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

guos@ucalgary.ca