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According to recent research, immigrant students across Canada are less likely to complete high school than their Canadian-born counterparts. While there may well be a number of sociological and economic causes of immigrant high school dropout, the major factor discussed in the literature is the inability of ESL students to cope with the literacy demands of texts in the core areas. This paper reports the results of a study of the lexical inferencing strategies of low language proficiency ESL learners, undertaken to gain insights into the source of this problem. The results revealed that while reading comprehension was impacted by level of receptive vocabulary knowledge, knowledge of the meaning of and the ability to synthesize word parts enabled subjects to compensate for deficiencies in level of prior vocabulary knowledge. This finding suggests that the development of ESL reading proficiency may be accelerated by instruction in the principles of morphological analysis. Mieux comprendre les caractéristiques langagières des élèves allophones sous-scolarisés est un préalable à une intervention appropriée dans leur cheminement scolaire. Réalisée auprès d'un groupe de 28 élèves allophones sous-scolarisés et de 14 de ces sujets suivis sur deux ans, notre recherche visait donc à mesurer les habiletés langagières, les habiletés en lecture et les capacités dites métalinguistiques de cette population d'élèves à risque (Armand et De Koninck, 1996-1999 ; Ziarko et al., 1996-1999). Des échantillons de productions langagières orales obtenus par le biais d'une tâche de définition a fait l'objet d'analyses en fonction de critères visant à determiner la qualité de la définition en tant que définition formelle ou informelle. La mesure de la performance en lecture a été obtenue au moyen d'un score de lecture de noms propres et des scores à un rappel et à un questionnaire vérifiant la compréhension d'un texte. Enfin, différentes tâches visant à mesurer les capacités métaphonologiques et métasyntaxiques avaient pour but de révéler la capacité de ces sujets à considérer la langue comme un objet d'analyse en soi. Suite à la présentation de résultats de nature quantitative, certaines données feront l'objet d'un examen qualitatif destiné à cerner les principales caractéristiques des résultats de ces élèves sous-scolarisés par rapport à ceux obtenus auprès d’élèves allophones et d’élèves francophones du même âge. La discussion portera sur la présence ou non d'indicateurs de dévelopement au terme de la période concernée. Francine Bernèche (INRS-Urbanisation)
"Participation civique des communautés ethnoculturelles aux débats publics sur
l'aménagement du cadre de vie dans deux quartiers multiethniques montréalais" (Workshop/Atelier
4.2) Michael Baffoe: "Grassroots Organizing with Disempowered Communities: A Montreal Community Organizing Experience with Multicultural Refugee and New Immigrant Communities" (Workshop/Atelier 7.2) Much advocacy work has been done by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) for and on behalf of refugees and new immigrant communities over the past fifteen years in Canada. These efforts, though laudable, usually assume paternalistic roles and lead to disempowerment. A refugee and new immigrant community in Montreal started an organizing process of self advocacy which formed the basis for a larger community organizing work among several refugee and new immigrant communities in the late 1980s. Their work, which led to the creation of The Montreal Refugee Coalition, a unique effort in self advocacy by refugee groups, the first of its kind in Canada in the early 1990s provides an interesting example of self-advocacy work leading to empowerment of hitherto powerless communities. Michael Baffoe will examine the process of these grass-roots organizing work in which he has been actively involved at the grassroots level over the past twelve years. Paul Bramadat (University of Winnipeg): "Like it or not: The Place(s) of Religion in Contemporary Immigrant Integration" (Workshop/Atelier 1.5) In this paper, I will reflect on some of the reasons religion is often overlooked when scholars and policy makers are considering immigrant life in Canada. Assumptions concerning the archaic, irrational, fragile and ultimately private nature of immigrant religious convictions lead many people to neglect the enduring significance of religious groups, symbolism, and discourse in the lives of many new Canadians. This paper will employ both the most recent sociological research on the secularization hypothesis, as well as some case studies on immigrant integration in an effort to understand some of the ways religion continues to influence the broad processes of identity formation, group solidarity, and immigrant integration in our society. Business Immigration: Setting a Research Agenda (Workshop/Atelier 4.6) Immigration settlement research to date has focussed on the economic performance of immigrant classes and the settlement experiences of specific ethnic groups. While analysis of the impact of selection criteria on the economic performance of Independent class or skilled workers has been undertaken, less attention has been given to the economic performance of business immigrants. Canada selects three classes of business immigrants: Investors, Entrepreneurs and Self-Employed persons. Of these, only Entrepreneur Class immigrants are required by regulation to demonstrate that they have actively engaged in business after landing in Canada. Federal immigration officials maintain a database of Entrepreneur performance (EMIS) to track terms and condition compliance, however this information is limited to the first two years in Canada. Research that can better inform business immigration selection policy and post landing business services needs would be useful. The goal of this workshop is to identify for researchers the specific issues of interest to government policy makers, and encourage new avenues of research. Topics of policy interest include: Which business immigrant characteristics best correspond to successful business establishment? What business/settlement services can best assist business immigrants to be successful? What are the long-term economic impacts to Canada of the Business Immigration Program? Adrienne Chambon (University of Toronto), Susan McGrath (York University), Mulugeta Abai (Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture), Teresa Dremetsikas (Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture), Benzion Shapiro (University of Toronto), Suzanne Dudziak (St. Thomas University and Martha Kumsa (University of Toronto) "From Research to Service Training: Creating Trustworthy Knowledge to Work with Survivors of Torture and War" (Workshop/Atelier 3.1) This presentation stems from a research and educational partnership between the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture, the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Social Work and the School of Social Work at York University. A CERIS- funded study documented the effective practices of the core Volunteer Befriending Programme. CIC-Ontario subsequently funded province-wide service training for staff and volunteers of Host agencies. We focus on how knowledge gained in the conduct of research shaped the training approach. Training addresses the challenge of communicating knowledge on the effects of torture and war upon resettlement in a way that can be meaningfully processed. Learning builds on the dilemma of trust/betrayal that is central to survivors’ experiences. Relevant trustworthy knowledge is pursued by engaging participants at a personal level. An interactive dialogical approach sustains the process of mutual learning and reflection. Key metaphoric images capture pivotal notions for effective service. Learning modules cover volunteer-client dynamics, supportive staff interventions, agency activities and the wider web of relations. Claude Charbonneau (University of Sherbrooke): "L’évaluation de la formation interculturelle: défis et réalisations" (Workshop/Atelier 6.4) Nos recherches des trois dernières années ont porté sur l’évaluation de la formation ou de la sensibilisation interculturelle, soit dans le cadre de programmes universitaires, soit dans le cadre de courtes sessions offertes en milieu de travail. Ces recherches nous ont confrontés à trois défis. Un premier défi a trait à la nature des conclusions à tirer lorsqu'il y a divergence entre les données révélées d'une part par des instruments quantitatifs (questionnaires) et, d'autre part, par des moyens plus qualitatifs (entrevues). Les principaux résultats sont en effet les suivants : on peut par des questionnaires portant sur les attitudes, les connaissances et les comportements, identifier les effets de programmes de formation (( longs )), dans un contexte universitaire; par ces mêmes questionnaires on n'arrive pas à montrer les effets de courtes sessions de formation (un jour ou deux); par contre, en entrevue, les participants à ces sessions courtes affirment que ces dernières ont eu un impact. Un second défi concerne les objets d'évaluation, particulièrement dans le cas de formations offertes en milieu de travail. Dans la formation interculturelle et dans son évaluation, est-il pertinent de cibler des changements dans les attitudes ou dans les connaissances relatives aux personnes d'autres origines culturelles ou doit-on viser des changements dans le bien-être et l'efficacité au travail? Un troisième et dernier défi concerne les effets secondaires de l'évaluation de la formation interculturelle. La simple passation de questionnaires a constitué dans l'une de nos recherches, une occasion pour certains répondants d’exprimer leurs réticences et leur exaspération à parler encore ((d’intégration des immigrants)), ou ((à faire preuve de rectitude politique en évitant le racisme)). Comment peut-on faire pour éviter cet effet pervers de l’opération d’évaluation de la formation interculturelle? Enid Collins (Ryerson Polytechnic University) "Promoting Equity in the Professional Life of Immigrant Women Nurses" (Workshop/Atelier 7.1) The purpose of this paper is to present research findings which describe experiences of immigrant nurses who filed grievances related to with workplace racism. In an effort to raise awareness of issues related to workplace racism in nursing, this qualitative study investigated the way immigrant women nurses from some visible minority groups described their experiences with racism and in navigating the processes related to filing a grievances and dealing with the grievance proceedings. Theory and methods developed by Essed (1991), van Dijk (1993), were used to guide data collection and analysis. A network sample of 9 immigrant nurses representative of the diversity characteristic of women of color in the nursing profession in Metropolitan Toronto who had filed formal grievances charging their employer with discrimination were interviewed; the documents generated in conjunction with their litigation were subjected to legal analysis. Some themes, based on participants' verbal accounts, emerged from data are among those emphasized in disseminating the research findings. These include descriptions of racism; impact of hospital restructuring, reactions and responses to discrimination; emotional and financial costs, implications for immigrant nurses and for their caring profession and implications for policies to address issues related to diversity and equity in health care organizations. Cities: Access, Equity and Civic Participation: How Municipal Governments and Communities Work Together to Facilitate Newcomers’ Full Participation in Society (Workshop/Atelier 1.6) The workshop will examine how immigrant and refugee communities access municipal government and influence government policies. Some of the specific examples for discussion will include how government communicates with immigrants and refugees in municipal decision-making processes, and help build community capacity. This workshop will also explore what works and does not work from the perspectives of both communities and municipal governments, what are the challenges and how past experiences inform current and future policy approaches. Ken Dion (University of Toronto): "Perceived Housing Discrimination Among Polish, Somali and Jamaican Newcomers in Toronto’s Rental Market." (Workshop/Atelier 1.4) The "Housing New Canadians" project investigated recent immigrants' experiences in three ethnocultural communities -- viz., Poles, Somalis, and Jamaicans -- in finding rental housing since arriving in Canada. This presentation focuses on the quantitative measures of perceived housing discrimination. On the quantitative measures, respondents estimated how much housing discrimination (as defined for the respondent) they personally experienced, as well as how much housing discrimination they perceived to be directed toward their ethnic group as a whole in Toronto. Overall, the results revealed a consistent ordering of perceived housing discrimination in Toronto for these three groups, with Somalis at the top, followed by Jamaicans in the middle, and then Poles at the bottom. That is, Somali respondents perceived greater personal and group discrimination in rental housing than either Jamaican or Polish respondents. In turn, Jamaican respondents perceived greater personal and group discrimination in rental housing than Polish respondents. Finally, both Jamaican and Somali (but not Polish) respondents perceived greater group than personal discrimination. Economic: Access to Professions and Trades: Opportunities, Obstacles and Alternatives (Panel discussion) (Workshop/Atelier 5.2)
1 Tradespeople COSTI- Humber College Dougall Aucoin (Director, Selection Branch, Citizenship and Immigration Canada) In this workshop, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities will present findings from its research project, The Facts Are In. The purpose of the study is to provide concrete information on the problems faced and success strategies employed by immigrants to Ontario in regulated professions in order to develop and improve policies and programs in the access to professions and trades area. The sample of newcomers is representative of the population of foreign-trained professionals between the ages of 18-64 who arrived in Ontario after January 1, 1994, and are intending to practise in a regulated profession. Newcomers were recruited from a list of all immigrants to Ontario, and in-depth interviews, based on structured questionnaires were conducted with 643 participants. The goal of this workshop is to use the results of the research to derive policy implications. The panel will respond to the paper with recommendations from their various perspectives: community, occupational regulatory bodies and the federal and provincial governments. Participants will also have opportunities to provide their input. Patience Elabor-Idemudia (University of Saskatchewan): "Intersectionality of Race, Class, and Gender in the Social Construction of Immigrant Women in Canada." (Workshop/Atelier 5.1) As an immigrant woman of color working in an academic institution, I was struck by the under-representation of Africa/Black women in the academic institutions as educators and in other positions of authority while on the other hand, they are over-represented in the service industry in Canada despite their relative high levels of education. I became active with the immigrant community and women's groups in particular. After moving to Saskatoon in 1995 to take up an appointment with the University of Saskatchewan, I embarked on a study of the challenges confronting newly arriving African/Black immigrant women with regard to gaining entrance into sectors for which they are qualified in the Canadian labor. A similar study was conducted in Toronto in 1994 while I was living there. My research findings and review of literature on the social construction of immigrant women led to some of the findings that will be highlighted in this paper. The objective of this paper is to show how through the process of racializing society, social groups especially immigrant women of color are distinguished and subjected to differential and unequal treatment on the basis of supposedly biological, phenotypical, cultural and gender characteristics (Dei, 1996:25). Specifically, I will highlight i) how the concepts of race, class and gender are used a basis for differentiation and social marginalization of groups in Canadian immigration practice; ii) how racialization has been used to construct meanings that maintain the social and economic dominance of particular groups within society; and iii) how gender is racialized in the social construction of immigrant women. Racialization as used here refers to a practice in which certain groups are "raced" and awarded power, status and prestige on the basis of that racing while others are denied these things on the basis of how they have been raced (Dei, 1996). 1. The tem immigrant here refers to any person born outside Canada (foreign born), but who is seeking or has received permanent status. Immigrants include those seeking family unification or improvement of economic status. About 16 per cent of Canada's population is foreign born (that is, immigrants) - a figure that has remained relatively constant since the early 1950s. 2. The terms "African" and "Black" are used inter-changeably in this paper to refer to immigrants of same race with origins in Africa.
Cultural and religious differences are nothing new in Montréal, a city built on compromise between the French Catholic majority and a powerful English Protestant minority. This historical duality has yielded to increasing cultural diversity as immigrant waves swept Montréal’s shores throughout the twentieth century. Recent trends in international immigration have also contributed to Montréal’s social and cultural makeup. This renewed diversity, expressed in a variety of cultural and religious practices, raises important questions concerning urban citizenship, the local management of cultural diversity and private versus public space. This paper examines the challenges facing municipal governments in regards to this diversity, and specific issues related to the expression of religious diversity in urban space. Building upon ongoing research on religious diversity and places of worship in Montréal, we will examine certain aspects of ethno-religious place building in the metropolitan area. Julie Elizabeth Gagnon is a Ph.D. candidate in the Urban Studies program at l’INRS-Urbanisation, a research centre specializing in urban issues. Annick Germain is associate professor at l’INRS-Urbanisation. Her recent research focuses on immigration and diversity in Montréal, urban neighborhoods, and urban citizenship Jean-François Godin (Université de Montréal) et Jean Renaud (CEETUM, Université de Montréal): "The Role of Non-governmental Organizations and Linguistics Competences on Employability of Refugee Claimants" (Workshop/Atelier 7.3) Les revendicateurs du statut de réfugié sont placés dans une situation précaire dès leur arrivée au pays à cause de la période d’incertitude de leurs statuts non régularisés. Confrontés à la possibilité d’un renvoi, on comprendra les difficultés d’établissement encourues par ces individus. Nous savons, de plus, que l’établissement socio-économique ne dépend pas seulement de leurs caractéristiques personnelles mais aussi des réseaux qu’ils tissent avec les personnes et les organisations de la société d’accueil. Les organisations communautaires (ONG) à vocation d’aide font partie de ce vaste réseau pouvant prêter main-forte à ce groupe d’immigrants précarisés et marginalisés. L’effet des organismes d’aide a le plus de chances d’être perçu auprès d’une telle clientèle. La présente analyse examine d’abord, les déterminants amenant les requérants du statut de réfugié à un premier contact avec ce type d’ONG et l’effet de ce contact sur la suite de l’insertion (le premier emploi et les cours) et, dans un second temps, on regarde l’effet de la connaissance pré-migratoire et post-migratoire des langues d’usage du Québec sur l’accès à l’emploi. Elle nous permettra de faire ressortir les mécanismes de francisation à l’œuvre. Des analyses statistiques de type de régression et régression de survie sont réalisés sur une cohorte de revendicateurs du statut de réfugié arrivés en 1994 et régularisés avant mars 1997 que nous avons suivis depuis le dépôt de la demande du statut de réfugié (n=407). Jean Renaud, is a professor at the Sociology department, interim Director of Immigration et Métropoles and Director of The Center for Ethnic Studies of Université de Montréal Jean-François Godin, is currently a PhD student in Applied Social Sciences at the Université de Montréal Shiva Halli and Abdi Kazemipur (University of Manitoba): "Low-income Immigrants in Canadian Cities, 1991-1996)" (Workshop/Atelier 3.2) The previous immigration research has largely overlooked the particular experiences of poor or low-income immigrants. Among the factors which may have contributed to this overlook is an over-generalization of the path of integration and assimilation of previous waves of immigrants, mostly from European sources; it was widely believed that after a brief period of initial adjustment, immigrants begin a process of upward mobility that enables them to catch-up with the native-born population within a dozen years, and even exceed them afterwards. The prevalence of such a belief could easily hinder a focus on the poverty of immigrants disregarding it as non-existent and insignificant, or simply as a passing problem. The changing composition of recent immigrants to Canada both in terms of ethnic/racial characteristics and the regions of origin, and the different kind of challenges and difficulties that they may encounter, however, question the validity of some assumptions of the past. The present study is trying to address this issue by examining the poverty experience of immigrants, and its possible causative factors. The findings indicate that, compared to native-born Canadians, immigrants are almost consistently over-represented among the poor. Also, this over-representation has a clear ethnic and racial colour, with visible minority immigrants experiencing the most severe conditions. Through a set of logistic regression models, an effort is made to examine the possible factors behind the observed patterns. Among the most consistent and significant findings of these models is that being a visible minority noticeably increases the odds of poverty for immigrants, even after controlling all other factors such as age, education, type of employment, period of immigration, and age at arrival. The effect of visible minority status is most pronounced for Blacks, following by Chinese and South-Asians. The examination of poverty rates by period of immigration shows the comparative advantage of those who migrated during the 60s; for those arriving later, the poverty rates sharply increase. The poverty rates of different generations of immigrants shows a unique pattern, in which those who migrated at their adolescence years have a particularly difficult situation, as they show higher poverty rates, compared to the age groups immediately before and after them. Also, a comparison of the relative significance of these factors in 1991 and 1996 shows that the human capital endowments are becoming less rewarding for immigrants over this period. The structure of census data prevents an examination of the exact changes in the effect of visible minority status. It indicates, tentatively though, that the aggravating effect of visible minority status has declined for South Asians and Chinese, but has increased for Blacks and 'other visible minorities.' Edward Harvey and Kathleen Reil (University of Toronto): "Socioeconomic Differences by Ethnocultural Groupings and Period of Immigration" (Workshop/Atelier 3.2) Using l99l and l996 Census of Canada data, this paper examines, for different periods of immigration, socioeconomic differences between visible minority immigrants and immigrants who are not members of visible minorities. The socioeconomic measures used include income, unemployment and poverty. The findings include the following: (l) visible minority immigrants are invariably worse off on all measures than their immigrant counterparts who are not visible minorities; (2) more recent immigrants are invariably worse off on the socioeconomic measures than their earlier immigrating counterparts; (3) in several instances, the socioeconomic situation for immigrants -- particularly those who are visible minorities -- is worse in l996 than it was in l99l. The paper reflects on the adequacy of current settlement and socioeconomic integration policies and programs in light of the findings. Alison Hayford (University of Regina): "Crossing Thresholds, Weaving Lives: Immigration and Religion" (Workshop/Atelier 1.5) This paper will discuss some of the experiences of a Theravada Buddhist Temple in a prairie city. The fundamental issue for the people who make up the membership of this temple is how to negotiate the different and sometimes conflicting demands of the different cultural, spatial, and generational positions they occupy. The paper argues that this temple represents an increasingly important social phenomenon in North American cities, where immigrants from non-western countries create religious centres as thresholds for movement among the markedly different social worlds they occupy. The temple, like other immigrant religious centres, is a place where immigrants weave a new kind of social fabric. Yvonne Hébert, Christine Racicot and Christopher I-ming Chen (University of Calgary): "Choosing Friends and Hanging Out: Immigrant Youth’s Construction of Self in Western Canada" (Workshop/Atelier 5.3) Set within a larger study of identity formation among immigrant youth, the presentation provides session participants with the opportunity to work with data in the form of sociograms, i.e., friendship networks. Discussion will focus upon the choice of analytic elements, while seeking to engage the participants in a dialogue on the analysis and interpretation of possible meanings of the sociograms, as part of our own emerging critical analysis. We present out current analyses of the sociograms and the drawings of the spaces the immigrant adolescents occupy. Some of the data could be presented with PowerPoint which is neat, effective and spectacular way of presenting the kids’ representations of self Richard Hirabayashi, Kamal Johal, Stacy Kaketsis and Melani Fogell (University of Calgary): "Contemporary Comparative Perspectives From Japanese, Sikh, Greek and Jewish Israeli Immigrants: Issues of Voice, Identity and Language" (Workshop/Atelier 5.3) This joint presentation presents an analysis of oral history narratives of immigrant parents who experienced schooling in their countries of origin and whose children attended Canadian schools. Examining data consisting of five interviews with Japanese, Sikh and Greek adults as well as one Jewish Israeli woman, the comparative analysis focuses upon issues of voice, identity and language for the research participants as well as for the researchers. The analysis brings out unique perspectives in the data and dwell upon the significances of schooling as lived experiences for the children of immigrants in Western Canada. Derek Hum and Wayne Simpson (University of Manitoba): "Wage Offers to Visible Minorities, Whites and Immigrants." (Workshop/Atelier 3.2) Canada promotes itself as a multicultural and multiracial society with a history of welcoming immigrants. One problem in a multicultural society such as Canada is that economic opportunities afforded different racial groups can differ considerably. U.S. evidence demonstrates that not all racial groups are necessarily at a disadvantage compared to whites or some "charter cultural group". What accounts for the observed economic difference between racial groups? How much of the difference can be attributed to discrimination per se? How much can be attributed to productivity-related factors? How important is birthplace? There is considerable evidence that recent immigrants face economic disadvantage and that this disadvantage declines as immigrants are assimilated. If true, it would be important from a policy standpoint to account for immigration status in any assessment of economic opportunities for visible minorities because immigrants to Canada are now increasingly visible minority members. Between 1986 and 1991 two out of every three immigrants to Canada belonged to a visible minority. This presentation summarizes selected results of on-going research on market labour supply for different visible minority groups in Canada and on market labour supply for different visible minority groups in Canada and immigrants using data from the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID). Our findings to date suggests there is no statistically significant wage disadvantage for visible minorities who are native born. It is primarily among immigrants that wage differentials for visible minority membership exist. Our results suggest that policies to achieve a colour-blind Canadian labour market may have to focus more on immigrant assistance and less on traditional employment equity legislation. Integrating Diversity Project: Education and the Integration of Immigrants in Toronto, 1960 – 2000: Policies, Practices and Outcomes (Workshop/Atelier 4.7) This session provides a brief description of events in education for children and adults in Toronto related to education as a means of integrating them into the society. Discussion of these events point to themes of action and reaction over time. Issues are raised concerning apparent agendas of various stakeholders and the impact of action on the social matirx in which education is embedded. Problems of doing research and getting to action on research findings are discussed. Yoko Ishii (University of Calgary): "Beyond boundaries: Early Japanese Immigrant Women in America" (Workshop/Atelier 3.3) In examining immigrant women in North America, there is a tendency to label the cultural background of immigrant women as 'traditional' in opposition to the 'modernity' of the West. In order to question this polarized tradition-modernity continuum model in analytical studies on Japanese immigrant women, this paper examines so called issei women who migrated to North America from Japan at the turn of the century. This is done by situating the women's narratives in the domestic and international contexts of the time of their immigration. Based on the issei women's experiences, the paper argues that the polarized continuum model of tradition (the culture of the sending society) versus modernity (that of the receiving society) is unfitting in examining migrant women. The paper also maintains that the experiences of issei women are significant as the precedents of the increasing number of contemporary Japanese women who emigrate out of their native country. Neita Kay Israelite (York University) and Veronica Pacini-Ketchabaw (University of Toronto): "Towards an Exploration of the Resettlement Experiences of Latin American Women in Toronto." (Workshop/Atelier 6.1) In this presentation we will describe a CERIS-funded project that explored the perspectives of eight Latina immigrants and refugees on their resettlement experiences in Toronto. The qualitative research design entailed in-depth qualitative group interviews as well as individual follow-up interviews. Our presentation will focus on the major barriers to resettlement that the participants identified, each of which has been exacerbated by the budget cuts and social policy changes undertaken by the current government. Our findings support the need for a comprehensive approach to providing services for immigrants and refugees with a concomitant commitment to increases in funding for programs and services. Mylène Jacquet, Marie McAndrew (University of Montréal) et Monique Vermette (Consultant): "L’éducation à la citoyenneté pour les adultes nouveaux arrivants : Perceptions des intervenants québécois" (Workshop/Atelier 5.3) Dans le cadre de cette rencontre, je souhaiterais faire état de quelques données d'une recherche soutenue par Immigration et Métropoles (CRSH Ministère du Patrimoine Canadien) réalisée en partenariat avec le Ministère des Relations avec les Citoyens et de l’Immigration. Cette étude porte sur 1'éducation `a la citoyenneté au sein du programme d'intégration linguistique québécois et doit prochainement faire l'objet d'une comparaison avec une recherche menée au Canada anglophone par Tracey Derwing du centre des Prairies. Cette recherche visait, dans un premier temps, à identifier les éléments liés à l'éducation à la citoyenneté dans le programme de francisation des immigrants développé par le Ministère des Relations avec les Citoyens et de l'Immigration (MRCI) et à analyser quelles conceptions de la citoyenneté s'en dégagent (Résultats présentés par Marie Mc Andrew lors de la 3éme conférence d'Immigration et Métropole à Vancouver). Dans un second temps, il s'agissait de réaliser une enquête auprès de divers informateurs-clés (directeurs et conseillers pédagogiques de COFI, responsables d'ONG, enseignants de COFI et d'ONG) afin de cerner jusqu'à quel point les orientations du programme sont relayées et concrétisées sur le terrain. Je m'attarderai donc sur cette seconde étape de recherche. Cette étude vient apporter des informations pertinentes sur la façon dont le programme de francisation québécois est implanté dans les différents COFI et ONG visités. Par ailleurs, elle donne un éclairage, d'une part, sur les perceptions du programme qu'ont les différents intervenants et d'autre part sur les actions et les activités mises en place par les institutions de francisation et les enseignants qui s'inscrivent dans une perspective d’éducation à la citoyenneté. Cependant, au terme de cette recherche, des pistes questionnements concernant les pratiques enseignantes dans les classes surgissent et s'inscrivent en quelque sorte dans la continuité de ma recherche de doctorate Ingrid Johnston and Terry Carson (University of Alberta): "Addressing a Passion for Ignorance: Cultural Difference and Teacher Preparation" (Workshop/Atelier 6.4) In the presentation, Carson and Johnston will discuss their experiences of working with preservice teachers prior to and during their preliminary teaching experiences in culturally diverse classrooms. The presentation will focus on students' often unconscious refusal to acknowledge their own implications in the histories and operations of racism or sexism that Felman (1987) calls a 'passion for ignorance'. These issues will be discussed in the context of a wider study to explore preservice teachers' understandings and lived experiences of cultural difference in the classroom and to consider possibilities for teacher education to take a more proactive role in preparing teachers for the complex dynamics of heterogeneous classrooms.
The history of Canada’s Sikhs is one of a long struggle for integration and acceptance. During their first wave of immigration to British Columbia at the beginning of the century they were subjected to racist immigration policies. As one of Canada's most visible minorities they then endured subtle and overt forms of systemic discrimination during a second wave in the 1970s. The Khalistan (Sikh independence) movement in India in the 1980s exacerbated internal conflict in the Sikh Canadian community and forced the community to respond to being stereotyped as 'terrorists'. Canada has since witnessed an acceleration of Sikh integration into political life in as evidenced by the number of elected Sikh officials and the success of British Columbia Premier Ujjal Dosanjh and federal minister Herb Dhaliwal. The recent issuing of a Canada Post stamp commemorating their 100th anniversary in Canada and the 300th anniversary of the Khalsa order also serves as an indicator that Sikhs have been able to effectively widen their political space. The transnational nature of the Sikh independence movement thus appears to be a contributing factor in Sikh integration and political success in Canada. Tarik Ali Khan is a management trainee in the Multiculturalism Program at the Department of Canadian Heritage in Ottawa. He is also a contributing editor to Himal, a South Asian critical review magazine published out of Kathmandu, Nepal. This article was originally published in Himal (Dec.1999). Kenise Murphy Kilbride (Ryerson Polytechnic University, CERIS) and Lucy D’Arcangelo (George Brown Community College): "Meeting Immigrant Community College Students’ Needs: A case Study of One GTA College Campus" (Workshop/Atelier 4.3) 146 students who entered Canada after their 12th birthday and are now in one of six programs on a GTA community college were surveyed. Over 2\3 had entered Canada in the past 6 years. Degrees and types of needs were analyzed, as well as degrees and sources of support. Differences occurred across numerous background traits but the most striking finding is the absence of support from the college itself. This has clear policy implications for funders of GTA colleges, which are attracting such high numbers of newcomers to Canada. Jean Lock Kunz (Canadian Council on Social Development (CCSD)): "Immigrant Children and Youth in Canada: A Companion Report to ‘Progress of Canada’s Children’" (Workshop/Atelier 1.1) Immigrant Children and Youth in Canada has the following objectives: to profile children and youth who recently immigrated to Canada, to describe the adaptation and acculturation experience of these people, and to understand the capacity of social service organizations to respond to the needs of immigrant children and youth. Analyses of the report are based upon data from the National Population Health Survey (NPHS), the Longitudinal Immigrant Database (LIDS) from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, focus group discussions among recent immigrant children and youth, as well as a survey of organizations serving immigrant families, children and youth. Some of the findings are highlighted below: Over the past decade, a third of the immigrants came to Canada were under the age of 25. Most of them came with their families or on their own to pursue their education. Upon their arrival, the majority of those children and youth did not have knowledge of English or French. Most youth said that they benefit socially and academically from ESL (English as Second Language) or FSL (French as Second Language) classes. With increasing length of residence in Canada, the lifestyle of immigrant youth tends to resemble that of their Canadian-born counterparts. Many immigrant youth still experience both overt and covert forms of racial discrimination at school, and in their community. Most social service organizations recognized the barriers faced by recent immigrants with regard to accessing the existing social services. Nevertheless, many agencies felt that the needs of recent immigrants have yet to be addressed fully. Our report shows that immigrant youth are highly resilient, willing and capable of adapting to their new social environment. A key issue in immigration is to develop mechanisms that facilitate the integration of newcomers socially and economically into the Canadian society. This means that governments at all levels, private, non-government sectors should continue to work together to achieve this goal. Jean Lock Kunz (Ph.D) is a senior research associate with the Canadian Council on Social Development (CCSD). A sociologist by training, Dr. Kunz has worked in the area of race relations and cultural diversity for over ten years through teaching and research. Her most recent projects include a profile of immigrant children and youth in Canada, an environmental scan in the field of race relations in Canada for the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, income mobility among refugees, and medication use among ethnic seniors. At present, she is responsible for developing a cultural diversity program at the CCSD. Jacques Ledent & Micha Simard (INRS-Urbanisation and CIED), "Une analyse comparative des families montralaises selon le statut d’immigration des deux poux ou du parent seul" ("A Comparative Analysis of Montreal Families According to the Immigration Status of the Two Spouses or Lone Parent") (Workshop/Atelier 7.3) The purpose of this paper is twofold: 1) Establish the sociodemographic characteristics of immigrant families (that is, families with two immigrant spouses) as well as mixed families (that is, families with one immigrant spouse and a native spouse); and 2) Compare the socioeconomic achievements of these families (in terms of labor force participation, income, etc..) with those of native families (that is, with two native spouses). Jo-Anne Lee (Dept of Women's Studies, University of Victoria): Politics and Power in Immigrant Women's Settlement and Integration Programs Results of a study into program outcomes in immigrant women's immigration and settlement programs in British Columbia are analyzed through an intersecting race, gender, and class framework. The essay argues that program planning occurs in a context that is shaped by normalized assumptions and discourses about "immigrant and refugee" women as a social category. Dominant myths about immigrant and refugee women help to "orchestrate" diverse practices linking settlement programs to immigration policies. Race, class and gender assumptions about the category immigrant and refugee women underlie all aspects of program development in the immigrant settlement sector. Evaluation of these programs need to recognize the inherently political context in which this work takes place. Peter S. Li (University of Saskatchewan): "Economic Returns of Self-employment for Recent Immigrants." (Workshop/Atelier 2.2) Both blocked mobility in the open market and lucrative returns of enclave businesses have been identified as the causes of immigrants' self-employment. However, the two competing explanations produce conflicting expectations of economic returns of immigrants' self-employment, as compared to the earnings of immigrant wage workers. Using data from IMDB, this paper compares the earnings of immigrants in self-employment with that of immigrants in the labour market not in self-employment. The intent is asses whether immigrants enter self-employment due to attractive returns of self-employment or do so because of employment obstacles. Roy Loewen (University of Winnipeg): "The Religious Adaptation of Mennonites in Winnipeg, 1945-1980" (Workshop/Atelier 1.5) This paper will examine the religious adaptation of rural and immigrant Mennonites to Winnipeg during their first generation in the city. The paper will demonstrate that religion, which Clifford Geertz defines as a system that motives people "by formulating conceptions of a general order in the universe" and which Thomas O'Dea has suggested can act as a means to order both stability and change, served as a significant mechanism of integration for Mennonites coming to the city. But religion remained relevant only because of its adaptability to the city. For rural Mennonites religion had prescribed and legitimized a rural and semi-isolated existence; upon arriving in the city religion continued to be the very undergirding of Mennonite collective consciousness, but it did so by legitimizing integration into urban culture, either through evangelicalization or through the acquisition of a social consciousness. In both developments Mennonites fused an inherited set of religious mythologies with new social realities. The paper will be based on newspaper reports, church records and oral history projects. It is funded in part by the Metropolis Project grant. Maria Rosa Maggi (Centre for Spanish Speaking Peoples), Shahrzad Mojab (OISE, University of Toronto) and Susan McDonald (OISE, University of Toronto): "The Right to Know: Spanish Speaking Immigrant Women Define their Legal Education Needs" (Workshop/Atelier 4.3) For immigrant women who have experienced domestic abuse, their needs are many and their legal needs often go unmet. The speakers, from OISE and the Centre for Spanish Speaking Peoples, will describe a recent project that used participatory research methods to determine the legal education and information needs of Spanish speaking women who have experienced domestic abuse. The participants also developed solutions to their needs. The project participants are currently working to develop and implement these solutions and understand the implications for legal aid reform in Ontario. Sarah Maiter (University of Toronto) "Building Bridges: The Collaborative Development of Culturally Appropriate Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect for the South Asian Community" (Workshop/Atelier 3.1) While the increasing ethnic and cultural diversity of North America presents challenges to the child welfare system, there is a dearth of research based information on culturally diverse groups to inform service provision. Differences in discipline styles and approaches and the values and norms of a group can easily be misunderstood by child welfare professionals leading to inappropriate and insensitive services. A mixed-method exploratory study was conducted with South Asian-Canadian mothers and fathers to understand their approaches to parenting in the North American context. Participants completed a questionnaire and a focus group format was used to ask the following research question: a/ what are the current understandings of appropriate and inappropriate child rearing standards in the group, b/ how does the group regulate these standards, c/ who do they call on for help when problems arise, d/ what are the issues they confront in parenting their children in the North American context and d/ do they view their parenting approaches to be different to that of the general population. Findings from the study has implications for child protection and child and family welfare service providers. Guida Man (York University); Wei Wei Da ( University of Sydney); Usha George (University of Toronto) and Ka-Tat Tsang (University of Toronto): Settlement Experiences of Mandarin-speaking Immigrant Women in Toronto Mandarin-speaking immigrants from China constitute the largest group of new immigrants to Canada since 1998. This paper is based on focus group and individual interview data on women from China, drawn from a larger study on the Needs Assessment of Mandarin-speaking Newcomers. Using the voices of the Mandarin-speaking Chinese immigrant women, it illuminates how these women's settlement experiences are articulated to the larger social, economic and political structures in Canadian society, and argues that race, ethnicity, gender, class and language are complex relations that have tremendous impact on the settlement experience of these women, transforming their everyday lives. Marie McAndrew (University of Montréal): "Concentration ethnique et usages linguistique en milieu scolaire Montréalais" (Workshop/Atelier 3.3) Je me propose, dans le cadre de cette rencontre, de faire état de quelques résultats d'une recherche intitulée ((Concentration ethnique et usages linguistiques en milieu scolaire)) que je viens de réaliser en collaboration avec C. Veltman (UQAM) et en partenariat avec le ministère des Relations avec les citoyens et de l'Immigration, le ministère de I'Éducation du Québec et le Conseil de la langue française. Cette recherche visait à explorer l'état des usages linguistiques ayant cours entre les élèves en dehors du cadre formel de la classe dans des écoles primaires et secondaires de I'île de Montréal présentant des taux de densité ethnique variés. Elle comportait trois volets : 1) une analyse des perceptions des intervenants scolaires sur l’état de la problématique dans leur milieu spécifique; 2) l'observation structurée et systématique des usages linguistiques entre élèves; 3) la réalisation d'entrevues auprès de groupes d'élèves du secondaire sur leur vécu linguistique et les facteurs qui l'influencent. La recherche associait diverses approches qualitatives d'entrevues semi-dirigées, d'observation des interactions dans des lieux publics au sein de l’école et des méthodologies de quantification des données relatives aux usages linguistiques. Cette étude vient apporter des données d'ensemble fiables sur une problématique qui a parfois suscité des controverses. De plus, dans le contexte actuel de débat sur I'avenir linguistique de la région montréalaise, cette étude, qui révèle un usage du français nettement dominant au sein des écoles pluriethniques montréalaises, propose un éclairage prospectif plus optimiste, basé sur le vécu des (enfants de la Loi 101). Rima Berns McGown: "Transformative Islam in London and Toronto" (Workshop/ Atelier 2.6) As diaspora Somalis establish themselves in the West, they
identify themselves primarily as Muslims. In the place of the territorial identity that
anchored them-as pastoralists, farmers, or urbanites-in their homeland, they have
developed a strong consciousness of identity through religion, in order to place and
assert themselves in predominantly non-Muslim societies. Moreover, their practice of Islam
has been redefined in the context of the diaspora, so that they are Western, but not Ian Melzer (CMHC): "Immigrant Housing Conditions in Canada: An Overview from the 1996 Census" (Workshop/Atelier 5.5) Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is responsible for monitoring housing conditions and providing up-to-date information to inform and assist decision-making, planning and policy formation by industry, all levels of government and non-profit organizations. CMHC is publishing a series of concise studies that explore the housing conditions of households reported by the 1996 Census of Canada. This paper is based on the third study in this series, Research Highlights Socio-economic Series Issue 55-3 (expected to be published in March 2000). It presents data on the housing conditions of households whose primary maintainer1 is an immigrant to Canada. In this study such households are referred to as immigrant households. Ranjini Mendis (Kwantlen University College): "The Janus Face: Conflict and Crises in Context – A Commentary" (Workshop/Atelier 3.1) If we are to help immigrant women caught in cycles of abuse and violence, we need to understand the contexts of their 'Learning', as well as negotiations of power, place, and identity in their country of origin and country of settlement. Kiran Mirchandani (OISE/University of Toronto):
"'All You Have is You': Racialized and Gendered Processes in Self-Employment" (Workshop/Atelier
5.1) Roxana Ng (OISE/University of Toronto):
"Restructuring Gender, Race and Class Relations: Garment Workers and
Globalization" (Workshop/Atelier 5.1)
Based upon a recent successfully completed doctoral study dealing with lexical inferencing strategies of low proficiency L2 readers, Parel provides session participants with an opportunity to work with the innovative and careful techniques developed to code the complex data collected from verbal protocols (think alouds) while reading and from a teacher-made gap test, both using authentic school texts. Comparing the data obtained from standardized tests and from a teacher-made gap test, correlation, factor and regression analyses showed that contextual guessing ability is influenced heavily by reasoning ability and only substantially by receptive vocabulary knowledge. Analyses of the verbal protocols showed that L2 reading proficiency of low language proficiency LS learners is more related to individual differences in the ability to select and implement appropriate lexical inferencing strategies, in relation to word type, than it is to levels of receptive vocabulary. Furthermore, the implementation of lexical inferencing strategies is not possible below a threshold of receptive vocabulary knowledge which fluctuates in relation to differences in text demands. Ravi Pendakur, Fernando Mata (Canadian Heritage & RIIM), Stan Lee and Natalie Dole (Public Service Commission): "Job Mobility and Promotion in the Federal Public Service" (Workshop/Atelier 6.3) Using a unique longitudinal database built from administrative records held by the Public Service Commission we assess the odds of equity group members obtaining a job shift or a promotion as compared to white males working in the federal public service. We find that the odds of getting a first (and subsequent) promotion varies substantially across equity groups. Even after controlling for occupational category, years of experience, age, location of the job, level of the job (using salary quartile as a proxy), first official language and months in the position there are often substantial, and negative differences in the rates between equity and non-equity group members. Angela W. Y. Shik (University of Toronto) "Silent Suffering: The experience of loneliness among immigrant youth from Hong Kong" (Workshop/Atelier 1.1) Over the past decade, the Chinese immigrant population has risen rapidly in Canada with Hong Kong being the top ranking source of landed immigrants since 1987. Even though youth between the ages of 15 and 19 have made up a significant proportion of the immigrant population, little is known about their immigrant experience and subsequent adaptation to life in Canada. The purpose of this study is to investigate the experience of loneliness among immigrant youth from Hong Kong in order to shed light on their health care needs. A qualitative research design was used for this study to give 'voice' to the participants. A total of seventeen immigrants from Hong Kong between the ages of 15 and 19 participated. Data collection was carried out in Cantonese using face-to-face semi-structured interviews with both close- and open-ended questions as well as unscheduled probes. Taped interviews were then translated and transcribed into English text by the researcher. The method of content analysis was used for data analysis. All seventeen participant reported experiencing loneliness which became more apparent after they immigrated to Canada. The theme of 'silence' emerged from the investigation on the experience of loneliness, and the four concepts relating to this theme were: (1) "not fitting in", (2) "having no friends", (3) "aimlessness", and (4) "an opportunity for growth". Whereas the theme of 'suffering' emerged from the investigation on the reactions to loneliness, and the four concepts relating to this theme were: (1) passive coping, (2) shame, (3) affliction, and (4) maturity. Findings from this study demonstrated that the silent nature of loneliness leads to barriers in detection and treatment of loneliness. Furthermore, immigrant youth from Hong Kong are not aware of the potential health risks that are associated with the experience of loneliness. In addition to the barriers created by the silent nature of loneliness, their access to the health care is further obstructed by the presence of both language and cultural barriers. To remove the barriers to the access of health care, there is a need to empower immigrant youth through education programs on the health risks associated with migration, and to develop health promotion programs that are responsive to the health care needs of the immigrant youth population. Myer Siemiatycki (Ryerson Polytechnic University)
and Engin Isin (York Grounded in a comparative study of 4 land use conflicts involving the location of Mosques in the Toronto area, this paper explores the interplay of faith, urban citizenship and municipal responsiveness to diversity. Toronto's rapidly growing Islamic Community has most prominently been drawn into the civic political process through its faith: its attempts to establish places of worship. The response of local residents and municipalities is revealing of both the fate of newcomers to Toronto, and the city's own prospects as one of the world's largest immigrant destinations. Building on theoretical discussions of urban citizenship, this paper demonstrates that for many immigrants practising urban citizenship means having a stake in the fate of a polity to which they belong and wish to imprint an identity -- beginning with their faith. Alan B. Simmons (York University) with Luis Carillos, Blanca Serrano and Gabriela Torres: "Dangerous and safe places: Latin American youth and cultural citizenship in Toronto" (Workshop/Atelier 6.2) This paper reports on a project with Latin American youth to develop knowledge relevant to their efforts to create a positive identity and sense of belonging in a context where they currently face considerable negative stereotyping and exclusion. The findings, based on discussions with groups of youth and interviews by them of other youths, point to a perception of a widespread, diffuse depreciation of Latin Americans in Toronto. This is grounded in experiences at schools, with the police, and on the streets. The youths in turn have developed ways of resisting the negative stereotyping, principally by asserting a positive Latino identity and sense of cultural citizenship. Sharing these positive stories can be a stimulating revelation for the youths and others in the community; it helps generate a collective voice of hope and strength. Bobby Siu (Infoworth Consulting Inc. & CERIS): "Self-employment of Ethnic Groups." (Workshop/Atelier 2.2) This paper examines the incorporated self-employed segments of two racial minority groups: Chinese and South Asian. Using the 1996 Census data, the paper compares these two groups by industries in Ontario and British Columbia. Some geographic and industrial patterns are noted. Hans Smits, Yvonne Hébert (University of Calgary) and Rosa Bruno Jofre (University of Manitoba): "Construction and Enactment of Citizenship Education in Faculties of Education: Identifying Issues and Challenges for Conducting Policy-informative Research" (Workshop/Atelier 4.3) Emerging from a wide-ranging discussion at the Second Workshop and Conference of the Prairie Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Integration, held in October 1999, of what is citizenship and of how to conduct citizenship research, both contested notions, two research questions inform the work of this group: (a) How is citizenship constructed by students, student teachers, teachers, and teacher educators? (b) How is citizenship enacted by each of these, as individuals and groups? In attempting to actualize these questions, a two-pronged study is proposed across the three prairie provinces. This study would examine the construction and enactment of citizenship by teachers educators, and student teachers in the programmes, classrooms and common spaces within faculties of education, by means of a questionnaire and follow-up interviews. The presentation at the Fourth National Metropolis conference in Toronto intends to focus upon the findings of a preliminary literature review upon which would be developed the research instrumentation and data collection Sandra Tam (Research Co-ordinator, Ontario Association of Youth Employment Centres): "Youth Self Employment in Ontario: Implications for Visible Minority Youth" (Workshop/Atelier 2.2) "The results of a qualitative study on the experience of self-employed youth will be presented. Interviews were conducted to evaluate the implications of youth self-employment on quality of work, job security and economic self-sufficiency. Discussion and recommendations for visible minority youth will be elaborated upon based on research findings." Chieko Tanimura, (Simon Fraser University): "Japanese Temporary Immigration: An Economic Analysis" (Workshop/Atelier 7.3) Japan faces severe economic and demographic problems: an aging society, an underfunded social security system, declining consumption levels, a large public debt and problems in the financial sector. These problems directly and/or indirectly contribute to the current economic slowdown in Japan. A careful review of these problems leads to the conclusion that conventional fiscal and monetary policies are not the sole solutions. One solution for raising economic activity may lie elsewhere by increasing the economically active population through temporary immigration, which may help to offset aging, re-finance the social security system and increase public transfers to the treasury. This immigration solution, of course, would work only under a given set of conditions. Only certain types of temporary immigrants will be able to assimilate given the high level of homogeneity in Japanese society. Those who are able to assimilate best are most likely to be Japanese descendants Nikkeijin born and domiciled abroad. Our research will focus on the effects of these temporary immigrants, especially from Brazil. Brazil is considered as a top potential source of temporary immigrants to Japan since it possesses a large and established community of ethnic Japanese. Another set of conditions would require that temporary immigrants be complements to Japanese workers while making positive fiscal contributions. Given these positive effects, the next questions would be, how many, how long, and what type of temporary immigrants should reside in Japan? Our research will attempt to answer these questions. Eden Thompson (HRDC) "Immigrant Occupational Skill Outcomes & The Role of Human Capital" (Workshop/Atelier 6.3) There is growing evidence to suggest that there is a substantial under-utilization of immigrant skills - the commonly referred to "taxi driver" phenomenon of recent immigrants to Canada. Are immigrants who were highly skilled doctors and engineers in their source country having to resort to low skilled occupations upon arrival in Canada? This paper combines data from the 1991 and 1996 Canadian Censuses to evaluate the importance of this phenomenon by comparing occupational skill distributions found among immigrants from different countries of origin (including native-born Canadians as a reference group). A logistic regression model that asks the question "What is the probability of an immigrant (with certain characteristics) finding employment in a highly skilled occupation?" helps to isolate human capital endowments such as level of education that contribute to certain occupational skill distributions found among immigrants. Immigrants from the United States and Northern Europe are found to experience significantly higher probabilities of finding employment in high skilled occupations on average compared with native-born Canadians and immigrants from other regions. Level of education, major field of study, and knowledge of official languages are key determinants of an immigrant's probability of finding high skilled employment. With current policy focus on the skilled worker immigrant selection model in Canada, this study highlights the importance of major field of study and place of education in assessing the probability of finding high skilled work in the Canadian labour market. Randal. G. Tonks and Anand C. Paranjpe (Simon Fraser University): "Identity, Youth and Immigration: Narratives of Acculturation and Adjustment" (Workshop/Atelier 1.1) This project involves an examination of the experiences of 60 immigrant youth from several countries of origin. Using a semi-structured interview format, a number of life histories are presented as examples of recurrent patterns of acculturation and identity formation for immigrant youth between the ages of 17 and 25. In addition to presenting accounts of common triumphs and tribulations of becoming Canadian, various issues of health and acculturative stress are considered through a bio-psycho-social model of adjustment. Against the backdrop of this model, this study considers the manifestation, etiology, and treatment of acculturative stress as a syndrome that is constituted by physiological conditions, psychological and behavioural repertoires, and social relations. Suggestions from and for community support groups are also discussed in conjunction with these narratives of identity, acculturation, and psychosocial adjustment. Smita Vir Tyagi (University of Toronto) "Incest and Women of Colour: A Study of Experiences, Disclosure and Helpseeking" (Workshop/Atelier 3.1) Experiences of women of colour who are incest survivors are described in relation to their experiences of incest, disclosure, efforts at helpseeking and methods of coping. The role of culture, family and community are highlighted in how experiences are organized in the lives of incest survivors who are women of colour. Twelve women who self-reported incest were interviewed regarding their experiences in an open-ended, in-depth interview. Participants described value systems, community mindedness, social attitudes, negative consequences for victims and other social and cultural issues as factors affecting their disclosures of incest. Participants described various psychological means they used to cope with their abuse, most showing strong resilience and determination to overcome negative long term effects of their trauma. They reported both positive and negative experiences in counselling and identified lack of culturally responsive services, affordability, accessibility and attitudes of helping professionals as barriers in seeking service.
The Project addresses itself to the need for more integrated settlement planning strategies. Currently, research and identification of newcomer needs, and planning adequately responsive services are very fragmented and disconnected across the various immigrant groups that settle in Toronto. The project will assess existing information and service resources. Building on an assessment of the demographics of the community and on an assessment and analysis of barriers and inequities, the equal partners in this consortium will attempt to create an innovative approach to planning within the settlement sector. In this discussion, we will present some of our initial findings and suggested strategies for community involvement and planning in the area of settlement. Richard A. Wanner (University of Calgary): "Shifting Origins, Shifting Labour Markets: Trends in the Occupational Attainment of Male Immigrants to Canada, 1971-1991" (Woekshop 6.3) In response to John Porter’s The Vertical Mosaic (1965), a large body of research has accumulated on the occupational attainment of Canada's immigrant population. However, much of that research is based on older data, fails to distinguish immigrant from native-born members of ethnic groups, and applies bivariate methods. Using a data file created by merging public-use microdata files from the 1971, 1981, and 1991 Censuses of Canada, this paper examines the occupational attainment of both the cohort of men age 25 to 34 who immigrated to Canada prior to 1971 as they age and three successive cohorts in the same age group who arrive prior to 1971, 1981, and 1991 to assess the consequences of labour force changes for their opportunities in Canada as well as the effect of growing numbers of visible minority immigrants from less effect of growing numbers of visible minority immigrants from less developed countries. I find that, except for men of Asian origin, Canada's "vertical mosaic" appears to be largely a system of ethnic inequality among adult immigrants educated before arriving in Canada. Furthermore, the odds of Asian and Latin Immigrants educated abroad of attaining higher-ranking occupations declined as their representation in the immigrant stream grew. Linda Wason-Ellam and Guofang Li (University of Saskatchewan): " ‘Hope floats’: Retelling the Lived Literacies of Chinese Immigrant Families" (Workshop/Atelier 1.2) Children, especially those who come from diverse cultures, are often strangers in school. As educators, we have little knowledge of the lived lives of 'others' and how they acquire literacy while their families and communities. This research study focussed on Chinese immigrant students who lived their lives within intersecting family, school, and community languages and literacy traditions. Two intercultural researchers used ethnography to look at the 'distance travelled' by Chinese immigrant children and their families who were learning to function within the family, in the outside community, and in urban inner-city school settings. The overarching question that framed the year-long study was what was the social-cultural environment of literacy development in Chinese immigrant families and the possible occasions for using literacy in their urban environment? The researchers found that families arrived in North America to seek their dreams and hopes for the goodness of themselves and the family. In reality, immigration did not fulfill their dreams. Lack of English and trying to survive financially prevented them from integrating into the new culture and its literacy practices. Alienation and isolation were the dominant themes for their lives. When hope was not there for them, they hoped for their children and the possibilities of generations beyond. Dr. Earle Waugh (University of Alberta): "Religion as a Mediator for Immigrants to Canada: The Case of Muslims in Alberta" (Workshop/Atelier 1.5) Little attention has been paid by scholars to the factor of religion as a means of integrating immigrants into Canadian society, especially if the religion is not generally regarded as indigenous to Canada's culture. A recent study undertaken in Alberta, now gives evidence that more attention should be given to it. This study addresses three prime areas of significance: The development of institutional forms (mosques, Islamic schools, etc.), the growth of Islamic educational structures (schools, language and culture in public schools, charter schools), and the role of women as traditional custodians of Islamic values. Research results will highlight the significance each of these three areas have in integrating members into a Canadian Islamic system. The study also examines points out conflicts between Islamic conceptual systems and Canadian society; the result is considerable difficulty for these immigrants. One can conclude, then, that the study of religious factors offers the potential for Canadians institutions to respond to problem areas in a more creative manner. Christiane Werner (Simon Fraser University): "A Taste of Canada: Analysis of Food Expenditure Patterns for Canadian-Born and Foreign-Born Consumers" (Workshop/Atelier 7.3) Between 1968 and 1986 the composition of immigrants to Canada changed significantly. The racial, ethnic and cultural characteristics of the "new immigrants" are very distinct from their earlier, more homogeneous counterparts, widening the gap in tastes, preferences, and economic backgrounds between Canadian-born and immigrant consumers. The 1986 Family Expenditure Survey shows that food accounts for a large share of total expenditures, 19.93% for Canadian-born consumers and 20.23% for immigrants. This makes it the second largest expenditure share after housing among 13 dominant expenditure categories. The large size of the food share warrants further investigation into the underlying issues determining food consumption patterns of immigrants. It is assumed that the cuisines of this "new immigrant wave" are very different from Canadian and traditional European cuisine. Do racial, ethnic and cultural characteristics play a notable role in the food budgeting decision of households? Is the consumption of food for people born outside the country really significantly different from the food consumption of Canadian-born households? Does convergence in tastes take place with increased length of residence in Canada? This study attempts to answer these questions. Daphne Winland (York University) and Sarah Wayland (Brock University):"Civic Participation and Homeland Ties: A Comparative Study of Croatians and Sri Lankan Tamils in the Greater Toronto Area" (Workshop/Atelier 6.2) The findings presented here are the result of ongoing comparative research on the relationship between civic engagement and the incorporation of newcomers to Canada. We have been investigating the claim that immigration leads to a breakdown in social cohesion through a comparative analysis of the impact of homeland ties on levels of civic participation for the Croatian and Sri Lankan Tamil communities in the Greater Toronto Area. We argue that only through a comprehensive understanding of the complex role of homeland affiliations can we develop policy directives that more effectively address the realities of immigrant group experiences and sentiments, thereby enhancing rates of civic political efficacy and inclusion in the social fabric of Canadian society. Terry Wotherspoon and Bernard Schissel (University of Saskatoon): "Systemic Racial Stereotyping and Discrimination: Identifying Issues, Challenges and Successes in Formulating Policy-sensitive Research" (Workshop/Atelier 3.3) Emerging from a broad discussion at the Second Regional Workshop/Conference of the Prairie Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Integration held in October 1999, the key research questions which inform the action plan of this working group are the following: (a) What is the nature and impact of racial stereotyping and discrimination within the educational system from the political arm through to administration and to the interpersonal experiences of student? (b) What are the strategies proposed and practiced in diverse communities and diverse schools? A three-step study is proposed in the three prairie provinces. First, a meta-analysis of existing success stories would provide an overview of what we know. Secondly, a study of 800 school principals and administrators in the three prairie provinces is foreseen. This second step would involve the collaboration of research participants and stakeholders (the principals and administrators themselves, school boards, ministries of education, parent groups, and ethnic organizations) in the creation of the interview schedule. Both the meta-analysis and the interviews with principals are oriented to outlining problems and issues, as well as success stories. In a third step, the working group would investigate best practices in schools reflecting a diversity of urban geographies, of class-socio-economic status, of languages of instruction, and of ethnic composition. The working group is attempting to seek a balance on a problem-oriented focus with recognition that there are some good things happening, as a way to try to elicit participation from schools and districts that might otherwise be hesitant to talk about racism. The presentation at the National Metropolis Conference in Toronto intends to focus upon the meta-analysis in the form of a documentary review which is the first step of the proposed research project. June Wyatt-Beynon, Marela Dichupa and Roumiana
Ilieva (Simon Fraser The research presented in this paper, based on ethnographic interviews with 17 female and 6 male teachers of Chinese ancestry, is part of a larger study examining perceptions of careers in teaching by secondary school and university students as well as practicing teachers, all of minority Chinese or Punjabi-Sikh ancestry. The research on teachers of Punjabi Sikh ancestry indicated that they do important work as translators, role models and cultural brokers with the Punjabi community, as well as the work of classroom teacher comparable to their mainstream peers (Hirji & Beynon, 1999). In our writing about this work it was denoted as constituting the teachers’ role. In the present research we want to examine not only how teachers of Chinese ancestry perceive the nature of their work (roles) relative to their mainstream peers, but also the ways in which they view their identities and interactions between roles and identities. This new focus on identities is informed by Britzman's work on relationships between teacher role and teacher identity for mainstream teachers. We wonder what possibly unique dilemmas and difficulties are encountered by teachers of Chinese ancestry. Britzman theorizes that "role and function are not synonymous with identity; whereas role can be assigned, the taking up of an identity is a constant social negotiation. One must consent to an identity." (1 992,p.24) It is our sense that "role", which Britzman appears to describe as impermeable and prescribed by normative institutional practices and ideologies, is rather, potentially porous. The thesis of our research is that with institutional recognition (Taylor), minority teachers may be able to infuse mainstream roles with new dimensions drawn from their linguistic, cultural and racial identities. The work of Weedon, Hall, Bakhtin and Foucault, which helps us to see how identity can influence role, provides the foundation for understanding how mainstream educational institutions can redefine teacher roles to be more inclusive of the identities and experiences of minority teachers. Dr. June Beynon teaches in the Faculty of Education at S.F.U. In the areas of multicultural and anti-racist teacher education and First Nations Teacher Education. Her current research interests include roles and identities of teachers of minority ancestry, and First Nations ancestry and how they work for educational change. She is also researching multicultural/anti-racist curriculum models in the university. Marela Dichupa, is a doctoral student in the Arts Education program of the Faculty of Education at S.F.U. Her special interest is in multicultural education. She has been a secondary teacher at International School Manila in the Philippines and teaches Multicultural Education at S.F.U. Roumiana Ilieva, is a doctoral student in the Faculty of Education at S.F.U. Her special interests are in cultural instruction in adult second language education, sociocultural and poststructural perspectives to language acquisition, and the integration of immigrants in educational settings. Ali Zaidi (York University): "The Search for Authenticity Amongst Muslim youth in Canada" (Workshop/Atelier 2.6) If ‘diaspora’, ‘transnational communities’ and ‘hybridity’ characterize many migrant communities in Europe and North America, so too does the term ‘search for authenticity' characterize the everyday lives of many immigrants. But where ‘diaspora’ and ‘hybridity’ suggest social change, authenticity and identity suggest social order. The role of migration and its usage as a metaphor for both social change and social order arguably may be nowhere more central than in the present day lives of Muslim migrants many of whom are re-asserting their religious identities. Of particular note in this paper are second generation immigrant Muslims who attempt to re-construct and negotiate an Islamic identity that connects them with their Islamic history, with the ummah, i.e. the global community of believers, and with the socio-cultural context in their local settings. Specifically, this paper argues that amongst Muslim youth in Canada 1) the revival of Islamic consciousness and the reclaiming of Islamic identity involves the ‘search for authenticity’, which leads to calls for reinterpretation and the practice of a ‘purer’ Islam; 2) the search for an authentic Muslim identity is manifest in the distinction between Islamic [religious] and cultural [ethnic] practices, although this does not necessarily imply an antithesis between the two; and 3) increasingly the ummah becomes a central focus of identification. Li Zong (University of Saskatchewan): "Covert Racism in Democratic Society" (Workshop/Atelier 7.1) Racism has been generated and reproduced within complex historical and social contexts. Traditionally, the literature on racism tends to focus on overt racism, which was a typical form of racial exclusion and hostility towards racial minorities in Canada before World War II. More recently, researchers have broadened the scope of research to include covert racism, which is a contemporary racist expression or practice that goes undetected by conventional measures. Based on survey data collected in B.C. and Ontario, the paper examines the nature and characteristics of covert racism at public and institutional levels. Findings demonstrate how prejudicial attitudes towards Chinese immigrants in the public sphere are disguised through opinions that appear non-prejudicial or non-discriminatory on the surface. Using credential devaluation of foreign-trained Chinese professional immigrants as an example, the paper also analyzes how covert racism could occur at institutional level. Findings demonstrate that foreign-trained Chinese professional immigrants encounter institutionalized barriers that contribute to their occupational disadvantages in the Canadian labour force.
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