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Canada's immigration policy is regarded globally as a best practice model for selecting highly skilled migrants. Yet, upon arrival many immigrants face challenges integrating into employment. Where immigrants settle is one factor that has been shown to impact on employment integration. In Canada, regionalization policies have resulted in more immigrants settling in small to mid‐sized cities. It is important to understand how these local systems are organized to promote immigrant integration into employment. Using a systems approach, this paper presents a case study of immigrant employment in a mid‐sized city in Ontario, Canada. Through a document review and stakeholder interviews, a systems map was developed, and local perspectives were analyzed. Results demonstrate that in a mid‐sized city, few organizations play a large role in immigrant employment. The connections between these core organizations and the local labour market are complex. Any potential challenges to the system that interfere with these connections can cause a delay for newcomers seeking employment. As cities begin to experience growth driven by immigration, there is a need to ensure local services are not only available but also working effectively within the larger employment system. Key messages: An important focus of Canada's immigration policy has been to improve employment integration locally.Using a systems approach allows mid‐sized cities to identify local services and how they are connected to promote employment integration of newcomers.Greater connectivity between services can streamline the employment process for immigrants settling in mid‐sized cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The migration literature focusing on understanding interactions between immigrants' integration and transnationalism is replete with mixed findings. However, contemporary consensus among migration scholars suggests that immigrants' integration and transnational connections can occur simultaneously. Focusing on transnational dating—which is understudied—this exploratory study draws on an online qualitative survey with five Ghanaian male immigrants in southwestern Ontario, Canada, to explore how immigrants' attachment to the host society, homeland, and "elsewhere" shape transnational dating behaviour. Transnational dating is conceptualized in this paper as dating partners that live part or most of their life or time detached from each other, yet hold together and create a sense of shared welfare and harmony, namely "datehood" that surpasses national borders. Using the integration‐transnationalism matrix as the theoretical framework, this paper demonstrates that the roles of integration and transnationalism should not be seen as separate influences on participants' transnational dating behaviour given participants' strong attachment to the host society, sending country, and "elsewhere." Importantly, our finding indicates that the motivation for transnational dating is related to transnational connections rather than not feeling integrated into Canadian society. Overall, the finding contributes to discourses on dating, transnational dating, transnationalism, and the conceptual framework of the integration‐transnationalism matrix. Key Messages: The migration literature focusing on understanding interactions between immigrants' integration and transnationalism is replete with mixed findings.This exploratory study has taken a critical step in stimulating a research agenda on transnational dating within the integration‐transnationalism matrix.Our finding indicates that the motivation for transnational dating is related to transnational connections rather than not feeling integrated into Canadian society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the sociocultural integration of newcomers, paying special attention to language proficiency while taking into account the importance of the assimilation, cultural fit, and social network perspectives. Analyses are based on administrative data collected by the YMCA of South Western Ontario regarding 2,493 of their clients. Results reveal that newcomers' length of residency, ethnic origin, and social networks play a significant role in the sociocultural integration of newcomers. The longer the newcomers have resided in Canada, the higher their level of sociocultural integration. Non-Europeans displayed a lower level of sociocultural integration than Europeans. However, the most important predictor of sociocultural integration was language proficiency. Not only did language proficiency have a strong and independent effect, but it also tended to level out differences in sociocultural integration of those who had resided in Canada for a short period compared to those living in Canada for a longer period. Similarly, language proficiency decreased sociocultural integration differences between Europeans and ethnic minority newcomers. The policy implications of the results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the employment experiences of racialized social workers, many of whom were immigrants, in Ontario in recent years. This article has four central objectives. First, to provide an overview of the perceptions of racialized social workers regarding the ways they are perceived and treated by supervisors, co-workers, other professionals, as well as clients and the effect that such views and treatment has on them. Second, the perceptions of racialized workers regarding the ghettoization, marginalization and disempowerment they may experience in the workplace. Third, to explain three strategies they use in managing power relations within the workplace (i.e., conformity, collaboration, and conflict). Fourth, to provide some suggestions on what must be done to improve the perceptions and treatment of racialized social workers by supervisors, co-workers, other professionals and clients. The major findings are that negotiating power relations is a complex process and includes experiences of tensions and awkward silences due to the sensitivity of the topic of race. The paper concludes that in moving forward constructively it is imperative to engage in difficult but crucial conversations that can contribute to the identification of ways to address tensions and awkward silences on matters of race in the context of social work, as well as in other contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Canada depends on Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs), also known as migrant workers, to fill labour shortage in agriculture, hospitality, construction, child/senior care, and other low-skilled occupations. Evidence shows that TFWs, especially women live-in caregivers (LC), constitute a vulnerable population. Their health is compromised by the precarious and harsh working and living conditions they encounter. There is a paucity of research on the mental health of LCs, their support systems and access to mental health services.Method: In this community-based exploratory study, we used mixed methods of survey and focus groups to explore the work related experiences and mental health of migrant live-in caregivers in the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada. Convenience and snowball sampling were used to recruit participants. The inclusion criteria were: being 18 years or older, initially migrated to Canada as TFWs under LC program, resided in the Greater Toronto Area, and able to understand and converse in English based on self-report. This paper reports on the focus group results derived from inductive thematic analysis.Results: A total of 30 women LCs participated in the study. Most of them were from the Philippines. A number of key themes emerged from the participants' narratives: (1) precarious migration-employment status (re)produces exploitation; (2) deskilling and downward social mobility reinforce alienation; (3) endurance of hardship for family back home; (4) double lives of public cheerfulness and private anguish; and (4) unrecognized mental health needs. The study results reflected gross injustices experienced by these women.Conclusion: A multi-faceted approach is required to improve the working and living conditions of this vulnerable group and ultimately their health outcomes. We recommend the following: government inspection to ensure employer compliance with the labour standards and provision of safe working and living conditions; change immigration policy to allow migrant caregivers to apply for permanent residence upon arrival; the TFWs Program to establish fair wages and subsidized housing so that caregivers can truly access the live-out option; and local ethno-specific, settlement and faith organizations be leveraged to provide TFWs with social support as well as information about their rights and how to access health and social care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to assess empirically Chinese immigrants' perceptions of the police in Toronto, Canada. Design/methodology/approach - Data were analyzed based on 293 surveys conducted with Chinese immigrants who participated in various community service organizations in Toronto, Canada, between March and May 2005. Ordinary least squares and ordered logit regressions are used for the analysis. Findings - The paper shows that individuals who had previous contact with police rated police less favorably than those who had not had contact with police in the past. In general, people who rated police as helpful when they called them for assistance expressed a higher degree of respect for police. In addition, poor communication was a significant predictor of Chinese immigrants' perception of police prejudice. Finally, a majority of respondents expressed the concern that more bilingual police were needed in the city. Research limitations/implications - As with any study utilizing a non-probability sample, care must be taken to avoid generalizing the findings to all Chinese immigrants in Toronto. Since the sample was taken from participants of various community service organizations in Toronto, the findings may not be appropriate to generalize to the other constituencies in the Chinese community, such as young people. Practical implications - The paper highlights the need for improving the quality of police services, recruiting more bilingual officers (or officers from their communities), strengthening police training in racial and cultural diversity, and reducing communication barriers to improve Chinese immigrants' evaluations of the police. Originality/value - This research is the first to specifically examine Chinese communities' perceptions of law enforcement in Canada. Law enforcement can utilize these findings to improve their services and address the Chinese community's concerns; not only can this promote the police-citizens relationship, but it can also encourage the Chinese community's participation in a crime reduction partnership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key housing issue in Toronto is affordability, especially in the rental market. Since the mid-1990s rents in the private sector have increased at almost twice the rate of inflation with the result that it is extremely difficult for new immigrant households with limited resources to acquire adequate housing. In this paper the rental experiences of three recently arrived immigrant groups - Jamaicans, Poles and Somalis - are evaluated using a housing career strategy. The paper focuses on changes through the housing career and between the three groups for a variety of characteristics related to affordability. The results show that the Poles experienced the least affordability problems and the Somalis had the greatest difficulty affording adequate accommodation. Reasons are suggested for these differences and conclusions reached about the importance of adequate and affordable rental housing in the immigrant integration process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates and compares the housing careers of two recent immigrant groups, the Poles and Somalis, in Toronto's rental market. Both groups first arrived in Toronto in the late 1980s but under different circumstances and with different outcomes in the housing market. The study is situated in a general conceptual framework focusing on factors affecting the housing careers of households. The analysis is based on a questionnaire survey of 60 respondents from each group who arrived in Canada between 1987 and 1994. Information was collected about the search for three residences: the first permanent residence, the one immediately before the current one and the current residence. The analysis considers the individual and household characteristics that differentiate the Polish and Somali respondents, the characteristics of Toronto's rental market that potentially act as barriers in the search for housing, the housing search process and the outcomes of the search. The latter includes the nature of the dwelling and its surroundings as well as satisfaction with the dwelling and neighbourhood. The results confirm that the Poles have been more successful than the Somalis in establishing a progressive housing career. The reasons relate to differences in individual and household characteristics and the nature of the local housing market. Specific variables include socio-economic status, household size, community resources, the housing situation before coming to Canada, Toronto's tight rental market and perceived discriminatory barriers in that market. The paper concludes with a brief evaluation of the housing career concept as used in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper briefly sketches the history of Palestinian immigration to both the Gulf region and Toronto, Canada, weaving in the life histories of five women who are part of the most recent wave of Palestinian arrivals in Canada as a result of the Gulf War. The paper then examines the nature of this newly established diaspora community in Toronto, focussing in particular on: (1) processes of personal adjustment; (2) the ways in which this group of Palestinians is forming a new community in Canada; and (3) the kinds of ties that members of the community maintain to Palestine. This examination augments the ethnographic record of Canadian immigration, complicates traditional notions of immigrants and refugees as poor and/or unsophisticated, and sheds light on the experiences and attitudes of those who have come of age in one area of the Palestinian diaspora. We also see that important differences exist within the Palestinian immigrant community, stemming from the widely varied backgrounds of this group. The process of community formation for this group of Palestinians in Toronto demonstrates how individuals' diasporic experiences are inflected with issues of gender, class, and religion. The material presented here thus suggests one way that social identities may be reconfigured in the context of a multicultural society and its politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares employment match rates for immigrants educated in a regulated profession with those of their Canadian-born and -educated counterparts. In particular, it examines Statistics Canada data for 2006 and 2011, analyzing trends and provincial comparisons over the five years following the implementation of Ontario's fair access legislation. Overall, the findings support a continued role for fair access legislation to hold regulators accountable, stronger engagement with employers to promote immigrant hiring and retention, specialized advisement and training for alternative careers, and thoughtfully designed pre-arrival initiatives that reduce time away from professional practice without increasing barriers to immigration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2006, Ontario made history by passing legislation to address licensing barriers experienced by internationally educated professionals. While registration requirements have been slow to change, regulators demonstrate increasing openness to alternative ways that individuals can develop or demonstrate professional competencies. This paper reviews acceptable alternatives for meeting academic requirements in 38 Ontario professions and compares local experience requirements and alternatives for three professions in Canada and Australia. Acceptable alternatives improve flexibility and remove artificial barriers by focusing on competency. However, ongoing investment is needed from regulators and government to ensure that alternative routes to licensing are accessible, affordable, and sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the stages of ethnic and religious adaptation and transformation of two immigrant groups: Christian Orthodox Egyptians -- Copts -- and Dutch Canadian Calvinists. While the Copts are relatively new to the religious tapestry of North America, the Calvinists established churches and other ethno/religious structures soon after their arrival in Ontario after World War II. Established Coptic migrant churches are "vessels of faith"; a source of emotional rejuvenation to nostalgic migrants; institutions for the retention and negotiation of an ethno-religious identity in immigrant societies; and facilitators for the integration of newcomers. Religious identity was more important than ethnic identity in the establishment of Dutch Calvinist churches and other organizations. The orthodox Calvinists, who believe that all of life is religious, undertook the building of their own structures because they could not find Canadian organizations based on their ideological and religious beliefs. The literature on other Canadian immigrant groups provides a context for the comparison between the Copts and the Dutch Calvinists. Research for both groups is based on oral histories and on historical information. The theoretical framework for this study is Driedger's (1996, 39) model of voluntary pluralism and integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I explore the role of popular Canadian immigration narratives in shaping the experiences and subjectivities of immigrants to Canada, and the ways in which immigrants negotiate these narratives to construct their experiences and identities. My research is based on ethnographic fieldwork and interviews conducted with Colombian immigrants to Canada residing in London, Ontario. I identify two narratives that characterize Canadian discourse on immigration, and explore how Colombian newcomers both apply and challenge these two narratives in talking about everyday experiences and challenges. I show that i) hegemonic immigration narratives are a powerful lens through which Colombian newcomers construct their experiences and identities, and that ii) newcomers manipulate these narratives to negotiate between the representations of immigrants in mainstream discourse and their desired self-representations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents survey and interview data from twenty-five Sri Lankan Tamil youth in Ontario, specifically dealing with the interaction between religion and ethnicity, the experience and expression of religion, the importance of religion, as well as the importance of the Tamil language for religious and ethnic identity. Herbert Gans's ideas about "symbolic ethnicity" and "symbolic religiosity" are used to explore the ways in which Tamil youth in Ontario interact with their ethnic and religious heritage. Many express their ethnicity through seemingly mundane acts such as wearing a sari to a family gathering, eating with their hands, and watching Tamil movies. Many are losing their proficiency in the Tamil language, but see it as essential for their ethnic identity. Many only attend a Hindu temple three to five times per year, but see it as essential for passing on their cultural heritage to their children. In other words, much of their ethnic and religious identity is constructed through a symbolic transnationalism. The research, although preliminary, begins to fill gaps in scholarship on the Sri Lankan Tamil population in Canada, as well as the role of religion in the lives of immigrant youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]