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Behind the Resume: Influences on the Educational and Employment Trajectories of 1.5 and Second Generation Filipino- Canadians in Vancouver

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Behind the Resume: Influences on the Educational and Employment Trajectories of 1.5 and Second Generation Filipino- Canadians in Vancouver BEHIND THE RESUME: INFLUENCES ON THE EDUCATIONAL AND EMPLOYMENT TRAJECTORIES OF 1.5 AND SECOND GENERATION FILIPINO- CANADIANS IN VANCOUVER JULIA KATHLEEN MAIS A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS GRADUATE PROGRAM IN GEOGRAPHY YORK UNIVERSITY, TORONTO, ONTARIO SEPTEMBER, 2012 © JULIA KATHLEEN MAIS, 2012 Library and Archives Bibliotheque et Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du 1+1 Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-91746-6 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-91746-6 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distrbute and sell theses monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non­ support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la these ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation. without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne sur la Privacy Act some supporting forms protection de la vie privee, quelques may have been removed from this formulaires secondaires ont ete enleves de thesis. cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans in the document page count, their la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu removal does not represent any loss manquant. of content from the thesis. Canada Abstract Many Filipino immigrants have moved to Canada as professionals, with high levels of English fluency and education. However, first and second generation Filipino-Canadians are still relatively disadvantaged in the labour market. Despite these negative collective outcomes, individual trajectories differ greatly, with many individuals achieving high levels of education and desirable employment. My research examines how social surroundings can facilitate or impede pathways to post-secondary education and employment by shaping aspirations and providing connections to the labour market. The research also analyses how gendered childrearing approaches, employment aspirations, peer norms and available role models result in distinct gendered experiences. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with adult children of Filipino immigrants in the Vancouver area who have attended post-secondary education and are employed. It will explain how, in most cases, trajectories are strongly influenced by the social networks in the spaces of the home, neighbourhood, education system and the Philippines. Dedication Through this study and other initiatives, I have met many community organizers who are devoted to improving the lives of Filipinos and Filipino-Canadians. I would like to dedicate this thesis to their efforts, as they strive to make positive change within a very unequal world. Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Philip Kelly for his advice and guidance on this research study. I would also like to acknowledge the encouragement of my committee member, Dr. Joseph Mensah and the York University Geography faculty, who were supportive of my endeavors throughout my studies. Thank you as well to my classmates in the Geography department for their academic and moral support. I would also like to recognize the Social Sciences and Research Council of Canada for their funding for the “Filipino Youth Transitions in Canada” (FYTiC) study which I was involved in. I am also grateful for York University’s Center for Asian Research (YCAR) and Center for Refugee Studies (CRS). These research centres allowed my time as a Masters student to be much more enriching as they facilitated additional learning, employment and networking opportunities. On a personal note, I would also like to thank my family for their support during my pursuit of advanced education. I am especially appreciative of my partner, Alykhan Ismail, who moved to Toronto so that I could complete this Masters degree and was always loving and patient. Lastly, I would like to thank the research participants in this study. Without the participation and enthusiasm of research participants, this study would not have been possible. Many participants also went above and beyond to help me with participant recruitment and educate me about issues in the Filipino community. iv Table of Contents Abstract...................................................................................................................ii Dedication..............................................................................................................iii Acknowledgements..............................................................................................iv Table of Contents.................................................................................................. v List of Tables.........................................................................................................ix List of Figures........................................................................................................x 1 Introduction.........................................................................................................1 1.1 Research Puzzle ................................................................................................1 1.2 Research Questions ..........................................................................................3 1.3 Thesis Outline ....................................................................................................4 2 Theorizing Intergenerational Reproduction.................................................... 7 2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Intergenerational Reproduction and Forms of Capital ..................................... 8 2.3 Space............................................................................................................... 14 2.4 Identity............................................................................................................. 18 2.5 Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 23 3 Situating the 1.5 and Second Generation Filipino-Canadian Experience in Vancouver............................................................................................................ 25 3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................25 3.2 History of the Filipino Community in Canada and Current Trends Amongst Filipino Immigrants ............................................................................................... 26 3.3 Canada’s Second Generation and the Children of Filipino Immigrants 33 3.4 Vancouver’s Economy, Infrastructure and Position as an Immigrant City........................................................................................................................ 41 3.5 Conclusion 48 4 The Research Process: Finding Stories, Finding Meaning and Finding Myself........................................................................ 50 4.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 50 4.2 Research Methodology ................................................................ 51 4.3 Ethics ...............................................................................................................53 4.4 Initial Research Design ................................................................................... 55 4.5 Amendments to the Research Design .............................................................57 4.6 Involvement with the Filipino Community: The “Filipino Youth Transitions in Canada” Study ...................................................................................................... 63 4.7 Involvement with the Filipino-Canadian Community: Cultural Events .......... 64 4.8 The Fieldwork Experience ...............................................................................68 4.9 Positionality......................................................................................................71 4.10 My Position as an “Outsider” ......................................................................... 74 4.11 Differences between Interviews with Men and Women ...............................77 4.12 Interpreting Research Data ........................................................................... 80 4.13 Conclusion .....................................................................................................82 5. Not
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