South Asian Immigration to Canada

South Asian Immigration to Canada - Ratna Ghosh

Overview of Canadian Immigration

  • Canada is a relatively new immigrant nation, initially occupied by French and British settlers.

  • Aboriginal populations have a long history in Canada.

  • The formation of the country involved the contributions of immigrants from various continents.

Historical Context of Immigration

  • Racist immigration policies historically restricted non-white immigration, focusing on excluding Chinese and Indian immigrants despite their ties to the British Empire.

  • Notably, South Asians now represent the largest source of immigrants to Canada, demonstrating a shift in immigration patterns.

Census Data (2011)

  • The total population of Canada: 33,476,68833,476,688.

  • South Asians: Nearly 5 extpercent5\, ext{percent} or 1,615,1451,615,145 South Asian Canadians, identified as the largest visible minority group in Canada (Statistics Canada 2011).

Contributions of South Asian Community

  • Significant growth and influence in various sectors:

    • Federal and provincial politics: 19 South Asian Canadians in Parliament, including 4 cabinet ministers in Justin Trudeau's government.

    • Diverse professional fields: writers, artists, scientists, professors, law enforcement, educators, lawyers, engineers, medical professionals, social workers, philanthropists, community organizers.

  • Awards and recognitions include:

    • Booker Award in arts.

    • Killam Award in sciences.

    • Order of Canada for outstanding achievements.

Definition of South Asians

  • Geographic identity referring to individuals from:

    • India

    • Pakistan

    • Bangladesh

    • Sri Lanka

    • Bhutan

    • Nepal

  • Heterogeneity among South Asians includes diversity in:

    • Culture

    • Ethnicity

    • Language

    • Religion

    • Caste and class differences.

Immigration Policy Development

  • After Confederation in 1867, immigration was prioritized, favoring European immigrants while informally discouraging non-white immigrants.

  • Early laws and measures to restrict non-white immigration: Claims that people from warmer climates were unsuitable for Canadian conditions.

Early South Asian Immigration

  • A handful of Sikh immigrants arrived in Vancouver in the early 20th century.

  • Notable data:

    • Between 1907-1908: Approximately 5,0005,000 South Asians migrated to Canada.

    • Primarily employed in:

    • Railway construction

    • Lumber industry

    • Agriculture.

  • Laws enacted in several provinces restricted civil rights of Indians (e.g., voting, holding public office).

Anti-Asian Sentiments

  • Anti-Asiatic feelings and racist policies led to minimal South Asian immigration; only 760760 South Asians migrated from 1920-1943, and only 6,1116,111 were present in 1942.

Continuous Journey Regulation (1908)

  • Introduced to indirectly halt Indian immigration by requiring non-stop journeys to Canada.

  • Attempt by Indians (notably on the Komagata Maru) to circumvent this regulation highlighted immigration barriers.

    • The Komagata Maru incident:

    • Passengers: 376376 (Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims) denied entry, leading to tragic outcomes including deaths on the ship.

Shift in Immigration Policy Post-1947

  • After the end of British rule in India (1947), South Asians could apply for Canadian citizenship and participate in governance.

  • Changes in immigration policies from 1952, 1962, and 1967 gradually eliminated discriminatory clauses, culminating in the Immigration Act that established a point-based system focused on educational and professional skills.

  • Outcome: Over 100,000100,000 mostly professional South Asians immigrated between 1967-1975.

Subsequent Immigration Trends

  • 1970s: Arrival of South Asians from Uganda, the Caribbean, and Fiji.

  • 1980s: Increased migration from the South Asian subcontinent, including substantial Tamil immigration (largest Tamil population in Western world: 140,000140,000).

  • Refugee reforms post-2010 facilitated more South Asians seeking refuge.

Language Dynamics

  • South Asian immigrants generally align closer to Anglophone communities due to colonial history and English proficiency.

  • Difficulty in learning French, despite previous French colonial settlements in India, adds complexity to their integration in Francophone areas.

Impact of Québec Policies

  • Québec's nationalism and policies in the 1960s significantly affected South Asians:

    • Language legislation prioritizing French as the official language.

    • Preference given to French speakers in independent immigration selection.

    • Secularism affecting attitudes toward diverse faiths.

Contemporary Issues for South Asians

  • Despite high levels of education, South Asians face employment disadvantages compared to majority white groups.

  • South Asian women experience higher rates of underemployment.

  • Complex identity: South Asians today cannot be easily categorized along ethnic lines due to their varied backgrounds and the globalization of immigration experiences.

  • The concept of 'in-betweenness' in diasporic communities influenced by technology and globalization.

  • For many South Asian immigrants, Canada represents an open and compassionate society compared to their past experiences.

References

  • Ghosh, R., McAndrew, M., Babei, M. (in review). The Context of Reception in Bakhshaei, M., McAndrew, M, & Ghosh.R. (eds) South Asians in Québec.

  • Jain, Sushil Kumar. (1971). East Indians in Canada. P. H. Klop.

  • Ramcharan, S. (1982). Racism: Nonwhites in Canada. Toronto, ON: Butterworths.

  • Srinivasan, R., and Pyati, A. (2007). Diasporic information environments: Reframing immigrant-focused information research. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 58: 1734-1744.

  • Statistics Canada. (2011). The Canadian Population in 2011: Population Counts and Growth. Catalogue number 98-310-X-2011001. Ottawa.