Immigrants In Canada

Is there really a Canadian dream? One of the biggest challenges to Canadian multiculturalism today is the social and economic dis-integration of immigrants where Earning disparities between immigrants and native born Canadians are very wide.

Immigrants have a higher poverty rate than non-immigrants on the national average where native born Canadian men and women make more money than immigrant men and women. Native born Canadian men make ten percent more than immigrant men and also native-born Canadian women ranged about 8 percent more than immigrant women. (Li and Xiaoling Li, 2013, 86). The disparity here that is not often overlooked by the Canadian government which has integration played in its immigration discourse which like the Department

Immigrant women of colour who are recent immigrants don’t qualify for social assistance and have no income at all (Kholsa, 2008, 223). And the example of how 46% of Black people in Toronto live below the poverty line (Gooden, 2008, 413-426). The discourse of integration needs to be challenged because of the underrepresentation, poverty and social exclusion of racialized and feminised immigrants in Ontario. The socio-economic exclusion and dis-integration of immigrants in Canada challenges the ideas of multiculturalism and acceptance.

There are five steps for action for the Ontario provincial government to work with immigrant communities grassroots organizations to decrease immigrant poverty and socio-economic inequality and these include the building and funding of schools in these communities, providing employment opportunities to immigrants, providing adequate housing for low-income immigrant families, the development of community healthcare centers and hospitals that are sanitary and well equipped with medical resources and lastly the fifth step is for the governments to make a commitment that there is affordable and healthy food in stores and food banks in the immigrant communities. By following these five steps the Ontario provincial government and provincial governments with the prime minister can create change in these communities where immigrants are provided their basic needs and opportunities these inequalities and the socio-economic dis-integration of immigrants will gradually decrease as these steps are followed and they will be the pathway for the tradition of Canadian multiculturalism and a more equal