Immigration, Integration and Welcoming Communities : The Role of Ethnic Community Organizations
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Transcript of Immigration, Integration and Welcoming Communities : The Role of Ethnic Community Organizations
Immigration, Integration and Welcoming Communities: The Role of Ethnic
Community Organizations
Shibao GuoUniversity of Calgary
November 5, 2011
Outline Contextual information Review of research Case study approach Report of findings Conclusion and implications
Contextual InformationDemographic Changes
2006 Census: 19.8% foreign born; 16.2% visible minorities
2001- 2006: Canada accepted 1.1 million new immigrants.
Chinese in Canada: 1.3 millionAlberta: The Chinese are the largest visible
minority (26.5%).Calgary and Edmonton: ranked 4th and 5th
nationally in receiving Chinese immigrants.
Immigrant Settlement & IntegrationHow do new immigrants adapt to a society
very different from their own, with a different language, culture and tradition?
How do they navigate the complex paths that citizenship entails (including all the skills required)?
Where do they go for assistance? What is the role of ethnic community
organizations in building welcoming communities where immigrants feel they belong?
Social Services for ImmigrantsImmigrants experience low rates of
utilization of social and health services, despite evidence of significant need (Reitz, 1995; Stewart et al. 2008).
Barriers: lack of information about services, language and cultural difficulties, cultural patterns of help seeking, lack of cultural sensitivity by service providers, financial barriers, and lack of service availability (Reitz, 1995).
‘Democratic racism’ and ‘universalism’ , assuming that people are all the same and therefore require similar modes of service and intervention(Henry et al., 2006).
Ethnic Community OrganizationsEarly demise of ethnic organizations (Moodley,
1983).Ethnic community organizations provide more
effective, responsive, and equitable services to minority communities (Henry et al., 2006; Weinfeld, 2000).
The role of ethnic community organizations: acting as social service providers, maintaining ethnic identities, promoting integration (Guo, 2007; Jenkins, 1988).
Advocating on behalf of immigrants (Beyene et al., 1996).
Relationship with the state: "an extension of the coordinated activities of the
state" (Ng, 1996)mutual dependence (Holder, 1998)
Minority Group Rights & Democratic CitizenshipIntegration does not happen overnight; it is usually
a long, difficult, and often painful process. Sometimes special institutions and programs are
required to help immigrants with this process. It’s important to recognize and accommodate the
distinctive needs of ethno-cultural groups (Kymlicka, 1995)
Immigrants and their descendants can have a double tie to the state, which enables meaningful individual choice and supports self-identity.
Refusal to grant recognition and autonomy: provoke more resentment and hostility, and further alienation.
(Kymlicka, 1995, 1998)
Purpose of the StudyTo investigate the founding & historical
development of three ethnic community organizations in Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary.
To examine their contributions in creating welcoming communities for immigrants.
Research QuestionHow did community initiated voluntary organizations respond to changing needs of an ethnic community in a multicultural society?
Case Study ApproachCase study enables a focus on the particularity
and complexity of a single case to understand an activity and its significance (Stake, 1995).
Examining a particular case to cast light onto something other than the case.
Three Research PartnersVancouver: United Chinese Community
Enrichment Services Society (SUCCESS)Edmonton: ASSIST Community Services
Centre (ASSIST)Calgary: Calgary Chinese Community Service
Associations (CCCSA)
Data CollectionDocument analysis: annual reports,
newsletters, AGM minutes, web, and program brochures
Interviewsfounding chair and board membersformer chairs, board members and executive
directorscurrent chair, staff and administratorsclients
Site visits and volunteer activities
Major FindingsProfile of ethnic community organizationsFrom bonding to bridging: All three
organizations were initially founded to bridge the gap in settlement services for immigrants and refugees in their respective cities.
Responding to changing community needs: Their development reflected the growth of local immigrant population and their responses to the changing needs of their communities.
Complexities and paradoxes of ethnic organizations: Ethnic community organizations as both resource and liability
SUCCESS ASSIST CCCSA
Founding
1973 1977 1978
Clientele
HK Chinese Vietnamese Chinese
Goal Bridge the gap in social services; Act as a united voice in the Chinese community; Educate Chinese immigrants about their rights and responsibilities; Help immigrants become independent citizens; Promote integration
Programs
Information services, translation and interpretation, English classes, basic counseling series, assistance with forms
The Founding Process
From Bonding to BridgingWe found the gap. There was no bridge.
There were always these two isolated groups of people and the gap was in between. The gap was really the cultural and language barriers.
- SUCCESS Founding Chair
From Bonding to BridgingI think primarily out of the need of first
the recognition that there’s no service, no accessible service for people of Chinese descent and those who cannot speak English well.
-A founding member of CCCSA
So I remember during those years, it was a lot of building bridges to key funders like the Canadian Heritage, to the City of Edmonton. I really tried to build up a profile and tried to position us even though I don’t think we were formally recognized as a formal agency.”
-A former ED of ASSIST
From Bonding to BridgingI also want to make sure that the final goal of every program that SUCCESS runs is eventual integration. We have a program, whether the program is welcome or not is secondary. We have to look at the program. OK, why are we offering this program, because this program will help immigrants eventually become a member of the society. This is a guiding principle. We develop the program as such that this is our eventual aim.
- SUCCESS Founding Chair
DevelopmentASSIST CCCSA
Staff 22 10
Members 212 30 voting + 200 non-voting members
Volunteers 520 75Budget $1,311,701 $500,000
Programs & Services
- settlement and integration services- English language programs- employment training- community development and advocacy
Major Changes in SUCCESSGrowth of the organization
size: 12 branch officesmembership: 16,000staff: over 200Volunteers: over 1,000 budget: over 30 million
Expansion of programs and services basic settlement a well-established multicultural and
multi-level service agencyClientele: Chinese and Non-Chinese
Programs and Services in SUCCESSCommunity airport newcomers network
(CANN)Settlement servicesLanguage trainingSmall business development and trainingEmployment trainingHealth services and educationFamily and youth counsellingCommunity education and development
Forces Behind the ChangesThe profile of immigrants changedTheir needs differed from their
early counterpartsGovernment funding policies
encouraged such changesA democratic system,
professionalism, and timing within the organization
A dedicated teamStrong community base and
support
ChallengesThe organization growth of SUCCESS was
exponential. ASSIST and CCCSA only experienced
modest growth.The growth didn’t match the demographic
changes of local Chinese populationDifficulties in securing fundingName changeIll-funded, understaffed, and inadequate
premises
ChallengesI was rejected by every level of
government. I was rejected by every single funder in town, because we’re Chinese. So I came to realize at that time it’s going to be very, very difficult for us to get financial support to do our work.
- A founding member of CCCSA
In the 1980s and 1990s we had a very difficult time accessing funding, because funders do not fund single ethnic groups… I kept getting these doors slammed because we were a single ethnic group.
- A former ED of ASSIST
Members and PatronsPeople from different ethnic and cultural
background.Among the Chinese: diverse in origin, social-
economic status, educational background.From different parts of the worldRepresenting different citizenshipDifferent world religionsDifferent social and political systems
They do not share the same language or culture, let alone notions of nationhood, motherhood, or hometown.
Subgroup DifferencesFrom the time perspectives, it seems the 70s and 80s were Vietnamese, and people from Hong Kong. But the shift in client origin is lately mainly from Mainland China. Their educational background is much higher. But of course if you look at the Hong Kong group, they have money. The early refugees really came with nothing, right? No kids. Not much education. So quite interesting. As time goes on, how things have changed!
-A former Chair of ASSIST
The Complexities and ParadoxesEthnic community organizations are not always seen
as benign or altruistic institutions.Primordialist views of culture and ethno-specific
organizations.The Chinese is no longer a homogeneous group.The diverse backgrounds and changing needs of
Chinese immigrants and consequent shift of theses organizations illustrate the complexities and paradoxes of ethnicity and ethnic community organizations.
On the one hand, ethnicity was utilized as an important resource to mobilize ethnic political support to serve an ethnic-specific community.
On the other hand, the same ethnicity has become a liability and a device.
Discussion and ConclusionEthno-cultural organizations can be an effective
alternative model in providing responsive and equitable services to minority communities.
It provides an alternative model to interpret citizenship, the rights of minorities, and democracy.
Built a home and a welcoming community for immigrants
Sensitizes mainstream organizations, enhances mutual understanding , increases citizenship participation, promotes integration
A stepping stone to mainstream societyAn entrance for government agencies and
mainstream organizations
Discussion and ConclusionWhat is ethnicity?How do we assess ethnic affinity?Is ethnicity ascribed or given at birth?Do people of the same ethnicity necessarily
share a common culture?What constitutes ethno-specific organization?Is the primordialist view of ethnicity and
ethno-specific organizations dominating our thinking?
Contact Information
Shibao Guo, PhDAssociate ProfessorFaculty of EducationUniversity of Calgary