CHAPTER 8

STATISTICAL PROFILE OF THE COMMUNITY

            The first part of this study entailed the gathering of general statistics on the Luso-Canadian population, from the 1991 Census of Canada. This information served to provide a broad profile of the state of the Portuguese in Canada, in terms of demographics, education and income. In most cases, numbers were accessed for both individuals of Portuguese ethnic origin (i.e. including the Canadian-born), as well as for Portuguese immigrants (i.e. all of those who were born in Portugal, including those who may have already become Canadian citizens). As we will attempt to show, this statistical information reveals a community whose members have significantly lower levels of formal education and income than either the general population, or a number of other substantive minorities. The figures also point to a community whose children are rapidly losing the use of the Portuguese language and whose lack of political and economic leverage is evidenced through a critical deficit of individuals in higher-earning managerial and technical positions.

Population Numbers

            Over the years, a number of sources have reported different numbers for the Portuguese community in Canada. This disparity has resulted in an ongoing debate concerning the actual numbers of Canadians of Portuguese origin.

            According to the 1991 Canadian Census, there are approximately 292,185 people living in Canada who claim a Portuguese ethnic origin (See Table 7.). Of these, 161,180 were immigrants (Statistics Canada, 1996).

            The vast majority of ethnic Portuguese - approximately 200,000 - live in Ontario, with another 40,000 residing in Quebec, and 20,000 in British Columbia. Within Ontario, approximately 140,000 people live in the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area, while in Quebec, 36,000 live in Montreal, thus making these the two areas the largest urban concentrations of Portuguese in Canada (See Table 8.).

            Yet, the validity of the Statistics Canada numbers have often been challenged by sources within the community who feel that this agency grossly underestimates the real number of Portuguese living in Canada. For example, the Portuguese Embassy in Canada has pegged the number of Portuguese-Canadians at approximately 525,000 people.[1] This includes: 400,000 people in the Toronto Consular area (145,000 in the pre-1998 City of Toronto alone); 70,000 in the Montreal area; 47,000 in Vancouver and surroundings; and 8,000 in the Ottawa-Hull region.[2]  According to Teixeira (in press), a geographer and researcher on the Portuguese community, a number of factors amongst the Portuguese in Canada often affect the accuracy in completing the official census survey and ultimately make it difficult to determine the precise numbers of this group in Canada. These include:

•     The lack of participation of many Portuguese-Canadians in the census. Many Luso-Canadians quite simply fail to complete and return their census form.

•     Those living here illegally often will not complete a questionnaire, for fear of being discovered and deported.

•     Many people have difficulties in understanding and correctly answering the census questionnaire. For example, many Portuguese will list their - or their children’s - mother-tongue or ethnic origin as “English” or “Canadian,” although they may speak and/or understand Portuguese at home and identify with a Portuguese origin.

Age Distribution

            As can be seen in Figure 1. the age distribution of the Portuguese-Canadian community (gauged according to ethnic origin) roughly matches the age grouping of the wider population in Canada. Yet, amongst the Portuguese in Canada there appear to be a greater proportion of youth, (those below 24 years of age) and a smaller proportion of those who are 65 and over, than is the case in the total population.

            No doubt, the disproportionately low percentage of seniors in the Luso-Canadian community is, most probably, a reflection of the absence of large numbers of Portuguese elderly in this relatively recent migratory flow. Those who have immigrated from Portugal to Canada since the mid 50’s have tended to be married and single men in their 20’s and 30’s, many of whom immigrated individually and later brought over their wives and children (Anderson & Higgs, 1976, pp. 23-32). This lack of an elderly population was also been aggravated over the years by the fact that the Canadian government has traditionally placed barriers on the immigration of the elderly and on family reunification, (including the sponsorship of elderly parents).

            In a similar fashion, the overepresentation of youth in the community, is most probably a reflection of this selective immigration process, which favoured young families, in the prime of their childbearing ages.

            However, when the population of Portuguese-Canadians is gauged according to mother tongue statistics (Figure 2.), one can see that, in comparison to the ethnic origin data that was described in Figure 1, Portuguese youth 14 years of age and under are now underepresented, in comparison the total population.

Furthermore, the proportions of young people who have Portuguese as their mother tongue actually decreases substantially as one moves from the older to the younger age groupings (i.e. from the categories 10-14 to 0-4 years).

            This discrepancy may have two explanations: Firstly, the category of “mother tongue” will inevitable include non-Portuguese people from Portuguese-speaking countries, such as Brazil, Angola, Cabo Verde, etc. These groups might contain relatively greater proportions of individuals in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s than what would normally be the case in other populations and, consequently, this might serve to decrease the proportion of other categories, such as young people and the elderly.

            However, a more plausible explanation is most likely the fact that large numbers of young people of a Portuguese ethnic origin are quite simply no longer being taught the Portuguese language as their mother tongue. Another explanation might also be that many Luso-Canadians are not citing Portuguese as their children’s mother tongue on the census forms. However, the fact that the proportion of children speaking Portuguese as their mother tongue decreases significantly between the age categories of 10-14 to 0-4 is an indication of a subsequently greater increase of this language loss in the younger age groups.

            In summary, while there is a relatively greater proportion of Luso-Canadian young people than other young Canadians, it would appear that many of these young Portuguese are rapidly losing the capacity to speak their parents’ language.

            In fact this evidence serves to buttress the concerns voiced throughout this study, by both the respondents to the questionnaire and the participants to the focus groups, who identified this language loss and the speed with which it is overtaking the youth in their communities as one of the primary concerns of the Portuguese in Canada.

Education

            Figures from the 1991 census give some indication that, as a group, Luso-Canadians display disproportionately lower levels of formal education than other minorities and the population-at-large. More specifically, there are significantly fewer individuals with post-secondary studies amongst the Portuguese-Canadian community and disproportionately greater numbers of people with less than a grade 9 education.

            Census figures show that those who were born in Portugal (i.e. immigrants) are more likely than other immigrants and Canadian-born individuals, to have less than a grade 9 education, (48% for Portuguese vs. 19% and 13%). They are also less likely to have a university degree (2% vs. 14% and 11%) (Statistics Canada, 1996) (See Figure 3).

            Similarly, if one compares individuals of a Portuguese ethnic origin (i.e. both immigrant and Canadian-born Portuguese), with those from other origins, one can see a similar pattern. Approximately 37% of all individuals of Portuguese ethnic origin in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia (where 92% of all Luso-Canadians reside), have a grade 8 education or less, (Figure 4.).[3]   This is nearly three times the comparable proportion amongst the general population in those provinces. Furthermore, this tendency holds true until grade 13, where the percentage of Portuguese with less than, or equivalent to, this grade level is consistently greater than the norm for the total population.

            Following this pattern, the proportion of Portuguese in all categories of schooling above grade 13 in these provinces, is consistently less than in the general population. Only approximately 4% of the individuals in these Luso-Canadian communities have achieved a university degree of any kind. 

            The extent of the seriousness of this problem is only apparent when one compares the Portuguese to other minority groups in these provinces and, in particular, to those groups who for many years have reported widely on the presence of a severe lack of educational achievement within their own communities, (ex. Black Caribbean, Aboriginals). When the Portuguese are compared to these minorities, one can see that there is a significantly greater proportion of Luso-Canadians who have achieved no higher than a primary school education than is the case in any of the groups sampled, including the Aboriginal and Black Caribbean communities. More significantly, Figure 4. also illustrates that, of the groups which are shown, the Portuguese are the minority with the lowest overall proportions of individuals with any type of schooling above the level of secondary trade certificate (this would include all of those people in apprenticeship programmes, community college and university). In fact, the Portuguese display proportions of post-secondary schooling which are comparable to, or lower than, the levels reported in the Aboriginal communities, in these provinces (the exception is the category of individuals who have acquired, or are studying towards a Bachelor’s degree, where the Portuguese have roughly double the 2% reported in the Aboriginal community). Furthermore, the Portuguese also display the lowest proportional representation of individuals who have enrolled in, or completed, non-university educational programmes, (which would include such things as study in community colleges and technical training institutes).

            Although these findings only show the situation in those three provinces with the highest Portuguese populations, they nevertheless provide strong evidence to corroborate the importance which survey respondents and participants in the focus groups throughout this study have placed upon the issue of education and upon the problem of the lack of educational achievement of Luso-Canadian youth. Without a doubt, the lower levels of schooling of Luso-Canadians - and particularly the lower educational achievement of youth - was seen as one of the major problems confronting the community. Furthermore, these figures also serve to buttress the call of the younger participants in a number of the focus groups, who called for the Portuguese to be included in government and school equity programmes, that are designed to provide equality of opportunity in education and employment to visible minorities and Aboriginals.

Income

            Information from the 1991 Census was also gathered in order to describe and compare the earnings levels of Portuguese-Canadians. Statistics were collected from the reporting of 1990 income by both individuals of Portuguese ethnic origin (i.e. including the Canadian-born) (Statistics Canada, 1991) and by Portuguese immigrants (i.e. all those born in Portugal, including Canadian citizens) (Statistics Canada, 1996). These figures indicate that there are not disproportionate numbers of Luso-Canadians who are living in poverty. However, the Portuguese tend to earn lower average salaries, have substantially fewer individuals earning over $40,000 a year and are disproportionately underepresented amongst the ranks of professional and management positions.

            As Table 9 and Figure 5 indicate, the Portuguese had roughly the same percentage of people earning below $40,000 a year as the general and ethnic minority populations (Table 9, Figure 5, Figure 6). In fact, there were proportionately fewer Portuguese earning less than even $20,000 (42.8%) than there were in the general population, or in the Chinese, Greek, Aboriginal and Black-Caribbean communities.

            As Figure 6 illustrates, The Portuguese also do not appear to suffer disproportionate numbers of individuals living in low income situations. In fact, the overall proportions of Portuguese immigrants living below Statistics Canada’s Low-income Cutoffs were less than those for all immigrant groups (except in the case of seniors) although, they were slightly above the figures for people born in Canada.[4] This pattern persisted even after age-standardization was applied.[5]

            The exceptions to this were Portuguese immigrant seniors, and youth aged 15-24, both of whom displayed higher percentages of individuals living on low incomes than their Luso-Canadian counterparts of other age groups (22%, and 19%). Portuguese-Canadian male youth also displayed the highest unemployment rate of any age group in the community (15.7%). However, their unemployment rate was nevertheless below that for all immigrant and Canadian-born male youth (17.6% and 16.3%) (Statistics Canada, 1996).

            However, while there do not appear to be disproportionate numbers of Luso-Canadians living in poverty, this community also tends to have lower average incomes than other Canadians or immigrants. As Figure 7 illustrates, in 1990, Portuguese immigrants earned an average individual income that was between $1,150 to $2,700 less than either the Canadian-born population or the total immigrant population, (depending on whether age standardization was applied).

            This difference is especially acute in the case of women, youth (i.e.. 15 to 25) and Portuguese seniors (i.e.. 65+), who tend to have significantly lower incomes than Canadian-born and immigrant elderly. Portuguese women earned approximately $2,500 less than the average for women in all immigrant groups, while their income was nearly half of what their male Luso-Canadian counterparts earned ($15,700 vs. $28,500).

            In particular, Portuguese immigrant seniors earned substantially less than the average for the elderly from all immigrant groups and almost $7,000 below the norm for Canadian-born seniors. Portuguese immigrant seniors also relied much more heavily on government transfer payments than their counterparts in both the general and immigrant communities.  As Figure 8 details, a much larger share of the income of Luso-Canadian seniors was comprised of these payments (most probably pensions) (68%).

            The proportions of Portuguese who earned above $40,000 a year in 1990 in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia were also significantly lower than those for the total population and were comparable only to the Black Caribbean and Aboriginal communities. As both Table 9 and Figure 5 illustrate, in 1990, there were proportionately between one-half to one-third as many Luso-Canadians earning from $40,000 to $100,000 or more, as there were in the general population. Furthermore, as the amplification within Figure 6 shows, the proportions of Portuguese earning at, or above, $60,000 a year are second-lowest only behind those of Aboriginal Canadians and roughly equal to the Black/Caribbean community.

            Finally, as Portuguese immigrants are considerably less likely than others to be self-employed and, in the case of men, to have full-time, full-year jobs (Figures 9 & 10).

            As is further indicated in Figure 11 and Figure 12 this community is also substantially underepresented in the managerial and occupational positions and over-represented in the fields of manufacturing and construction.

            In summary the evidence indicates that the numbers of Portuguese who are earning below $20,000 and $40,000, or who are living below the Statistics Canada Low-Income Cutoff, do not appear to be disproportionate to those in the general population, or to those of other major ethnic groups. This suggests that there are not disproportionate numbers of Portuguese who are living in dire poverty. However, individuals in the Portuguese community tend to earn lower average salaries than is the case with all immigrants, or the general population.

There are also disproportionately very few individuals in the Portuguese community who are earning above $40,000. Finally,  disproportionate segments of the Portuguese community work in construction and manufacturing.

            Yet, while some comfort may be taken in the knowledge that there do not appear to be large numbers of Luso-Canadians who are living at a bare subsistence level, the lack of a significant, high-earning sector in the community is cause for concern. This lack is disquieting evidence of the paucity of Portuguese-Canadians in positions of higher responsibility, such as the skilled trades, technical postings and management; a circumstance which sets the stage for the perpetuation of the Luso-Canadian community in predominantly lower-wage, lower-status, working-class positions, which has traditionally had less influence over the direction of government policy.

            This concern is especially significant to Luso-Canadian immigrant seniors, whom - as we have seen - appear to rely much more heavily on government transfer payments than other elderly. This group - along with Portuguese women and youth - will obviously be hit much harder than their immigrant or mainstream counterparts by future government austerity measures. However, at this point, they would appear to be one of the groups which, in the future, will have the fewest community resources to influence the direction of these same policies.

Summary

            As I have illustrate in this statistical profile from the 1991 Census of Canada, Luso-Canadians comprise approximately 1% of the Canadian population and are predominantly concentrated in Ontario (Toronto) and in Quebec (Montreal). Their community is characterized by its disproportionately high numbers of individuals with low levels of formal education, as well as by its lower levels of average incomes. Portuguese seniors, in particular, rely significantly more than their counterparts in other groups, on government transfer payments. Some of these education and income levels are on a par with - and in some cases, below - those in the Aboriginal and Black/Caribbean communities. Portuguese-Canadians are also disproportionately underepresented in managerial and professional positions. In addition, very few Luso-Canadians earn over $40,000 a year. Despite this fact, few Luso-Canadians are living in poverty (as defined by the Low-Income Cutoff). This picture of the Luso-Canadian community places its members into the category of what would commonly be termed the “working poor”; that is, of individuals who are not destitute,but who have limited resources and who must work in low-level, low paying positions, just to meet their basic needs.