Research Library

The article documents the settlement experiences of Syrian refugees in a major city in Alberta, Canada, in the first year of their resettlement. It then compares them across the three government and private sponsorship programs to understand which program is most effective in helping refugees settle and integrate in Canada. The findings suggest that all three programs were largely successful in bringing in Syrian refugees, from various asylum countries in the Middle East to safe places in Canada. However, the settlement experience of refugees varied after they arrived in Canada. Challenges in learning English and finding employment were paramount among all three refugee streams. Contrary to some academic literature, privately sponsored refugees faced resettlement challenges similar to their counterparts in the two other sponsorship streams. The article documents the settlement experiences of Syrian refugees in a major city in Alberta, Canada, in the first year of their resettlement. It then compares them across the three government and private sponsorship programs to understand which program is most effective in helping refugees settle and integrate in Canada. The findings suggest that all three programs were largely successful in bringing in Syrian refugees, from various asylum countries in the Middle East to safe places in Canada. However, the settlement experience of refugees varied after they arrived in Canada. Challenges in learning English and finding employment were paramount among all three refugee streams. Contrary to some academic literature, privately sponsored refugees faced resettlement challenges similar to their counterparts in the two other sponsorship streams.
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This paper looks at how Canadian public schools present knowledge to students. This study finds that some teachers have biased knowledge and tend to racialize their students. They also tend to devalue the indigenous knowledges that immigrant youth bring to the classroom. They also reproduce anti-immigrant discourses and reinforced racial hierarchies in Canadian society. As a consequence, this affects how immigrant students identify themselves. It also negatively affects their sense of belonging in Canada. This article argues that Canadian schools need to create decolonized educational environments. This will change teacher’s interactions with immigrant students and eliminate the harm perpetuated by colonial discourses. This paper looks at how Canadian public schools present knowledge to students. This study finds that some teachers have biased knowledge and tend to racialize their students. They also tend to devalue the indigenous knowledges that immigrant youth bring to the classroom. They also reproduce anti-immigrant discourses and reinforced racial hierarchies in Canadian society. As a consequence, this affects how immigrant students identify themselves. It also negatively affects their sense of belonging in Canada. This article argues that Canadian schools need to create decolonized educational environments. This will change teacher’s interactions with immigrant students and eliminate the harm perpetuated by colonial discourses.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

Many African immigrants moving to Canada tend to experience deterioration of health with time in their host country due to the influence of multiple factors on their health care decisions. The purpose of this study was to understand the problems and decision dynamics relevant to Ghanaian adult immigrants’ health care choices with the first five to ten years of arrival in Calgary, Alberta. This research used a qualitative naturalistic approach with ten Ghanaian adult immigrants. Thematic analysis revealed that participants’ healthcare choices were influenced by their pre-and post-migration experiences, which informed their pathways to care. Participants provided insights about tensions among themselves and with health providers in making healthcare choices as they settled in a new environment. Further, there is a need to provide health education programs and a strong support system to facilitate better health choices and encourage health care service use among recent newcomers Many African immigrants moving to Canada tend to experience deterioration of health with time in their host country due to the influence of multiple factors on their health care decisions. The purpose of this study was to understand the problems and decision dynamics relevant to Ghanaian adult immigrants’ health care choices with the first five to ten years of arrival in Calgary, Alberta. This research used a qualitative naturalistic approach with ten Ghanaian adult immigrants. Thematic analysis revealed that participants’ healthcare choices were influenced by their pre-and post-migration experiences, which informed their pathways to care. Participants provided insights about tensions among themselves and with health providers in making healthcare choices as they settled in a new environment. Further, there is a need to provide health education programs and a strong support system to facilitate better health choices and encourage health care service use among recent newcomers
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This research is purposed for an assessment of needs so as to identify the barriers to successful on-line language learning for new immigrants, especially those with language proficiency at CLB 3. This research is purposed for an assessment of needs so as to identify the barriers to successful on-line language learning for new immigrants, especially those with language proficiency at CLB 3.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

Child discipline remains a topic of public health interest across the globe. Despite this enduring interest, very little is known about the child disciplinary practices of African immigrants in Canada. This paper explores the disciplinary practices of African immigrant parents in Alberta, a Canadian province with a recent surge in the population of African immigrants. As members of the African immigrant community, we were deeply immersed in the research settings, which afforded us the opportunity to collect observational data in the form of reflexive notes. We found that African immigrant parents used corporal discipline (i.e. spanking and pinching, and more severe practices as kicking and slapping), persuasive discipline (i.e. timeouts and withdrawal of privileges, positive reinforcement techniques, such as the use of rewards), and a hybrid of the two. They also used emerging practices involving transnational fostering (fostering chronically misbehaving children to relatives and friends in Africa) and emotional isolation of children who persistently misbehaved. These practices, in their totality, appeared to be influenced by parents’ cultural backgrounds, as well as their interactions with Canadian educational system. We present theoretical, policy, and service implications of our findings, including a recommendation to incorporate sociocultural dimensions of child discipline into Canadian child welfare policies and practices. Child discipline remains a topic of public health interest across the globe. Despite this enduring interest, very little is known about the child disciplinary practices of African immigrants in Canada. This paper explores the disciplinary practices of African immigrant parents in Alberta, a Canadian province with a recent surge in the population of African immigrants. As members of the African immigrant community, we were deeply immersed in the research settings, which afforded us the opportunity to collect observational data in the form of reflexive notes. We found that African immigrant parents used corporal discipline (i.e. spanking and pinching, and more severe practices as kicking and slapping), persuasive discipline (i.e. timeouts and withdrawal of privileges, positive reinforcement techniques, such as the use of rewards), and a hybrid of the two. They also used emerging practices involving transnational fostering (fostering chronically misbehaving children to relatives and friends in Africa) and emotional isolation of children who persistently misbehaved. These practices, in their totality, appeared to be influenced by parents’ cultural backgrounds, as well as their interactions with Canadian educational system. We present theoretical, policy, and service implications of our findings, including a recommendation to incorporate sociocultural dimensions of child discipline into Canadian child welfare policies and practices.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

This article discusses how the migrants with no or irregular migration status engaged in various strategies to survive while they were going through uncertain legal status in Alberta, Canada. This article shows that often the compromised legal status happens because of immigration policy developments and other factors outside of temporary foreign workers’ control. Nevertheless, although participants of this study recount experiencing high amounts of stress because of their situations, the role played by cognitive processes, which include imagining, strategizing, and what I call “inter-provincial legal consciousness”, allowed them to deal with this experience and reclaim agency over their lives. These processes allowed them to build communities and networks of support and to imagine potential life paths in other provinces through other provinces’ provincial nominee programmes. This article discusses how the migrants with no or irregular migration status engaged in various strategies to survive while they were going through uncertain legal status in Alberta, Canada. This article shows that often the compromised legal status happens because of immigration policy developments and other factors outside of temporary foreign workers’ control. Nevertheless, although participants of this study recount experiencing high amounts of stress because of their situations, the role played by cognitive processes, which include imagining, strategizing, and what I call “inter-provincial legal consciousness”, allowed them to deal with this experience and reclaim agency over their lives. These processes allowed them to build communities and networks of support and to imagine potential life paths in other provinces through other provinces’ provincial nominee programmes.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

This study described experiences of Muslim elementary school students. The schools are located in a large urban area in western Canada. For this study, children shared their lived experiences of schooling. The study results provide important insights into the lives of Muslim immigrant children who are trying to adapt to their host country while also maintaining their family and community religious beliefs and practices. According to the findings, there are clear signs of the presence of Islamophobia in Canadian schools. This study described experiences of Muslim elementary school students. The schools are located in a large urban area in western Canada. For this study, children shared their lived experiences of schooling. The study results provide important insights into the lives of Muslim immigrant children who are trying to adapt to their host country while also maintaining their family and community religious beliefs and practices. According to the findings, there are clear signs of the presence of Islamophobia in Canadian schools.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

Vulnerable pregnant women (e.g. women with low socio-economic status or recent immigrants) are less likely to receive adequate prenatal care or to attend perinatal education classes. CenteringPregnancy (CP) is a model of group prenatal care which combines assessment, education and support. This study aimed to assess patient experience among vulnerable women in group prenatal care compared to individual care. Results: Women in CP were younger, more likely to be single and having their first baby than women in individual care. Women in CP were significantly more likely to report having received enough information on exercise during pregnancy, breastfeeding and baby care. Women in CP were more likely to report that they felt their prenatal care providers were interested in how the pregnancy was affecting their life. Hence, group prenatal care provides a positive experience and improves information exchange among vulnerable populations. Programs interested in engaging, educating and empowering vulnerable pregnant women may benefit from implementation of group care. Vulnerable pregnant women (e.g. women with low socio-economic status or recent immigrants) are less likely to receive adequate prenatal care or to attend perinatal education classes. CenteringPregnancy (CP) is a model of group prenatal care which combines assessment, education and support. This study aimed to assess patient experience among vulnerable women in group prenatal care compared to individual care. Results: Women in CP were younger, more likely to be single and having their first baby than women in individual care. Women in CP were significantly more likely to report having received enough information on exercise during pregnancy, breastfeeding and baby care. Women in CP were more likely to report that they felt their prenatal care providers were interested in how the pregnancy was affecting their life. Hence, group prenatal care provides a positive experience and improves information exchange among vulnerable populations. Programs interested in engaging, educating and empowering vulnerable pregnant women may benefit from implementation of group care.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

The issue of refugee housing affordability in Calgary is one which needs attention. In the coming years, Canada is expected to increase its refugee resettlement targets to approximately 15% of its total immigration quota. Data provided by CCIS shows a concentration of refugees living in the far north part of Calgary, some small portions in the Southwest, and a large concentration in the Forest Lawn/Northeast part of Calgary. This study assumes that the largest motivating factor for resettlement in these areas is housing affordability, constrained largely by refugee settlement funding. A survey of refugee budgets, when compared to available mean and lower quartile rental data, mostly corroborates this assumption. Single refugees are likely to face housing affordability issues far more than their counterparts with children, primarily due to the lack of child benefits. Refugee claimants, those seeking asylum in Canada, were at the greatest risk for homelessness in Calgary. It is recommended that the federal government consider granting refugee claimants benefits, and that the primary mechanism for increasing refugee housing affordability should be increasing cash transfers, including the possibility of a national housing benefit, to all Canadians. The issue of refugee housing affordability in Calgary is one which needs attention. In the coming years, Canada is expected to increase its refugee resettlement targets to approximately 15% of its total immigration quota. Data provided by CCIS shows a concentration of refugees living in the far north part of Calgary, some small portions in the Southwest, and a large concentration in the Forest Lawn/Northeast part of Calgary. This study assumes that the largest motivating factor for resettlement in these areas is housing affordability, constrained largely by refugee settlement funding. A survey of refugee budgets, when compared to available mean and lower quartile rental data, mostly corroborates this assumption. Single refugees are likely to face housing affordability issues far more than their counterparts with children, primarily due to the lack of child benefits. Refugee claimants, those seeking asylum in Canada, were at the greatest risk for homelessness in Calgary. It is recommended that the federal government consider granting refugee claimants benefits, and that the primary mechanism for increasing refugee housing affordability should be increasing cash transfers, including the possibility of a national housing benefit, to all Canadians.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly

This article presents the issues and challenges facing older Chinese immigrants in accessing mainstream services in Edmonton, Alberta, in Western Canada. The awareness and access to mainstream services and information, perceptions of services, system improvements and use of social media are discussed. Barriers to services include: isolation, impacting physical and mental health; few multicultural services (barriers around translation and access to services); barriers around age and ability (accessibility); cost barriers. The article suggests several recommendations: culturally competent service provision by mainstream services (including removing cost barriers, improving translation and accessibility); more collaboration between ‘mainstream’ service providers and ethno-specific organizations; more consultation with Chinese community; greater accessibility to translation; increased funding for human resources and training. This article presents the issues and challenges facing older Chinese immigrants in accessing mainstream services in Edmonton, Alberta, in Western Canada. The awareness and access to mainstream services and information, perceptions of services, system improvements and use of social media are discussed. Barriers to services include: isolation, impacting physical and mental health; few multicultural services (barriers around translation and access to services); barriers around age and ability (accessibility); cost barriers. The article suggests several recommendations: culturally competent service provision by mainstream services (including removing cost barriers, improving translation and accessibility); more collaboration between ‘mainstream’ service providers and ethno-specific organizations; more consultation with Chinese community; greater accessibility to translation; increased funding for human resources and training.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly