A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Graduate Department of Geography
University of Toronto

Ó Copyright by Mark Edward Pfeifer (1999)

Abstract/Acknowledgements/Table of Contents - [ Chapters - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 ] -  Appendices - References Cited

ABSTRACT

In the late 1970s, in the midst of the "Boat People" crisis, Canada began accepting large numbers of Vietnamese refugees. Vietnam continued as one of the leading sources of refugees and immigrants arriving in Canada up until the early 1990s. This study is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the adaptation of Vietnamese-origin individuals in the Toronto area. The research findings are organized into two main sections with the intention of focusing attention upon the intrinsic contributions of both the Vietnamese (as individuals and also as members of social collectivities) as well as the institutional actors of the host society within the process of adaptation as it has occurred in the spatial setting of the Toronto area. The first half of the study is concerned with the internal dynamics of the Toronto Vietnamese aggregate. The demography of the population, the internal social structure of the "community", residential trajectories, the relationship between residence and institutional participation, and the functional significance of ethnic institutions in the lives of Vietnamese are topics of individual chapters. The latter half of the study is concerned with the relationships of the Vietnamese population with the institutions of the host society in Toronto. Chapters in this section address the insertion of the Vietnamese in the labour market, and the interactions between Vietnamese individuals and ethnic community organizations with the mainstream media and criminal justice representatives.

I would like to express my gratitude to the following individuals for their considerable assistance as I have completed my thesis as well as the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Geography at the University of Toronto: my supervisor Professor Gunter Gad, Professor Eric Fong, Professor Amrita Daniere, Professor Kim England, Professor Robert Lewis, and my external examiners Professor Daniel Hiebert and Professor David Hulchanski. I would also like to thank Carl Drouin for the many dedicated hours he spent working on the maps included in the thesis.

I would also like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the following individuals for their help and support with this project: Karen Chau, Hien Chu, John Chu, Dr. Michael Dang, Rev. An Duong, Rev. Thich Tri Dung, Dan Ha, Rev. Minh Ho, Peter Ho, Rev. Andrew Ku, Father Joseph Lam, Lien Le, Quynh Le, Rev. Paul Kiet Ma, Rev. Tan Ngo, Timothy Nguy, Rev. Anh Nguyen, Anne Marie Nguyen, Bao Nguyen, Ben Nguyen, Rev. Binh Nguyen, Cong Nguyen, Dat Nguyen, Duc Nguyen, Dung Nguyen, Dr. Duyet Nguyen, Dr. Khoi Ba Nguyen, Nghia Nguyen, Phu Nguyen, Sam Nguyen, Rev. Tan Nguyen, Than Nguyen, Rev. Toan Nguyen, Tom Pham, Rev. Timothy Phan, Phan Van Phuoc, Nguyen Dinh Phuong, Jenny Quan, John Thai, Rev. Thich Chan Thuan, Viet Tien, Father Vincent Kim Toan, Cam Chau Tran, Ken Tran, Kim Tran, My Lan Tran, Peter Tran, Phuoc Tran, Thuy Tran, Irene Trinh, Tran Hoan Truong, Theresa Vu and Tong Vuong,

Chapter One – Introduction

Chapter Two- Perspectives on Ethnic Group Adaptation:

Research Issues and Questions

Chapter Three – An Overview of Vietnamese History, Culture,

And Social Structure

Chapter Four – Demography of the Toronto Vietnamese

PART II: INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE VIETNAMESE
AGGREGATE IN THE TORONTO AREA

Chapter Five – The Formal Structure of Community Organization

Among the Toronto Vietnamese

Chapter Six – Vietnamese Residence and Institutional Location

in Toronto

Chapter Seven – The Relationship Between Residence and

Participation in Vietnamese Ethnic Institutions

Chapter Eight – Ethnic Institutions and Adaptation

PART III: RELATIONSHIPS OF THE VIETNAMESE
WITH THE HOST SOCIETY IN THE TORONTO AREA

Chapter Nine- Vietnamese Incorporation in the Mainstream

Toronto Economy

Chapter Ten – Interactions of the Vietnamese with the Media and

the Criminal Justice System in Toronto

PART IV: CONCLUSION

Chapter Eleven – Summary and Conclusion

Appendices

References Cited

Table 4.1 Permanent Residents from Vietnam, Arriving in Toronto By Category of Entry, 1978-1993

Table 4.2 Vietnamese Ethnic Origin Population, Canada, Ontario, Major CMAs, 1991 and 1996

Table 4.3 Vietnamese Mother Tongue Population, Toronto CMA, Major Municipal Subdivisions, 1986, 1996

Table 4.4 Period of Arrival, Vietnamese and Other Visible Minority Groups, Toronto CMA, 1991

Table 4.5 Citizenship and Immigration Status, Vietnamese and Other Visible Minority Groups, Toronto CMA, 1991

Table 4.6 Gender Distribution, Vietnamese and Other Visible Minority Groups, Toronto CMA, 1991

Table 4.7 Age Distribution of Males, Vietnamese and Other Visible Minority Groups, Toronto CMA, 1991

Table 4.8 Age Distribution of Females, Vietnamese and Other Visible Minority Groups, Toronto CMA, 1991

Table 4.9 Knowledge of Official Languages, Vietnamese and Other Visible Minority Groups, Toronto CMA, 1991

Table 4.10 Highest Level of Schooling Achieved, Vietnamese and Other Visible Minority Groups, Toronto CMA, 1991

Table 4.11 Birth Rate, Vietnamese and Other Visible Minority Groups, Toronto CMA, 1991

Table 4.12 Religious Faith, Vietnamese and Other Visible Minority Groups, Toronto CMA, 1991

Table 5.1 Vietnamese Greater Toronto Interlink Services Consortium,   Participating Agencies, 1997

Table 6.1 Forward Sorting Areas of Vietnamese Residence, Households With Nguyen and Tran Family Names, Toronto Metropolitan Area,  1981, 1986, 1991, 1996

Table 6.2 Vietnamese Mother Tongue Population, Toronto CMA Census   Tracts, 1986, 1991, 1996

Table 6.3 Recent Immigrants from Vietnam (1991-1996) Toronto CMA Census Tracts

Table 6.4 Household Income, 20 Census Tracts with Largest Vietnamese Mother Tongue Populations, Toronto CMA, 1996

Table 6.5 Indexes of Dissimilarity, Major Ethnic Groups, Toronto CMA Census Tracts, 1996

Chapter Nine

Table 9.1 Occupational Distribution, Males and Females,   Vietnamese and Total Labour Force, Toronto CMA, 1991

Table 9.2 Labour Force and Employment by Industry, Males and Females, Vietnamese and Other Visible Minority Groups, Toronto CMA, 1991

Table 9.3 The Representation of the Total Vietnamese Labour Force in the  Industrial Structure of the Toronto Metropolitan Area, 1991

Table 9.4 Index of Dissimilarity with the Total Labour Force, Employment by Industry, Males and Females, Vietnamese and

Other Visible Minority Groups, Toronto CMA, 1991 Table 9.5 Labour Force and Employment by Industry, Males

Southeast Asians and Other Visible Minority Groups, Toronto CMA, 1991

Table 9.6 Labour Force and Employment by Industry, Females Southeast Asians and Other Visible Minority Groups, Toronto CMA, 1991

Table 9.7 Income, Males and Females, 15 Years and Over, Vietnamese and Other Visible Minority Groups, Toronto CMA, 1991

Table 9.8 Average and Median Income, Males and Females,   Vietnamese and Other Visible Minority Groups, Toronto CMA, 1991

Table 9.9 Composition of Total Income, Vietnamese and Other Visible Minority Groups, Toronto CMA, 1991

Table 9.10 Composition of Total Income, Males and Females, Southeast Asians and Other Visible Minority Groups, Toronto CMA, 1991

Table 9.11 Unemployment Rate, Males and Females, Vietnamese and Other Visible Minority Groups, Toronto CMA, 1991

Table 9.12 Class of Worker, Males and Females, 15 Years and Over, Vietnamese and Other Visible Minority Groups, Toronto CMA, 1991

Appendix I

Table 1 Gender Distribution, Vietnamese Ethnic Origin Population, Canada, Ontario, Major CMAs, 1991

Table 2 Age Distribution of Males, Vietnamese Ethnic Origin Population, Canada, Ontario, Major CMAs, 1991

Table 3 Age Distribution of Females, Vietnamese Ethnic Origin Population, Canada, Ontario, Major CMAs, 1991

Table 4 Number of Children Born to Ever-Married Women, Vietnamese Ethnic Origin Population, Canada, Ontario, Major CMAs, 1991

Table 5 Birth Rate, Vietnamese Ethnic Origin Population, Canada, Ontario, Major CMAs, 1991

Table 6 Citizenship and Immigration Status, Vietnamese Ethnic Origin Population, Canada, Ontario, Major CMAs, 1991

Table 7 Period of Arrival, Vietnamese Ethnic Origin Population, Canada, Ontario, Major CMAs, 1991

Table 8 Knowledge of Languages, Vietnamese Ethnic Origin Population, Canada, Ontario, Major CMAs, 1991

Table 9 Highest Level of Schooling Achieved, Vietnamese Ethnic Population, Canada, Ontario, Major CMAs, 1991

Table 10 Mobility Status, Vietnamese Ethnic Origin Population, Canada, Ontario, Major CMAs, 1991

Table 11 Religious Faith, Vietnamese Ethnic Origin Population, Canada, Ontario, Major CMAs, 1991

Table 12 Occupational Distribution, Male Labour Force, 15 Years and Over, Vietnamese Ethnic Origin Population, Canada, Ontario, Major CMAs, 1991

Table 13 Occupational Distribution, Female Labour Force, 15 Years and Over, Vietnamese Ethnic Origin Population, Canada, Ontario, Major CMAs, 1991

Table 14 Labour Force and Employment by Industry, Males and Females, Total Labour Force, Vietnamese Ethnic Origin Population, Canada, Ontario, Major CMAs, 1991

Table 15 Income, Males and Females, 15 Years and Over, Vietnamese Ethnic Origin Population, Canada, Ontario, Major CMAs, 1991

Table 16 Average and Median Income, Vietnamese Ethnic Origin   Population, Canada, Ontario, Major CMAs, 1991

Table 17 Composition of Total Income, Males and Females, Vietnamese Ethnic Origin Population, Canada, Ontario,  Major CMAs, 1991

Table 18 Unemployment Rate, Vietnamese Ethnic Origin Population,   Canada, Ontario, Major CMAs, 1991

Table 19 Class of Workers, Males 15 Years and Over,  Vietnamese Ethnic Origin Population, Canada, Ontario, Major CMAs, 1991

Table 20 Class of Workers, Females, 15 Years and Over,  Vietnamese Ethnic Origin Population, Canada, Ontario, Major CMAs, 1991

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 6.1 Distribution of Vietnamese Households in Metropolitan Toronto, Mississauga and Brampton 1981 and 1986

Figure 6.2 Distribution of Vietnamese Households in Metropolitan Toronto, Mississauga and Brampton 1991 and 1997

Figure 6.3 Location of Largest Concentrations of Vietnamese Households in the Toronto Metropolitan Area By Forward Sorting Areas, 1997

Figure 6.4 Distribution of Vietnamese Mother Tongue PopulationToronto CMA, 1986

Figure 6.5 Distribution of Vietnamese Mother Tongue Population Toronto CMA, 1996

Figure 6.6 Location of Major Concentrations of Vietnamese Population in the Toronto CMA by Census Tracts

Figure 6.7 Distribution of Immigrants Arriving from Vietnam, Toronto CMA, 1991-1996

Figure 6.8 Distribution of Vietnamese Ethnic Institutions, Toronto CMA, 1997

Figure 6.9 Distribution of Vietnamese Commercial Establishments, Toronto CMA, 1997

Figure 6.10 Distribution of Vietnamese Physician and Dental Practices, Toronto CMA, 1997

Figure 7.1 The Toronto Region

Figure 7.2 Vietnamese Alliance Church of Downsview, Residential Distribution of Membership

Figure 7.3 Vietnamese Alliance Church of Toronto, Residential Distribution of Membership

Figure 7.4 Vietnamese Alliance Church of Southeast Toronto, Residential Distribution of Membership

Figure 7.5 Vietnamese Alliance Church of Mississauga, Residential Distribution of Membership

Figure 7.6 Vietnamese Olive Baptist Church, Residential Distribution of Membership

Figure 7.7 Vietnamese Alliance Church of Searborough, Residential Distribution of Membership

Figure 7.8 Grace Chinese Alliance Church of Toronto, Residential Distribution of Membership

Figure 7.9 Vietnamese Zen Meditation Group, Residential Distribution of Membership

Figure 7.10 Xa Loi Buddhist Temple, Residential Distribution of Membership

LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix I - Chapter Twelve - Demographic and Socioeconomic Distribution of Vietnamese in Canada, Ontario, and Major Canadian CMAs

Appendix II - Key Informant Interview Subjects

To Chapter 1

Abstract/Acknowledgements/Table of Contents - [ Chapters - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 ] -  Appendices - References Cited

		Updated February 09, 2004