adopt English/French (to a much higher level) bring their diet more in line with Canadian culture listen to the music and read the newspapers, magazines, and books of Canada, and make friends outside of their immigrant group.

-typically takes much more time.. -can be a major challenge for new Canadians (first generation), particularly adults who migrate Acculturation is often considered necessary to obtain “economic integration” -> obtaining professional employment -> participating in community events/activities

Failure to acculturate can sometimes mean: Discrimination; Economic marginalization; hardship; isolation Ethnic ghettos (economically marginalized) As aforementioned:

As immigrants move to Canada:

Adaptation (initial arrival)

Acculturation (first generation: immigrants themselves)

Assimilation (possible for the second generation: the children of immigrants)

Economic integration?? Important point:

“Acculturation” is not the same thing as “Assimilation”

Acculturation

With acculturation, the immigrant maintains his language, religion, and valued Cultural traits.. (a Chinese immigrant who continues to speak Cantonese with family members and friends, prefers Chinese food and music, continues to practice Buddhism, etc.) BUT understands Canadian society very well..

Assimilation Immigrants assume the behaviors and attitudes of members of the host culture E.g. no longer live immigrant culture/traditions ..

Many argue that “acculturation” is necessary for economic integration,.. Assimilation is not necessary, although it typically occurs for second/third generation.. Due to Chain Migration and the tendency to establish “ethnic enclaves”

-> some parts of Canada receive more migrants than others..

-> 90 per cent go to Canada’s cities

-> Canada’s richest provinces receive the largest shares (Ontario, BC, Alberta) Canada’s metropolitan areas • One thing that helps immigrants to Adapt/Acculturate:

• Education – Most are highly educated when they arrive – Better educated than Canadian born Figure 5.8. Percentage with a University Degree, Canadian born and Immigrants to Canada, 1991-2006

The educational advantage of immigrants has gotten even larger over recent years.

Main reason: Highly selective points system; Economic class has gotten more important!! Canada tends to draw some of the best educated immigrants in the WORLD And what about INCOME? How well are immigrants doing in Canada?

Economic Integration?

1996 data here In general

The longer an immigrant has been in Canada, the better his/her Earning opportunities.. Why are immigrants earning less than other Canadians?

Immigrants on arrival

- > difficulties with language

-> lack Canadian work experience

-> compete with well educated Canadians (increasingly so)

-> some have difficulty “receiving recognition for education earned abroad” e.g. Engineer who immigrates from Iraq as a refugee.

-> some may face “discrimination” and “racism”. “Overqualification” is a major problem for immigrants in the Canadian Labour force

Jobs in which they are “overeducated” for e.g. University educated immigrant working as a “cashier” in a coffee shop

Interesting article: “Who Drives a Taxi in Canada”? Over half of all Taxis in Canada are driven by immigrants.. < 4 per cent of Canadian Born have University degree With time, earnings improve with experience in Canada,

BUT

This is less true with more recent cohorts…

Consequences of Migration So far 1st generation (foreign born)

• What about 2nd generation – Born in Canada to at least one immigrant parent – Few (if any) language problems – No credential non-recognition • Issues of Integration

– Economic integration in Canada is MUCH BETTER for the SECOND GENERATION!!

-> the children of immigrants!!

Classic Integration Model:

First generation has the most difficult time Second generation does better Third even better By the fourth generation, no differences in terms of income/education Immigrants Both parents born in Canada

Children of immigrants

VERY DIFFERENT FOR NEW IMMIGRANTS Note: in above Table, only 36.9 per cent of Japanese Canadians are immigrants (first generation)

in above Table, 83.4 per cent of Korean Canadians are immigrants (first generation)

The groups that have been the longest in Canada have the highest income,. e.g. Japanese

Consequences of Migration

• For sending countries (and the people in them) – Remittances • Majority of GDP for some countries – Increased transnational links – Greater migration between countries – Economic partnerships – Brain Drain Defining Migration • legal immigrants – Have governmental permission to live in the place to which they are migrating – Often includes some application/competition process

• illegal (undocumented) immigrants – Do not have governmental permission to live there – How then? • Border jumping • False documents • Visa Lapse