Immigration, education, sense of community and mental well-being: the case of visible minority immigrants in Canada
Date
2021
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor & Francis Group
Abstract
Immigrants often cite improvements in quality of life as the motivation for immigration, yet it can lead to the loss of social networks,
family and community ties. This article employed key informant
interviews to explore visible minorities’ sense of community from
the perspectives of immigrant resettlement service providers. Nine
key informants were interviewed to document visible minority
immigrants’ experiences in Canada, and how this affected their
sense of community. Participants identified barriers to immigrants’
development of a new sense of community, including discrimination tied to improper placement within the Canadian educational
system, unemployment/underemployment, poor housing conditions, language barriers, and lack of social support networks.
Confronting these barriers will require creating a stronger sense
of community by providing more and better support of immigrants,
visible minorities and everyone across Canada. This would help
eliminate discrimination against ethnic minorities and enhance
a sense of community belonging amongst visible minorities in
Canada.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Immigration, education, well-being, visible minorities, sense of community