IMMIGRANTS POLITICAL INTEGRATION: THE CHALLENGE OF OVERCOMING MEMORIES OF POLITICAL REPRESSION...

IMMIGRANTS’ POLITICAL INTEGRATION: THE CHALLENGE OF OVERCOMING MEMORIES OF POLITICAL REPRESSION ANTOINE [email protected] OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY

February 23rd 2010Metropolis Brown Bag Seminar

THE CHALLENGE OF OVERCOMING MEMORIES OF POLITICAL REPRESSIONNEW WAVES OF IMMIGRANTS WITH UNIQUE POLITICAL EXPERIENCES

The origins of new immigrants in Canada has changed radically in the last five decades: Greater ethnic diversity New cultural and political heritage Vast majority of immigrants have experienced political repression and

have limited experience of democracy

Source: Immigration Statistics (1965-2008)Note: Countries have been classified according to the Freedom House Country Rating

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2002 2005 2008

Immigrants Arriving in Canada from Non-Democratic Countries (1965 - 2008)

What are the implications of these pre-migration experiences of political repression and limited experience of democracy for immigrants’ political integration in Canada?

1. Do immigrants relate to democracy in similar ways than the local population?

2. What kind of relationships do immigrants develop with political authorities?

3. Do immigrants participate in similar ways than the local population?

Let’s take a look at what we know so far…

THE CHALLENGE OF OVERCOMING MEMORIES OF POLITICAL REPRESSIONWHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF NEW IMMIGRANTS’ POL. EXPERIENCES?

Finifter and Finifter (1989): American immigrants in Australia rely on pre-migration ideological

positioning and partisan identification to develop new political preferences in host country

Transferability of political skills/learning between “similar” political regimes

Black (1987): Immigrants who used to participate in country of origin participate more in

host country (Canada) Transferability of political skills/learning between political regimes, even

highly dissimilar ones

THE CHALLENGE OF OVERCOMING MEMORIES OF POLITICAL REPRESSIONEVIDENCE FROM PREVIOUS RESEARCH RE: PRE-MIGRATION EXPERIRENCES

What is acquired politically in one country is transferred to another country through immigration

What is acquired politically in one country is transferred to another country through immigration

Gitelman (1982): Greater authoritarianism, lower trust and lower efficacy among

Soviet immigrants in Israel (in comparison to American immigrants)

McAllister and Makkai (1991): Greater authoritarianism and lower efficacy among immigrants

from countries with limited democracy

Rice and Feldman (1997): Correlation between Americans’ civic values and the prevalence of

civic values in the country of their ancestors

Harles (1997): Immigrants from Laos in Canada refer to pre-migration experience

to justify their reluctance to protest and be engaged with politics

THE CHALLENGE OF OVERCOMING MEMORIES OF POLITICAL REPRESSIONEVIDENCE FROM PREVIOUS RESEARCH RE: POLITICAL REPRESSION

Experience of political repression appears to leave a durable imprint

Experience of political repression appears to leave a durable imprint

Let’s take a closer look at evidence for immigrants in Canada (and Australia)

35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100

“A minority should be free to criticize the decisions made by majority of the people.”

8686

7575

8484

8585

8787

% agreeing with statement

NDCs (≤ 5 yrs)

DCs (≤ 5 yrs)

Local

NDCs (> 5 yrs)

DCs (> 5 yrs)

THE CHALLENGE OF OVERCOMING MEMORIES OF POLITICAL REPRESSIONQ1: IMMIGRANTS’ RELATIONSHIP WITH DEMOCRACY? (1/4)

Note: Source: 1983 Immigrant Survey. Results report predicted percentages derived from multivariate analyses controlling for age, gender, education, income, employment status, and English proficiency.

35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100

“People who hate the Canadian type of government should still have a chance to talk and make speeches.”

7676

7878

8383

8484

8686

NDCs (≤ 5 yrs)

DCs (≤ 5 yrs)

Local

NDCs (> 5 yrs)

DCs (> 5 yrs)




35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100

“The Main Problem with Democracy is that People Don’t Know What is Best for Them”

8484

7979

6666

6767

6565


NDCs (≤ 5 yrs)

DCs (≤ 5 yrs)

Local

NDCs (> 5 yrs)

DCs (> 5 yrs)



Would you say it is a very good, fairly good, fairly bad or very bad way of governing this country to have…

a democratic

political system

a strong leader who does not

have to bother with elections

and parliament

the army rule the country

a democratic

political system



and parliament


120

100

80

60

40

20

0

LocalImmigrants - DCImmigrants - NDC

THE CHALLENGE OF OVERCOMING MEMORIES OF POLITICAL REPRESSIONQ1: IMMIGRANTS’ RELATION TO DEMOCRACY? (4/4)

% who agree it is a

very good or fairly good way

of governing this country.

Note: Immigrants in Canada for up to 10 yrs.

CANADA2000/06 NIS/WVS

AUSTRALIA2004 AES


a democratic

political system



and parliament


a democratic

political system



and parliament


120

100

80

60

40

20

0

8894

97 99 8899

IMMIGRANTS’ POLITICAL INTEGRATION: THE CHALLENGE OF OVERCOMING MEMORIES OF POLITICAL REPRESSION


% who agree it is a




AUSTRALIA2004 AES



a democratic

political system



and parliament


a democratic

political system



and parliament


120

100

80

60

40

20

0

8894

97 99 8899

2319

34

18 19

40



% who agree it is a




AUSTRALIA2004 AES



a democratic

political system



and parliament


a democratic

political system



and parliament


120

100

80

60

40

20

0

8894

97 99 8899

2319

34

18 19

40

7 614

5 2

17

Immigrants who experienced political repression exhibit weaker support for democratic principles and non exclusive support

for democracy

Immigrants who experienced political repression exhibit weaker support for democratic principles and non exclusive support

for democracy


AUSTRALIA2004 AES



% who agree it is a




THE CHALLENGE OF OVERCOMING MEMORIES OF POLITICAL REPRESSIONQ2: IMMIGRANTS’ RELATIONSHIP WITH POLITICAL AUTHORITIES? (1/2)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

DC Immigrants – no repression

DC Immigrants – moderate repression

DC Immigrants – severe repression







FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

PARLIAMENT

CIVIL SERVANTS

4848

7171

8181

5151

7272

7777

5454

7272

7474

How much confidence do you have in…

% who responded “quite a lot” or “great deal” of confidence

Source: 2000/2006 NIS/WVS – Immigrants in Canada for up to 10 yrs.

THE CHALLENGE OF OVERCOMING MEMORIES OF POLITICAL REPRESSIONQ2: IMMIGRANTS’ RELATIONSHIP WITH POLITICAL AUTHORITIES? (2/2)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100







POLICE

ARMY

6161

6868

7171

6464

6666

7070

How much confidence do you have in…

% who responded “quite a lot” or “great deal” of confidence

Source: 2000/2006 NIS/WVS – Immigrants in Canada for up to 10 yrs.

Immigrants who experienced political repression tend to exhibit greater confidence in political authorities

Immigrants who experienced political repression tend to exhibit greater confidence in political authorities

THE CHALLENGE OF OVERCOMING MEMORIES OF POLITICAL REPRESSIONQ3: IMMIGRANTS’ PARTICIPATION TO POLITICS? (1/2)

10

5

0

-5

-10

-15

-20


Conventional Participation

Protest Participation

-13-13

-8.4-8.4-11-11

-4.3-4.3

-18.1-18.1

-13.1-13.1

-9.7-9.7-8.2-8.2

DC ≤ 10 yrs

DC > 10 yrs

NDC ≤ 10 yrs

NDC > 10 yrs

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Immigrants – no repression

Immigrants – moderate repression

Immigrants – severe repression

Local population

Local population

Immigrants – no repression

Immigrants – moderate repression

Immigrants – severe repression

CANADA (2000 NIS/WVS)

AUSTRALIA (2004 AES)

2121

5151

4343

6565

6464

7272

5252

3737

4141

3030

6363

≤ 5 yrs

≤ 5 yrs

≤ 5 yrs

6-10 yrs

6-10 yrs

6-10 yrs

Percentage abstaining from all protest activities

THE CHALLENGE OF OVERCOMING MEMORIES OF POLITICAL REPRESSIONQ3: IMMIGRANTS’ PARTICIPATION TO POLITICS? (2/2)

Are they predicted percentages?

Immigrants who experienced political repression tend to participate less, especially in protest activities

Immigrants who experienced political repression tend to participate less, especially in protest activities

THE CHALLENGE OF OVERCOMING MEMORIES OF POLITICAL REPRESSIONLESSONS FOR UNDERSTANDING IMMIGRANTS’ POLITICAL INTEGRATION (1/2)

The experience of political repression leaves a durable imprint on immigrants’ political behaviours and attitudes in Canada:

Relationship with democracy Relationship with political authorities Relationship with participation

Relationship with politics in Canada is in part tainted by the relationship with politics developed in the country of origin:

Non-exclusive commitment to democracy, trust and distrust Immigrants are not “blank slate” when they settle in Canada

But immigrants also acquire new political learning in Canada

Political participation: voting, communal activities, protest (?)

THE CHALLENGE OF OVERCOMING MEMORIES OF POLITICAL REPRESSIONLESSONS FOR UNDERSTANDING IMMIGRANTS’ POLITICAL INTEGRATION (2/2)

Immigrants’ political adaptation is process of “cumulative learning:

“New” experiences added on top of “old” experiences “New” experiences complement “old” experiences but do not

replace them

“culture shedding” and “culture learning” (Berry 2001): Yes immigrants accomplish culture learning, but it is not clear

how much culture shedding they undergo

Political integration is in part grounded in political legacies of country of origin

Not just institutions, social networks, resources, and socio-economic status

Major demographic changes in immigration bring up new challenges regarding dynamics of political integration1. Need to ensure common understanding of the rules of

the game2. Need to overcome distrust of government and fear of

speaking out publicly3. Need to ensure emergence of greater critical

evaluations of governments 4. Need to ensure access to political voice to all in every

mode of participation

THE CHALLENGE OF OVERCOMING MEMORIES OF POLITICAL REPRESSIONIMPLICATIONS FOR CANADA AND POLICY MAKING


For more informationplease contact

[email protected] extension 5067

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