Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Essays On The Economics Of Immigration, Phuong Vu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

My dissertation consists of three papers studying the impact of social networks and employment mobility on Canadian immigrants, and the effects of economic conditions and immigration policy changes on international Ph.D. students in Canada. In the first paper, I use the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada (LSIC) to examine the effects of social networks on labour market outcomes of newly arrived Canadian immigrants. I find that the presence of initial networks at landing significantly increases the probability of getting a network job and reduces the probability of getting a formal job after landing. Across immigration categories, network effects vary, …

Economics Or Culture? Measuring Economic Thinking And Cultural Enrichment Beliefs About Immigration., Paolo Aldrin Palma

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The present work attempts to distinguish people’s economic concerns about immigration from their (anti-)diversity attitudes, and examines how these economic concerns influence attitudes towards immigrants. To do this, we develop a scale to assess economic thinking and cultural enrichment beliefs about immigration (ETI/CBI). Economic thinking was associated with personality and ideological traits related to viewing the world as competitive and anti-diversity attitudes. Cultural enrichment beliefs on the other hand, were associated with traits associated with a preference for equity and pro-diversity orientations. Furthermore, economic thinking was associated with greater preferences to reduce immigration for all migrant groups except economic migrants, …

How Are The Formal And Informal Online Supports Of Mental Health Accessible For Refugees And Their Children In Canada?, Maria Jose Gonzalez Sanchez

MA Research Paper

Refugees fleeing from extreme human rights violations are highly vulnerable and predisposed to a variety of mental health illnesses. The issue that this study addresses are the barriers refugees encounter when navigating mental health resources in Canada. Across the literature it has been found that refugees tend to underutilize mental health resources for a variety of reasons despite their poor mental health outcomes. Some factors of underutilization include, linguistic, religious, cultural, and economic (Chaze et al., 2015). To address this problem, the purpose of this study will be to evaluate the online accessibility of available resources. A content analysis on …

The Life Satisfaction Of Immigrants In Canada: Does Time Of Arrival Matter?, Laura G. Monteiro

MA Research Paper

The subjective life satisfaction of individuals reveals valuable information about the overall well-being of a society. Furthermore, the large prevalence of international migration has led to the importance of studying the life satisfaction of immigrants within host-countries, including Canada. This study uses secondary data from the 2013 Canadian General Social Survey, Cycle 27, to assess the life satisfaction of immigrants in Canada in comparison to Canadian-born individuals, and to determine if immigrants’ year of arrival has a significant impact on their life satisfaction. Using bivariate and multivariate statistical models, the results reveal that the life satisfaction of immigrants does not …

Assessing The Impact Of Denizenship In The Making And Evaluation Of Temporary Foreign Worker Policies In Canada, Sihwa Kim

MA Research Paper

Despite the larger number of temporary foreign workers (TFWs) that are channelled through a long-standing Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), their experience with the program and, more broadly, within the Canadian society has been overlooked.

This study examines the ways in which a denizen status coupled with other social factors, such as race and amount of human capital, create marginalizing migratory experience for low-skilled TFWs in Canada. As denizens, these migrant workers are isolated in the geographical, economic, political, and social periphery of Canadian society. The longstanding inequality embedded in the structure of TFWP legitimizes differential entitlements and experiences of …

The Impact Of Ethnicity And Immigration On Prostate Cancer Mortality In Canada, Noah Stern

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Despite the prevalence of prostate cancer its pathogenesis remains unclear. Marked differences in mortality rates have been observed between countries, however, it is unclear whether the source of the observed differences is driven by underlying genetics, geographic, or social factors. This thesis investigated the impact of ethnicity and immigration on prostate cancer mortality in Canada using the Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohort. South Asian and East Asian men were seen to be at decreased risk of prostate cancer mortality, while no increased risk was observed in black men. These results affirm studies showing lower risks in Asian men; however, …

Newcomer Integration Programs And London, Ontario’S Diversity Agenda: Views From Within And Without, Jutta Zeller-Beier

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

London, Ontario presents itself as a multicultural city with a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion. My thesis examines London’s diversity agenda through the everyday practices of the work of immigrant integration which are situated against the historical trajectory of Canada and Ontario’s immigration policies. Based on personal interviews, participation in events hosted by immigrant-serving organizations, and visits to related offices at City Hall, my research investigates the framework applied to realize the social inclusion of immigrants in London. A look at the work of governing and the impact of neoliberal policies shows that responsibility for successful integration falls on …

Examining The Role Of Integration Experiences In Shaping Immigrants’ Post-Migration Food Choices And Eating Practices In Ontario, Canada, Eunjeong Eugena Kwon

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Despite the extensive literature on immigrants’ post-migration dietary transitions and their implications for long-term health and well-being, little research has been conducted to link these processes to their integration experiences. This dissertation contributes to the current literature by examining the interrelationship between immigrants’ integration experiences – especially their economic integration – and their post-migration food choices and eating practices.

The first integrated article (Chapter 2) draws on qualitative interviews with 38 recent immigrants in two Ontario cities (Toronto and London) in Canada. First, this chapter focuses on illustrating recent immigrants’ general experiences in managing their post-migration food choices and eating …

The Economic Integration Of Mexican Mennonite Immigrants In Canada, Marina Wiebe

MA Research Paper

With a rapidly shrinking proportion of Canadians that live in rural areas, there have been some attempts to settle immigrants in rural communities. With few exceptions, these attempts in Canada have been unsuccessful. Nevertheless, the Mennonite people are considered to be a population that maintains their retention in rural areas with some success. The literature regarding this specific immigrant group is limited and lacks context of the economic environment of Canada today. It is in the interest of government policy to have a working and current understanding of Mennonites’ economic outcomes and retention in rural communities. The integration patterns of …

Spatial Data Analysis: Examining The Quality Of Life For Ethiopians And Nigerians In The City Of Toronto And Edmonton, Ebyan Hassan

MPA Major Research Papers

Canadian cities have experienced an increase of immigrants, more notably, from Nigeria and Ethiopia. Both groups have settled in Canadian cities to improve their overall Quality of Life (QOL). Areas such as education, employment, safety, and housing conditions were top priorities in choosing a new location to live. Studies, however, show a large proportion of immigrants from Nigeria and Ethiopia have settled in regions that contradict their desires and actually obtain a ‘high’ standard of quality of life. The research findings show both groups have settled in areas with high unemployment rates; highly educated populates with lower-paying jobs; and lower …

International Students’ Earnings In London, Ontario, Amna Wasty

MA Research Paper

While there is an abundance of literature on the labour outcomes of immigrants, there is limited research on the earnings of former international students. This study uses the 2016 census to compare the earnings of new labour market entrants who were international students, and are now permanent residents, to those of domestic students and foreign-educated immigrants in London, Ontario. The results found that former international students had slightly lower earnings than domestic students, despite being more likely to have completed a bachelor’s degree, have studied a STEM field, and be working in a NOC skill level A occupation. Former international …

The Pearl Of The Prairies: The History Of The Winnipeg Filipino Community, Jon G. Malek

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Canadian historical and national narratives often prize the creation of “White Canada” through immigration from European nations. Significant movements of people from the Asia-Pacific region often get left out of these narratives, even though Asian populations have been in Canada as long as white settlers. Furthermore, the growing body of Asian Canadian literature itself has developed a tunnel vision for East and South Asian immigrants, neglecting myriad other groups from regions such as Southeast Asia. While Chinese, Japanese, and South Asian immigrants have dominated immigration from Asia until recently, other groups such as Filipinos have long been living and working …

Differential Responses To Constraints On Naming Agency Among Indigenous Peoples And Immigrants In Canada, Karen E. Pennesi

Anthropology Publications

This article illuminates the social structures and relations that shape agency for members of two marginalized groups in Canada and examines how individuals respond differently to constraints on their power to name themselves and their children. Constraints on spelling, structure and choice of name are framed according to the particular positions of indigenous peoples and immigrants in relation to European settler society as either ‘original inhabitants’ or ‘recent arrivals’. These historically unequal power relations are manifest in intertwined ideologies of language, identity and nation, evident in ethnographic interviews, media reports and online commentary. Differential responses include resistance, endurance and assimilation.

An Assessment Of Service And Program Support For Government Assisted Refugees (Gars) In A Multi-Level Policy Delivery System: A Case Of Selected Ontario Municipalities, Henry Gyeketey Awere

MPA Major Research Papers

Since the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) came into effect in 2002, Canada has stopped placing so much emphasis in the selection process on refugee skills and ability to integrate. Rather, emphasis is placed on resettling refugees who need protection. As a result, post-IRPA Government Assisted Refugees (GARs) arriving in Canada are younger and have higher needs than previous groups of GARs. In Canada the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) is responsible for providing GAR’s with their immediate needs. RAP came into effect in 1998. A key component of RAP saw a change in the service delivery method, with a …

Risk Factors For Domestic Homicide: Immigrant & Canadian-Born Populations, Sakthi Kalaichandran

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Domestic violence is a critical human rights issue that can escalate to cases of domestic homicide. Globally, approximately 30% of women in relationships have reported experiencing violence at the hands of an intimate partner. In Canada this pattern is echoed, as over 25% of police-reported violent offences were from victims of domestic abuse. Recent research has revealed that immigrant & refugee victims experience unique risk factors that may render them more vulnerable to this form of violence. Yet, despite this burgeoning research area, and Canada’s diverse population of 6 million immigrants, there is a dearth of research pertaining to domestic …

The Economic Integration Of Canada's Refugees: Understanding The Issues With Canada's Approach, Ryan Endicott

MA Research Paper

This paper examines the extent to which Canada’s refugee policies have fostered the economic integration of refugees. This paper uses content analysis to examine past research, government reports and news articles, to better understand the effectiveness of Canada’s policies on refugee integration. This paper finds that refugees in Canada face severe barriers to economic integration, resulting in high unemployment and a concentration in precarious work. Exploring these issues reveals key limitations within Canadian policies, and the devastating consequences they have for Canadian refugees. Policy suggestions are made based on established international best practices on the economic integration of refugees.

Perception And Construction Of Individuals At The Intersect Of Race And Immigration Status, Paolo Aldrin Palma

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Although perceptions of intersectional group identities (e.g., race and gender) have gained focus in recent years, an oft-ignored group in this line of work are immigrants. Across three studies, attitudes and stereotypes of different groups as a function of race and immigrant status, and how experiences of racism affect people’s attitudes towards immigrants, were examined. Study 1 found attitudes and stereotypes clustered around target race, not immigration status (n = 498) though people’s attitudes were most favourable for Canadians with no attached race label. Study 2 found that experiences of racism affected attitudes towards immigrants expressed by a representative …

Beyond The Land Of Five Rivers: Social Inequality And Class Consciousness In The Canadian Sikh Diaspora, Harmeet S. Sandhu

MA Research Paper

Romanticized visions of Khalistan became emotively embedded in the hearts and minds of Sikh-Canadians following the execution of Operation Blue Star. Today, insurgents residing within the contested homeland continue to draw support from Sikh immigrants and their Canadian-born descendants. Perplexingly, while a sizable proportion of second and third-generation Sikh youth advocate for the creation of the theocratic state of Khalistan, many selectively disregard the righteous way of life envisioned by the founders of the Khalsa Panth. This paper presents a conceptual sociological analysis of the diasporic politics of identity and homeland. Although Marx, and other modern social theorists, had presumed …

Policy Brief No. 22 - The New Immigration And Ethnic Identity, Christoph M. Schimmele, Zheng Wu

Population Change and Lifecourse Strategic Knowledge Cluster Research/Policy Brief

This knowledge synthesis provides an up-to-date assessment of how the acculturation experiences of the children of immigrants influences their social identities. While other factors affect identity development, this synthesis focuses on the interface between identity and intergroup relations. Most post-1965 immigrants encounter economic circumstances and a “color” barrier that complicate the acculturation process. How these structural forces affect the pathway towards becoming a Canadian or an American is a far-reaching issue. For groups that are able to achieve economic parity with Whites and encounter little racism, their “ethnicity” could recede across generations. Hence, recent immigrants could eventually adopt unhyphenated identities …

Dossier De Politique No. 22 - La Nouvelle Immigration Et L'Identité Ethnique, Christoph M. Schimmele, Zheng Wu

Population Change and Lifecourse Strategic Knowledge Cluster Research/Policy Brief

Cette synthèse des connaissances fournit une évaluation à jour de l’influence de l’acculturation des enfants sur leur identité sociale. Bien que d’autres facteurs aient un impact sur le développement de l’identité, cette synthèse met l’accent sur le point de rencontre entre l’identité et les relations intergroupes. La plupart des immigrants arrivés après 1965 se heurtent à des circonstances économiques et à une barrière de « couleur » qui compliquent le processus d’acculturation. Comment ces forces structurelles affectent-elles le parcours qui mène à devenir un Canadien ou un Américain est une question dont la portée est étendue. Dans les groupes qui …

The Immigrant Health Advantage In Canada: Lessened By Six Health Determinants, Sasha Koba

MA Research Paper

The existence of a healthy immigrant effect in which immigrants initially have a health advantage over the native-born is well established. As immigrants spend time in their host country, they adopt health behaviours and subsequently lose their health advantage. However, the causes of the decline in immigrants’ health as their time in Canada increases are not known. I examine the effect of six health determinants on immigrants’ deteriorating health in Canada. I also explore if there are gender differences in the deterioration of immigrants’ health. Additionally, I consider the possible association between immigrants’ length of time in Canada, their age …

International Students As ‘Ideal Immigrants’ In Canada: A Disconnect Between Policy Makers’ Assumptions And The Lived Experiences Of International Students, Colin Scott, Saba Safdar, Roopa Desai Trilokekar, Amira El Masri

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Recent policy changes in Canada highlight the strategic role International Students (IS) in the country’s economic development and future prosperity. With the release of Canada’s first international education strategy, the federal government has intimately tied international education to the domestic economy by attracting and retaining skilled workers to prepare Canada for the global market place. IS are particularly desirable candidates for permanent residency because their Canadian credentials, proficiency in at least one official language, and their relevant Canadian work experience is assumed to allow them to integrate more easily into the labour force upon graduation. Through 11 focus groups with …

Issues In The Analysis Of Inequality, Michael R. Smith

Population Change and Lifecourse Strategic Knowledge Cluster Discussion Paper Series/ Un Réseau stratégique de connaissances Changements de population et parcours de vie Document de travail

In spite of data and methodological challenges, research has largely reached the conclusion that earnings inequality has risen in Canada, the US and elsewhere, and that the rise has been mainly driven by large increases at the top of the earnings distribution. Researchers offer two competing explanations for causes of the rising inequality: (1) innovations in information and communication technologies, and (2) institutional changes such as the freezing of the minimum wage, decline in unionization, and the spread of performance-related pay increases. Inequality is influenced by changes in population composition, specifically, the size of cohorts entering the labour market, and …

"Proving Yourself" In The Canadian Medical Profession: Gender And The Experiences Of Foreign-Trained Doctors In Medical Practices, Vanessa Noelle Dolishny

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In recent years the medical profession has become feminized. Additionally, there has been an increased representation of foreign-trained professionals in the Canadian medical profession; many of which are women. Thus, there is a significant number of female medical practitioners who are foreign-born and foreign-trained. This demographic faces many barriers, which are often characterized as a “double disadvantage”. This paper investigates the experiences of foreign-trained medical professionals once they have gained access to the profession and whether the feminization of medicine has impacted the experiences of these individuals. Immigrant status was found to be highly significant to one’s experiences in the …

Constructing Categories, Imagining A Nation: A Critical Qualitative Analysis Of Canadian Immigration Discourse, Andrea R. Flynn

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Immigration and population diversity are hot topics in Canadian society. Canadian immigration discourses include widespread debates over the value of immigration to Canada, the structure of the immigration program, and the impact of immigrants with ‘non-Canadian’ traditions and practices on Canadian society. Representations deployed in these discourses operate to socially construct the Canadian nation, and symbolically define immigrants’ place in Canada’s national imagined community. The present thesis elaborates on theoretical understandings of the social construction of the Canadian national community in the contemporary era of international migration by providing a qualitative critical discourse analysis of three types of Canadian immigration …

Coping With Diversity: Municipal Actions In Response Of Increased Immigrant Diversity In The Cities Of Hamilton And Markham In Ontario, Erika Hegedues

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the methods for coping with increased diversity and its consequences at the local level based on a literature review, case studies of the selected municipalities – Hamilton and Markham – and interviews with experts from these municipalities. The findings reveal that financial support from both the provincial and federal government is necessary to support the integration of immigrants, especially in large urban areas, in addition to the prioritization of certain policy areas and the municipal development and enhancement of their own services.

2006-1 Global Labour Markets, Return And Onward Migration, Abdurrahman Aydemir, Chris Robinson

Centre for Human Capital and Productivity. CHCP Working Papers

No abstract provided.

Comparing Immigrant Services, Practices, Programs, And Policies In The City Of London And The City Of Toronto: The Implications For The City Of London, Tiwei Huang

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines immigrant services, practices, programs, and policies in the City of Toronto in order to provide recommendations to the City of London on how to address the six key thematic areas of settlement, employment, neighbourhood, cultural competency and access to services, social inclusion, and systemic change. Interviews with key municipal government and community organization players in both cities were conducted. The findings reveal nine recommendations in the areas of systemic change, settlement, employment, and neighbourhood to improve immigrant services, practices, programs, and policies in London.