canadÀ al quebec diversitat i la myer siemiatycki la … · university degree, compared with 22%...

Myer SiemiatyckiRyerson University

Toronto

FÒRUM GESTIÓ DE LA IMMIGRACIÓ I L

A DIVERSITAT AL QUEBEC I AL CANADÀ

� Delighted to be here.� How I spend my Thursday mornings… it relates� 60 Students: Mostly From Asia & Middle East

Mostly Studying Engineering & Business� 60% of Students are foreign-born� 40% arrived in the last 10 Years� When I was born in Montreal, Canada would not allow immigrants from Asia & Mid-East in.

� Canadian universities had quotas for Jewish students

� Lesson: A society can dramatically change its attitude to the integration of immigrants & ‘foreigners’



� 1. The ‘Canadian Models’: Changing Approaches to Managing Immigration & Diversity in Canada◦ NOT a static picture. Public Attitudes and Government Policies can change in fundamental ways

� 2. Key Influences on Immigrant Integration in Canada Today

� 3. Successes of Immigrant Integration in Canada

� 4. Failings of Immigrant Integration in Canada



� A. 1867-1967: Building a White, British, Christian Canada

� B. 1967-2000: Building a Multicultural Canada with Global Human Capital

� C. 2000 - ??: ‘Creating the World’s Most Flexible Workforce’ in a Secure State

� Immigration Policy has always been an Instrument of Nation-Building. But definition of the Nation – and its interests – change



� Canada regarded as open, tolerant, pluralistic� NOT for most of our History� “In fact, for most of its history, Canada’s immigration practices have been racist and exclusionary” (Kelley & Trebilcock)

� Country of Origin & Race as Basis of Immigrant Exclusion: Asians, Blacks & Jews

� This view held for 100 years across all political parties & ideologies > STRONG CONSENSUS◦ John A. Macdonald, Mackenzie King, Henri Bourassa & J.S. Woodsworth

� Non-British Immigrants admitted only in ‘national/economic’ interest of Canada

� Immigrants expected to assimilate to British norm



� Sir John A.: The Chinese immigrant to Canada “has no British instincts or British feelings or aspirations, and therefore ought not to have a vote” (1885)

� Henri Bourassa: “Canada should not be a land of refuge for the scum of all nations” (1904)

� J.S. Woodsworth: “Non-assimilable elements are clearly detrimental to our highest national development, and hence should be vigorously excluded” (1909)

� Mackenzie King: “The people of Canada do not wish, as a result of mass immigration, to make a fundamental alteration in the character of our population…Any considerable Oriental immigration would…be certain to give rise to social and economic problems” (1947)



� New Terms of Immigrant Selection & Integration� 1960s: Race & Nationality Dropped as Immigrant Selection Criteria

� Point System of 1967 establishes Human Capital ‘formula’ for immigrant selection

� The Point System as ‘Social Eugenics’: Exclusionary Still?

� Canadian Immigrant Admissions: About 250,000 per year

� Approximately 60% Economic Class; 30 % Family Class; 10% Refugees

� 1971 PM Trudeau Multiculturalism Policy Statement� 1988 Canadian Multiculturalism Act Passed



� New Regime of Immigrant Selection/Integration?� Canada Turns to ‘Guest Workers’� Large Increase in Temporary Foreign Workers� 165,198 admitted in 2007, compared with 131,248 Economic Class admissions◦ LARGE implications for immigrant citizenship & integration

� 2008 Amendments to Immigration Act give Minister authority to set admission priorities: class/occupation/nationality?

� Renewed Commitment to securitization, and concerns over values/integration of some immigrants



� A. Settlement Patterns and Programs in Canada

� B. Citizenship Policy in Canada

� C. Multiculturalism

� D. Inclusive Public Institutions

� E. Measuring Integration?



� Immigrants are 19.8% Canada’s population� Immigrants decide where they will settle� VERY uneven provincial distribution:◦ 54.9% Ontario; 18.1% B.C.; 13.8% Quebec; 8.5% Alberta; 2.4% Manitoba; <1% in 5 Provinces

� MOST immigrants live in big cities� 94.9% of immigrants live in a metropolitan area: 38% in Toronto; 13% in Vancouver, 12% Montreal

� 49.9% City of Toronto population foreign born� MANY immigrant neighbourhoods in our cities� Newcomers Eligible for government funded immigration programs:◦ Language Classes; Adaptation Services; Networking



� Immigrants admitted as Permanent Residents may become Canadian citizens after 3 years

� Immigrants are not ‘foreigners’ or ‘aliens’, they are ‘soon-to-be citizens’

� Immigration as nation-building: ‘A Nation of Immigrants’

� Canada permits dual citizenship� Temporary foreign workers are generally not eligible for citizenship.

� New ‘Canadian Experience Class’ makes a small fraction eligible



� Canada 1st Country to officially adopt Multiculturalism: 1971 & 1988

� Several Motivations:◦ Recognize ethno-cultural diversity of Canada◦ Win Political support from ethnic communities◦ Minimize/Counter Quebecois nationalism◦ A country with Aboriginal Population, National Minority and Many Immigrants◦ Change terms of integration: from assimilation to diversity ‘civic nationalism’

� A New Approach to Canadian nation-building� Multiculturalism in a Bilingual Framework� Does NOT promote cultural ghettoes & retention of ALL homeland cultural traditions

� Has Critics & Supporters in Canada



� Government of Canada 2008: “Canadian multiculturalism is fundamental to our belief that all citizens are equal. Multiculturalism ensures that all citizens can keep their identities, can take pride in their ancestry and have a sense of belonging.”◦ Support diverse heritage cultural preservation

◦ Assist all cultural groups to overcome barriers to full participation in Canadian society

◦ Promote cross-cultural interchange

◦ Promote immigrant acquisition of English or French



� Promote shared citizenship/belonging by recognizing cultural differences.

� Integration through cultural pluralism, not cultural assimilation.

� Recognition that Canadians come in all races, ethnicities, religions, languages and ancestries



� Multicultural Rights/Claims in Canada are not Absolute. There are Limits.

� 1. Cannot violate other laws – eg. Polygamy, Child Beating

� 2. Balanced Against Other Rights -- Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms◦ Charter Promotes Basic Human Rights > Freedom of Speech, Religion, Association

◦ Promotes Equal Protection & Benefit of the Law

� 3. Canadian Values: Tolerance, Gender Equality, Human Rights

� Case Studies: Sharia Law, Black-Focussed Schools



� Promotes Ethnic Identities over Canadian� Promotes ‘un-Canadian’ values� Prevents immigrant integration� Prevents Canadian identity & loyalty� Avoids addressing Canadian racism & colonialism� Promotes neo-liberal value of multiculturalism as economic competitive advantage

� Multiculturalism: ◦ ‘cult of ethnicity’ (Bissoondath); ◦ ‘encourages apartheid’ (Gwyn); ◦ ‘a masochistic celebration of Canadian nothingness’(Horowitz); ◦ ‘undermines attempts to forge an overarching Canadian identity’ (Gregg)



� Promotes respect for differences

� Promotes integration of all

� Not a Blank Check -- Recognizes limits to cultural claims.

� Multiculturalism: ◦ ‘makes room for others’; ‘makes Canadianism possible’(Bloemraad)

◦ ‘promotes fair integration’ (Kymlicka)

◦ ‘has always been geared toward helping minority groups participate more fully in Canadian society’ (Adams)

◦ ‘the government will promote creative encounters among all Canadian cultural groups in the interest of national unity’ (Trudeau)



� Limited Cost + Programming: ◦ Represents 1/50th of 1% of Government Spending

� Widespread Public Support◦ 2003 survey, 85% Canadians say MC is important to Canadian identity

◦ 2006, MC ranks 2nd in survey asking what makes them most proud of Canada

◦ 79% of survey respondents agree: “Other cultures have a lot to teach us. Contact with them is enriching us”

◦ “It [MC] shows that everybody can get along…We all feel that in some way we are important to each other, that this person is not better than a Portuguese person, not better than the next person. To me, it’s very important”(Portuguese immigrant in Canada, cited in Bloemraad)



� Immigrant Integration is advanced by inclusive public institutions◦ “MC can segregate rather than unite people…The antidote in Canada has been common institutions”◦ (Bloemraad)

� Schools & Universities� Librairies: eg. Toronto Public Library◦ Web Guide in 17 Languages◦ Multi-lingual Collections◦ ESL Classes◦ Canadian Citizenship Test Classes◦ Parent Tip Sheets

� Medicare: Hospitals & Health Care� Civic Nationalism: Shared Citizenship



� Immigrant Integration can be difficult to measure◦ “While it is universally recognized that it is beneficial to include immigrants in the host society, there is much less consensus over what this means” Lynch & Simon (They conclude in their book Immigration the World Over, that Canada performs best)

� Citizenship Naturalization Rates

� Socio-Cultural Integration

� Immigrant Educational Achievement

� Political Participation

� Racism & Discrimination

� Labour Market



� A. Citizenship Naturalization

� B. Socio-Cultural Integration

� C. Immigrant Educational Achievement

� D. Immigrant Political Participation?



� Canada has a high rate of immigrant naturalization

� Immigrants want to be Canadian� In 2006, 85.1% of all immigrants eligible to become Canadian citizens were naturalized

� Almost twice as high a rate of immigrant naturalization as in the United States

� In survey, 90% of Canadian Muslims say they are proud to be Canadian

� In survey, 93% of all Canadians say they are proud to be Canadian



� High Rate of Official Language Acquisition◦ Less than 4% of immigrants lack conversational ability in English or French. ◦ U.S. = 23%; U.K. = 39%

� High Rate of Inter-Marriage ◦ 1996, 18% of marriages in Canada involve a Canadian-born and foreign born partner. U.S. = 5%◦ From 1991-2001,bi-racial marriages increased 35%

� High Culture: Who is Canadian Literature?◦ Ondaatje, Vassanji, Mistry, Selvadurai, Mootoo, Lam, Choy, Kagawa, Hage, Skvorecky, Ricci, Bezmogis, Clarke, Cooper, Brand

� Pop Culture: Who are Canada’s Hockey Heroes?◦ 4/6 Canadian teams captained by a Foreign-Born Player;◦ 1/6 by a Canadian-Born Visible Minority



� In Canada, immigrants are better educated than the native-born population ◦ In 2007, 37% all immigrants aged 25-54 held a University degree, compared with 22% Canadian-born population same age◦ Over 50% of immigrants admitted from 2002-2007 held a University degree

� Children of immigrants are better educated than children of Canadian-born◦ Over 65% of second generation Chinese & Indian Canadians, had university degree by age 34◦ Compared to 28% rate for children of Canadian born parents◦ Almost 33% for second generation Caribbeans & Portuguese



� Who Graduates from High School?

� High School Drop Out Rates in Toronto by Student Mother Tongue, 2000:◦ English: 22.9%

◦ Korean: 20% Russian: 19.6%

◦ Urdu: 19.5% Greek: 17.7%

◦ Tamil: 16.9% Bengali: 16.7%

◦ Gujarati: 14.3% Chinese: 12%

◦ Romanian: 10.8%



canadÀ al quebec diversitat i la myer siemiatycki la … · university degree, compared with 22%...

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