641 Presentation-final

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OF IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES IN

THE HOST SOCIETY:

THE CASE OF GREATER VICTORIA

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OF IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES IN

THE HOST SOCIETY:

CatherineXie,AnnabelleSong,CindyLu,PallasZhang

3

In 2010, 10,863 Family Class immigrants arrived in B.C., compared to 12,612 in 2009, a 13.9% decline. The 2010 total was down 12.6% from 2008.

B.C. welcomed 1,667 Refugee Class immigrants in 2010, up over 2009 (+2.1%) and 2008 (+8.8%).

Source Countries

In 2010, immigrants to B.C. came from over 170 countries. Mainland China continues to be the top source country to B.C. and has been so since 1998. While India had been the second top source country since 1999, it was surpassed in 2010 by the Philippines. The change in ranking refl ects the decline in Family Class immigrants, of which India is the largest source country. Overall, India was the third top source country in 2010.

The top three source countries accounted for nearly half (49.4%) of all immigrant arrivals to B.C. Rounding out the top fi ve in 2010 were United Kingdom and South Korea.

In 2010, four of the top fi ve countries came from the Asia-Pacifi c while six of the top ten also came from this region.

By world region, 29,700 or just over two-thirds (67.2%) of new immigrants to B.C. in 2010 came from Asia. Europe accounted for 12.7% (5,622) of new immigrants to B.C. followed by Africa and the Middle East with 10.4% (4,593), Central and South America with 4.4% (1,948), United States with 3.8% (1,697), and Australia and New Zealand with 1.4% (608).

Chart 2: Top ten source countries of immigrants to B.C. in 2010

Data Source: Citi zenship and Immigrati on Canada

Please refer to the Asia-Pacifi c Immigrants Fact Sheet for detailed information on immigrants from this region: http://www.welcomebc.ca/facts_and_trends

Offi cial Language Ability (English and/or French)

Offi cial language ability (the ability to speak English and/or French) is reported for immigrants aged 15 and over at the time of arrival. The data is based mostly on self-reported language ability. Offi cial language ability is generally considered to overstate competency in Canada’s offi cial languages.

Despite the increased share in Economic Class immigrants, little change occurred in offi cial language ability. 72.5% (25,695) of youth and adult immigrants to B.C. arrived with offi cial language ability in 2010, which was slightly higher than in 2009 (71.3%) and 2008 (71.8%).

27.5% (9,757) of immigrants came with no offi cial language ability in 2010 compared to 28.7% in 2009 and 28.2% in 2008.

Table 2: Immigrants to B.C. (aged 15 and over) by offi cial language ability at the time of arrival, 2008-2010

Offi cial Language Ability 2008 2009 2010

English 67.5% 67.1% 68.7%

Bilingual 3.9% 3.8% 3.5%

French 0.4% 0.4% 0.3%

None 28.2% 28.7% 27.5%

Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Absolute Number 35,923 34,142 35,452


In general, the percentage of immigrants to B.C. with offi cial language ability is less than Canada. In 2010, 81.4% of immigrants to Canada had offi cial language ability compared to 72.5% of B.C. immigrants. This is in part explained by the high percentage of Quebec immigrants with an offi cial language (French and/or English), which infl uences the national numbers. As well, B.C.’s lower offi cial language ability refl ects the source country of immigrants to B.C., many of whom come from countries where English and/or French is not the spoken or offi cial language.

In 2010, 71.6% of female immigrants to B.C. aged 15 and over had offi cial language ability compared to 73.4% of males. Although the diff erence is small, generally, a greater share of male immigrants to B.C. have offi cial language ability compared to females.

Immigrants with more education tend to arrive with offi cial language ability compared to lesser educated. For instance, 85.1% of immigrants with university education (aged 25+) arrived with offi cial language ability compared to 49.8% of immigrants with no formal education.

Top ten

source countries of immigrants to B.C. in 2010

3



Source Countries














English 67.5% 67.1% 68.7%

Bilingual 3.9% 3.8% 3.5%

French 0.4% 0.4% 0.3%

None 28.2% 28.7% 27.5%

Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Absolute Number 35,923 34,142 35,452





3



Source Countries














English 67.5% 67.1% 68.7%

Bilingual 3.9% 3.8% 3.5%

French 0.4% 0.4% 0.3%

None 28.2% 28.7% 27.5%

Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Absolute Number 35,923 34,142 35,452





3



Source Countries














English 67.5% 67.1% 68.7%

Bilingual 3.9% 3.8% 3.5%

French 0.4% 0.4% 0.3%

None 28.2% 28.7% 27.5%

Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Absolute Number 35,923 34,142 35,452





3



Source Countries














English 67.5% 67.1% 68.7%

Bilingual 3.9% 3.8% 3.5%

French 0.4% 0.4% 0.3%

None 28.2% 28.7% 27.5%

Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Absolute Number 35,923 34,142 35,452





3



Source Countries














English 67.5% 67.1% 68.7%

Bilingual 3.9% 3.8% 3.5%

French 0.4% 0.4% 0.3%

None 28.2% 28.7% 27.5%

Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Absolute Number 35,923 34,142 35,452





3



Source Countries














English 67.5% 67.1% 68.7%

Bilingual 3.9% 3.8% 3.5%

French 0.4% 0.4% 0.3%

None 28.2% 28.7% 27.5%

Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Absolute Number 35,923 34,142 35,452





3



Source Countries














English 67.5% 67.1% 68.7%

Bilingual 3.9% 3.8% 3.5%

French 0.4% 0.4% 0.3%

None 28.2% 28.7% 27.5%

Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Absolute Number 35,923 34,142 35,452




Immigrants with more education tend to arrive with offi cial language ability compared to lesser educated. For instance, 85.1% of immigrants with university education (aged 25+) arrived with offi cial language ability compared to 49.8% of immigrants with no formal education.Data Source:

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

English as a Second LanguageAlexis and Kris ESL teachers

To complement our numerous services, we at VIRCS have been offering ESL classes to newcomers and immigrants for more than 15 years, during which time our staff have helped thousands of newcomers and Canadian citizens returning to school to upgrade their language skills. There have been changes over the years in the scheduling and focus of the classes, but the need for these classes remains unchanged. Language training provides an essential service for new Immigrants looking to further their career goals and find a greater sense of belonging and independence within Canadian society. In 2013 we offered General English classes at two levels: beginner and intermediate. These classes ran Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 8:30-10:30 for beginners and 10:30-12:30 for clients with higher communication skills. The focus of the classes was communication. We give priority to immigrants and Canadian citizens for affordable lessons, but we also welcome international students to our sessions at a slightly higher fee-for-service basis. The General English classes are partially funded by the BC Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch, but participants also pay a small fee as a contribution to the program, with international students at a higher rate and permanent residents at a considerably lower rate. The other courses have been funded under various programs and participants channeled through our other branches.VIRCS ESL also assists with on-demand test preparation courses (IELTS), pronunciation workshops, a summer English language class for youth, writing workshops for working professionals and a conversation club open to allOur participants are encouraged to engage in person-to-person interaction and friendship building in our small and friendly classes. Our teachers are qualified and experienced language facilitators, who fully understand the difficulties immigrants face and help clients overcome their inhibitions to speak and build strong language skills. Some major topics covered in our classes include transportation, health, relationships and everyday situations. In our English classes, grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation topics are presented and consolidated through reading, writing, listening and speaking activities.Volunteers contribute to all of the ESL programs at VIRCS. Our enthusiastic volunteers assist the teachers and clients in many ways. They provide one-on-one interaction, listening and speaking opportunities during courses, workshops and other sessions. They bring their own local experience and expertise in various fields. Some of these volunteers are educators themselves and help with marking homework and facilitating small group discussions. The English language training program wouldn’t be the same without our dedicated team of volunteers, and our clients really appreciate the help they get from them. Our clients come from all over the world and represent all walks of life. All of them have one goal in common: to learn English in order to enjoy greater personal and professional fulfillment. It is our hope tocontinue to provide relevant, accessible, and pedagogically sound English language training into 2014 and beyond. At present, we are particularly optimistic about the future as in addition to the support of the BC Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch further funding has recently been proposed. We anticipate this funding will be used to strengthen and expand our existing programming in order to better meet our clients’ English language needs while striving to locate new students who have difficulty accessing traditional classroom-based courses.

8

Citizenship 101Alvaro Moreno

Launched in January 2013 with funding from by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Citizenship 101 was designed to help Permanent Residents prepare for the Canadian citizenship test and to promote good citizenship values. This program is managed by myself, Kerri Greenidge is the Program Coordinator and Pam Devito coordinates Citizenship 101 Mentors.

The three series of ten training sessions were completed successfully between January and September 2013. More than 20 countries of origin were represented among the 86 registered participants, such as China, Mexico, Philippines, Iran, USA, and Russia. Overall, most participants were female – 71%. The most common age group has been 35-44 years old.

To date, five of our participants have taken the official Canadian citizenship test. All of them passed, one with a mark of 100%.

Volunteer mentors and small group facilitators provided invaluable support to participants. Their commitment reflects an understanding of newcomers’ needs and contribution to our community. Thank you to Pam Devito for an amazing volunteer coordination!

Guest speakers and guided tours of local sites of relevance have been popular components. Five guest speakers were invited to help cover different topics and we are grateful for their contribution to the project. Thank you to Murray Rankin, MP for Victoria, citizenship Judge Gerald Pash, Native Friendship Centre Liaison Leslie McGarry, Lawyer Roberto Alberto, Camosun College Instructor Daniel Reeve, Geographer Grace Stubblefield, and Greater Victoria Development Agency Economist Dallas Gislason.We are in the process of finalizing our Citizenship 101 Facilitators’ and Participants’ Handbooks, and we are planning the second stage of the project, which includes the outreach activities to other agencies across the province. Arrangements are being made at this time for a train-the-trainer workshop in Kamloops, BC, with the participation of 5 agencies.

To learn more about this exciting project, we invite you to visit our webpage at www.citizenship101.ca, which has become the main contact source for the project. You will find videos, photos, discussion topics and other resources available not only for newcomers, but for all Canadians interested in good citizenship.

10

VIRCS’s 2012/2013 Board of Directors

ElviraLopez–President

NancyHum–ActingPresident

AnselmeHategekimana–Co-Treasurer

MelanieMurray–Co-Treasurer

CatherineKamau-Secretary

MiguelEspinosa–Director-at-large

AaronHall-Director-at-large

MarieMorrison-Director-at-large

ZachyOlorunjowon-Director-at-large

DavidTurner-Director-at-large

YuJun(David)Wang-Director-at-large

TsehayeHaileWoldemenkeros-Director-at-large

R E S E A R C H Q U E S T I O N

K E Y W O R D S

community engagement, immigrant, refugee, host society, cultural identity, cultural adaptation, social construction,

How immigrants’ and refugees’ cultural identities contribute to their community activity engagement in Greater Victoria?

T H E O RY A N D K E Y C O N C E P T S

“Social construction theory addresses the processes by which people jointly construct their understanding of the world. Advocates assume that meanings are developed in

coordination with others rather than separately within

each individual or in the world of things, making social interaction the loom upon which the social fabric is woven.”(Leeds-Hurwitz, 2009, p. 891).

• Qualitative method • Pre-survey and interview

——10 interviewees working in VIRCS

—— to learn the participants’ personal experiences of and perspectives towards community engagement

M E T H O D O LO G Y

Gender

Marriage Status

Original Nationality

Year of Birth

PRE-SURVEY

4

6

Male

Female

2

1

1

11

1

3

India

Mexico

Malaysia

Uganda

ElSalvador

Somali

China

3

3

2

11 1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

Blank

5

3

2

0

Married

Single

Other

Blank

Occupation Time spent in Canada

Number of Canadian friendsTime spent in Greater Victoria

PRE-SURVEY

11

8

0

Student

Employer

Employee

Other

3

4

0

1

20-9years

10-19years

20-29years

30-39yeats

40-49yeats

3

4

2

01 0-9years

10-19years

20-29years

30-39yeats

40-49yeats

20

1

7

Lessthan5

Between5and10

Between10and20

Morethan20

Types of community activities interviewees have participated in

PRE-SURVEY

0

2

4

6

8

10

12Fes+valceleb

ra+o

nVo

+ng

Volunteerin

gNeighbo

urho

od

Religiousac+vity

Parade

Re

crea+o

nalac+vity

Dona+o

nPo

li+calac+vity

Privatepar+es

Inform

also

cial

Socialengagem

ent

Other

Numberofpar+cipants

Total

Activities interviewees want to participate but could not find in Greater Victoria

PRE-SURVEY

1

1

1

7

BridgeCard

Hun/ng

Concert

Blank

Main reasons for participating in the activities

PRE-SURVEY

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Interes.ngac.vity

Culturala8rac.on

Relaxing

Environmentalsimilarityto

Curiosity

Mee.ngfriends

Makingnewfriends

Other

Numberofpar.cipants

Total

Activities organized by VICRS that interviewees have participated in

PRE-SURVEY

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

FoodFair

KidsW

interCelebri7on

La7nCaribeanm

usicfes7

val

Worldrefugeeday

Fashionshow

Lunch

Dinner

FundRasing

OpenHouse

Children

Numberofpar7cipants

Total

F I N D I N G S

• During the different PROCESSES of CULTURAL ADAPTATION,

reasons for individuals to participate in activities are different.

The cultural adaptation process includes enculturation,

acculturation, and deculturation)Chuang, 2004, p. 59(.

Acculturation: “The process of acculturation involves acquiring the elements and cultural patterns of a new host culture" (Chuang, 2004, p. 59)


VOLUNTEERING: “I think I need to support the community. That is your duty as a

citizen to be in contribution to your community.” ——Jennifer

“It was my way to get into the environment, and to get a job, too.”

——Yiura.

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY: “Though I am not a Christian, I go to church to help them prepare the

parties or something else. Besides, I can make some new friends and

learn something new. “ ——Junnian

“I am Christian, I am following Jesus, I don’t care about the

denomination, I just Jesus, that’s it, the only one.” ——Yiura

For example…

F I N D I N G S

•There are ACTIVE and PASSIVE approaches to cultural adaptation

Melting Pot:"each group lost its uniqueness quickly, but all

contributed something to the flavor of the whole" ) Leeds-Hurwitz,

2002, p. 69(.

Salad bowl : "each ethnic group retains all of its unique

characteristics,even when physically located next to groups with

differences" ) Leeds-Hurwitz, 2002, p. 69(.


Active approach “I participated these activities because I want to do something for the

community. The community needs it. And I live in Canada now. I

would like Canadians to know how’s the diversity, how we can mingle

with them, what value we can ask them to come and join us..” ——Kamal

Passive approach “You can’t live in isolation, so you have to be part of the large

community as well.” ——Amarjit

For example…

AC T I V I T I E S E T H I N I C I T Y I N T E RV I E W E EA P P R OAC H T O A DA P TAT I O N

DONAT ION CH INA EM I LY ACT IVE

FEST IVAL

CELEBRAT ION CH INA EM I LY ACT IVE

FEST IVAL

CELEBRAT ION I ND IA KAMAL ACT IVE

FEST IVAL

CELEBRAT ION EL SALVADOR ALVARO ACT IVE

FEST IVAL

CELEBRAT ION SOMAL I SHARMARKE ACT IVE

FEST IVAL

CELEBRAT ION I ND IA ARMA J I T PASS IVE

PARADE IND IA KAMAL ACT IVE

PARADE IND IA ARMA J I T ACT IVE

PARADE UGANDA ALFRED ACT IVE

POL IT ICAL

ACT IV I TYSOMAL I SHARMARKE ACT IVE

POL IT ICAL

ACT IV I TYUGANDA ALFRED ACT IVE

POL IT ICAL

ACT IV I TYCH INA JUNN IAN PASS IVE

PR IVATE PART I E S E L SALVADOR ALVARO ACT IVE

PR IVATE PART I E S SOMAL I SHARMARKE ACT IVE

PR IVATE PART I E S MALAYS IA J EN I F F ER ACT IVE

PR IVATE PART I E S MEX ICAN Y IURA ACT IVE

PR IVATE PART I E S CH INA HA IX IA PASS IVE

RECREAT IONAL

ACT IV I TYCH INA HA IX IA ACT IVE

RECREAT IONAL


RECREAT IONAL

ACT IV I TYMALAYS IA J EN I F F ER ACT IVE

RECREAT IONAL

ACT IV I TYMEX ICAN Y IURA ACT IVE

REL IG IOUS

ACT IV I TYCH INA HA IX IA ACT IVE

AC T I V I T I E S E T H I N I C I T Y I N T E RV I E W E E A P P R OAC H T O A DA P TAT I O N

REL IG IOUS

ACT IV I TYCH INA JUNN IAN ACT IVE

REL IG IOUS

ACT IV I TYIND IA KAMAL ACT IVE

REL IG IOUS

ACT IV I TYIND IA ARMA J I T ACT IVE

REL IG IOUS


REL IG IOUS

ACT IV I TYUGANDA ALFRED ACT IVE

REL IG IOUS

ACT IV I TYMALAYS IA J EN I F F ER ACT IVE

REL IG IOUS

ACT IV I TYMEX ICAN Y IURA ACT IVE

VOLUNTEER ING CH INA EM I LY ACT IVE

VOLUNTEER ING CH INA HA IX IA ACT IVE

VOLUNTEER ING CH INA JUNN IAN ACT IVE

VOLUNTEER ING IND IA ARMA J I T ACT IVE

VOLUNTEER ING CH INA KAMAL ACT IVE

VOLUNTEER ING EL SALVADOR ALVARO ACT IVE

VOLUNTEER ING SOMAL I SHARMARKE ACT IVE

VOLUNTEER ING UGANDA ALFRED ACT IVE

VOLUNTEER ING MALAYS IA J EN I F F ER ACT IVE

VOLUNTEER ING MEX ICAN Y IURA ACT IVE

VOT ING CH INA EM I LY ACT IVE

VOT ING IND IA KAMAL ACT IVE

VOT ING SOMAL I SHARMARKE ACT IVE

VOT ING UGANDA ALFRED ACT IVE

VOT ING MALAYS IA J EN I F F ER ACT IVE

VOT ING MEX ICAN Y IURA ACT IVE

F I N D I N G S• Activities engagement plays an significant role in CREATING,

MAINTAINING and RECONSTITUTING individual’s cultural

identities.

ACTIV IT IES ETHINIC ITY INTERVIEWEE

FESTIVAL CELEBRATION

ACTIV ITY ORGANIZED BY GOVERNMENT

CHINA EMILY

CHINA JUNNIAN

SOMALI SHARMARKE

UGANDA ALFRED

NEIGHBOURHOOD ACTIV ITY CHINA EMILY

PRIVATE PARTIES MALAYSIA JENIFFER

RECREATIONAL ACTIV ITY MALAYSIA JENIFFER

VOLUNTEERING

SOMALI SHARMARKE

MEXICO YIURA

CHINA EMILY

CHINA HAIXIA

UGANDA ALFRED

VOTING

SOMALI SHARMARKE

CHINA EMILY

UGANDA ALFRED

CREAT ION

MAINTENANCEACTIV IT IES ETHINIC ITY INTERVIEWEE

DONATION MALAYSIA JENIFFER

FESTIVAL CELEBRATION ACTIV ITY ORGANIZED BY

GOVERNMENT

MEXICO YIURA

MALAYSIA JENIFFER

PARADEINDIA AMARJIT

UGANDA ALFRED

MEXICO YIURA

POLIT ICAL ACTIV ITY UGANDA ALFRED

RECREATIONAL ACTIV ITY CHINA HAIXIA

REL IGIOUS ACTIV ITY

INDIA AMARJIT

SOMALI SHARMARKE

MEXICO YIURA

MALAYSIA JENIFFER

VOLUNTEERING MALAYSIA JENIFFER

VOTINGMEXICO YIURA

MALAYSIA JENIFFER

NEIGHBOURHOOD ACTIV ITY CHINA JUNNIAN

RELIGIOUS ACTIV ITY CHINA JUNNIAN

VOLUNTEERING CHINA JUNNIAN

ACTIV IT IES ETHINIC ITY INTERVIEWEE

FESTIVAL CELEBRATION ACTIV ITY ORGANIZED

BY GOVERNMENT

INDIA AMARJIT

INDIA KAMAL

EL SALVADOR ALVARO

PARADE INDIA KAMAL

VOLUNTEERING

INDIA AMARJIT

INDIA KAMAL

EL SALVADOR ALVARO

REL IGIOUS ACTIV ITY

CHINA HAIXIA

INDIA KAMAL

UGANDA ALFRED

PRIVATE PARTIES

CHINA HAIXIA

EL SALVADOR ALVARO

SOMALI SHARMARKE

RECREATIONAL ACTIV ITY SOMALI SHARMARKE

RECONST ITUT ION

Most interviewees positively involved in voting because they

want to show their Canadian identity.

“I Vote because I am Canadian now. If you were here, you get some rights

and you need some obligations too. But for this part, you feel part of it

this place you are living right now. So how can you decide the

government if you don’t participate. As a citizen, I can show my desire or

my think.” —— Yiura

OT H E R F I N D I N G S

All of the interviewees positively participate in volunteering activities

because they think volunteering is important for their adaptation into the

Canadian society.

At different adaptation stages, they participate in volunteering work

for different purposes.

“It is a good way to make friends and construct social network, and it was

one of the reasons I volunteered in the beginning, but I still doing

volunteer work now when I already have my social circle, so I just want to

help others now.” ——Emily


Church, temple and other religious places are not only about religious

celebration for the interviewees, but also places to meet friends, exchange information and maintain their own cultural identities.

“Though I am not a Christian, I go to church to help them prepare the

parties or something else. Besides, I can make some new friends and

learn something new.” ——Junnian

“I am Sikh. I go to Sikh temple. All of the religious ceremonies are done

there, even the weddings. I do participate in that, but if there are any

activities in the Hindu temple, in the church, I am invited.”

——Kamal


VA L I D I T Y I S S U E A N D S U G G E S T I O N F O R F U T U R E S T U DY

Though data of this field study covered several ethnic backgrounds, the

number for each ethnicity is not big enough.

Future studies of similar topic are suggested to

explore deeper into certain ethnicity.

Future studies are also suggested to explore

deeper into each of the cultural adaptation

processes, eg. for acculturation, the active and

passive cultural adaptation approaches.

I M P L I C AT I O N S

For organizing further community activities, it is important for organizers

to take two elements into consideration:

target groups’ cultural identities and stages of their adaptation to the

host culture.

R E F E R E N C E S

Fong, M. (2004). Multiple dimensions of identity. In F. Mary & C. Rueyling (Eds). Communicating ethnic and cultural identity (pp. 19-34). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Chuang, R. (2004). Theoretical erspectives: Fluidity and complexity of cultural and ethnic identity. In F. Mary & C. Rueyling (Eds). Communicating ethnic and cultural identity (pp. 51-68). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Bradford, L., Burrell, N. & Mabry, E. (2004). Negotiating cultural identity: Strategies for belonging. In F. Mary & C. Rueyling (Eds). Communicating ethnic and cultural identity (pp. 313-327). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Pinkney, J. (2004). A little bit black, but not all the way. In F. Mary & C. Rueyling (Eds). Communicatinthnic and cultural identity (pp. 373-382). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Leeds-Hurwitz, W. (2009). Social construction of reality. In S. Littlejohn & K. Foss (Eds.), Encyclopedia of communication theory (pp. 891-894). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Thank YouCatherineXie,AnnabelleSong,CindyLu,PallasZhang

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