Immigration, Ethnicity, and Race: The Transformation of Transnationalism, Localism, and Identities

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Immigration, Ethnicity, and Race The
Transformation of Transnationalism, Localism,
and Identities

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Presentation byLAURA, JOANNA and MILENA
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Immigration In Canada

• In the late twentieth century, immigration was
  based on a pattern this means that mainly white
  males from the United States, Britain, and Europe
  were migrating to Canada (a white settler colony)
• Presently, immigrants to Canada are from Asia,
  the Caribbean, South and Central America, and
  Africa

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Past vs. Present

• In the past, there was immigrant integration
• Migrants adopted a Canadian way of life, and
  broke away from their ancestral homes

• Now, there is an increasing transnational
  approach to being a Canadian citizen
• Immigrants and ethnic groups possess links with
  other communities, institutions, and political
  systems

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Vic Satzewich and Lloyd Wong argue that

• Transnationalism is transforming the Canadian
  political economy of immigration, race, and
  ethnicity.

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WHY???

• Well, we must first look at the CANADIAN
  IMMIGRATION POLICY and the global political
  economy

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Canadian Immigration Policy

• Based on 1) ECONOMICS
• Canada no longer wants unskilled or semi-skilled
  workers like in the past, it wants highly skilled
  workers from the high-tech industries from China
  and India
• These immigrants are called value-added
  immigrants for bringing human capital to the
  Canadian economy

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Policy continued

• Based on 2) STATE FORMATION
• Immigrants are not only workers, but potential
  future citizens of Canada, so
• The identities of the many ethnic communities
  need to be defined and respected!

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Policy also based on

• 3) DOMESTIC and INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
• The increase of the militarization and policing
  of Canadian borders (more security screenings of
  refugee claimants, more deportation capacities,
  more staff at ports of entry, etc.)
• A continental approach between the U.S. and
  Canadian immigration policies

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A closer look at Continentalism

• Basically, with the introduction of a converging
  Canadian and U.S. immigration policy, there will
  be an increasingly open Canada-U.S. border.
• This is with respect to capital, goods, and
  skilled labour (globalization) however it is
  also a general restriction on other people

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Transnationalism

• Transnational social spaces the organization of
  networks, like activities and patterns of living,
  that span geographically and internationally
• A way for immigrants in Canada to maintain their
  ethnic identity

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• The Practice of Transnationalism
• Financial transfers with ancestral homelands
• Ethnic business, for example Chinese
  entrepreneurs in Vancouver who send money back
  home
• Ethnic media, for example Bollywood is Indias
  transnationally distributed film industry based
  out of Bombay

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What Does Transnationalism Mean For Citizenship?

• A challenge for nation-states because of the
  erasing of the nations one main culture
• Hybrid identities within a nation-state pressure
  countries to pass laws that allow for dual and
  multiple citizenship

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What Does Transnationalism Mean for Social
Identity?

• Multiculturalism promotes individual choices of
  identity, but with a Canadian citizenship,
  immigrants are also encouraged to have a Canadian
  identity

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Immigration According to

• Gender and race since the 1980s, many
  immigrants to Canada are women of colour. They
  are mainly domestic workers and garment workers.
• Education they lack the necessary language
  skills in English and French

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Immigration According to Class

• Many immigrants start off with low-paying jobs,
  and then move into the middle-class, or even
  become elites
• Many become entrepreneurs to escape their lack of
  social capital and become less socially excluded
  (a form of resistance)

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DISCUSSION TIME!!!

• 1 Do you feel that the events of September 11th
  enforced continentalism?
• (ie pressures on Canada to move towards a more
  restrictive immigration policy?)

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True or False???

• Canadas population is relying more on
  immigration than natural
• births

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TRUE!!!
From July 1, 2004 June 30, 2005, Canada had a
total of 337, 856 natural births, and 244, 579
immigrants arrive to the country. (Population
Growth, Statistics Canada) BUT, besides this
past year, Canadas total figures are Canadas
Immigrant Population 29 639 035 Canadas
natural births 23 991 905 (2001 Census Data,
Statistics Canada)