Notes on Immigration and Demographics

Immigration Definitions

  • Immigrants

    • Definition: A person who moves to a different country or region to take up permanent residence.
    • Example: Tony, who moved from China to Canada.

  • Emigrants

    • Definition: A person who leaves his or her home country to settle in another.
    • Example: Alex, who left Canada.

  • Forced Migration

    • Definition: A mass movement of people who leave their homes against their will.
    • Example: The fight in Pakistan causing people to flee.

  • Brain Drain

    • Definition: The movement of highly educated people out of a country, particularly young professionals.
    • Example: Skilled individuals migrating to the U.S.

  • Push Factor

    • Definition: Forces that drive people to leave their previous location for a new place.
    • Example: War in home country.

  • Pull Factor

    • Definition: Forces that attract people to new places and draw them away from their previous location.
    • Example: Economic opportunities in another country.

Visible Minorities and Discrimination

  • Visible Minorities

    • Definition: People who are non-Caucasian and do not report as being Aboriginal.
    • Example: African Americans historically facing discrimination and being subjected to slavery.

  • Context of Discrimination

    • Example: Someone moving to a diverse town may face challenges adjusting to different races and might exhibit discriminatory behavior.

Historical Context of Immigration

  • Migrant Worker

    • Definition: A person who moves to another country or area to find employment, particularly in seasonal or temporary work.
    • Example: Migrant workers in Canada contributing to agriculture.

  • Refugee Definition and Rights

    • Definition: A person forced to leave their country due to war, persecution, or natural disaster.
    • Criteria for asylum:
    • A well-founded fear of persecution
    • Danger of torture
    • Risk to life
    • Risk of cruel and unusual treatment.
    • Example: Ukrainian refugees escaping the war in Ukraine.

  • Cultural Policies

    • Cultural Mosaic: A policy promoting the maintenance of various cultures, languages, and religions.
    • Cultural Assimilation: A policy where individual cultures are absorbed into the dominant one, disrupting native cultures.
    • Example: The residential school system affecting Aboriginal peoples.

Demographics and Canada’s Aging Population

  • Birth Rates

    • Definition: The number of live births per 1,000 people in a population per year.
    • Example: 2 births per 1,000 people.

  • Natural Increase

    • Definition: The difference between birth rate and death rate.
    • Example: If Canada has a birth rate of 10 and a death rate of 8, the natural increase is 2.

  • Population Doubling Time

    • Definition: The time it takes for a population to double at its current growth rate.
    • Example: It may take 10,000 years for a population to double.

  • Death Rate

    • Definition: The number of deaths per 1,000 people in a population per year.
    • Example: 1 death per 1,000 people.

  • Demography

    • Definition: The scientific study of population characteristics including size, growth, density, distribution, and trends.

  • Net Migration

    • Definition: The difference between the number of people entering and leaving a country.
    • Example: Canada experiences positive net migration, meaning more people enter than leave.

  • Fertility Rate

    • Definition: The average number of children a woman is expected to have.
    • Example: A fertility rate of 3 means each woman has, on average, 3 children.

  • Replacement Level

    • Definition: The fertility rate at which a population replaces itself from generation to generation.
    • Example: Typically around 2.1 children per woman.

  • Dependency Load

    • Definition: Refers to people in the population who rely on others, often the elderly or children.

Effects of Aging Population

  • Challenges:

    • Increasing elderly population leads to a higher dependency ratio, putting pressure on the working population to support retirees through taxation.

  • Responses:

    • Options include increasing immigration, encouraging higher birth rates, rewarding families for having children, and potentially increasing the retirement age.

Changes in Indigenous Populations in Canada

  • Ecumene

    • Definition: A region well-suited for permanent settlement.

  • Population Distribution and Density

    • Population distribution: The pattern of where people live.
    • Population density: The number of people per square kilometer.

  • Impact of Colonization

    • Colonization disrupted traditional Indigenous practices, leading to loss of land and cultural erosion.

  • Access to Services

    • Low-density Indigenous communities often face challenges in accessing essential services such as healthcare and education, resulting in inequalities compared to urban areas.