Chinese and Hong Kong immigrant women's experiences in Canada

¶ … immigrant women in Canada

Several eminent authors have composed various masterpieces or performed intensive research on the bittersweet experiences as well as the treatment of immigrant women in Canada. In the following passages of our analytical research paper, we will discuss in detail a particular group, that is the Chinese and the Hong Kong women settled in Canada. Firstly this paper provides an account of the progress of the immigration policies in Canada since its origin until today and its effects on the entryway of Chinese immigrant women in Canada. The paper then presents the effect of standardized policies regarding race and sex on Chinese immigrant women. Last but not the least, this research report and analytical essay looks into the institutional processes including employment and unemployment as well as the organizational processes including the relationships between family members, child care, household chores and social life which affected the lives of skilled Chinese women who migrated from China and Hong Kong and are settled in Canada. In the end, the paper summarizes and concludes with a brief critical analysis, putting all together. The paper further appends a reference page based on four outside sources.

Introduction

In early 1990s, the Canadian government introduced a law, which highlighted that the targeted immigrant groups in Canada were the professionals as well as the skilled immigrants (Globalization and the Erosion of the welfare state). Such laws were written in order to motivate highly professional people from all over the world to become a part of Canada, as well as to bring about exchange of business. In addition to the above, this approach assisted the government of Canada in boosting up their competition in the worldwide market as well as to improve their economy through highly experienced professional and adaptable workforce (Globalization and the Erosion of the welfare state). Such a "brain-drain" (Globalization and the Erosion of the welfare state) of talented workforce resulted in the decline of other economies of the countries worldwide. Several of these highly skilled as well as learned workers migrated to Canada were the Chinese women.

Former Immigration Procedures and Chinese Immigrant Women

Since the inception of Chinese immigration to Canada in the year 1858 till 1947 (Globalization and the Erosion of the welfare state), several sexist limitations were exacted on the Chinese as well as some of citizens of other countries excluding the western European immigrants (Globalization and the Erosion of the welfare state). At the time, the Chinese immigrants were weighed as a lesser sect thereby regarded as the "non-preferred race" (Racism, sexism, and experience of Chinese Immigrant). This strategy was adopted in order to reduce the immigration of Chinese. Heavy taxes were charged in order to curb impoverished laborers from entering Canada. These heavy taxes resulted in the reduction of Chinese immigrants and forced them to head back home. The Chinese females who succeeded in-migrating to Canada without families were considered a bad influence on their society. Such racial as well as sex discrimination provided small scope for Chinese women. Most of the Chinese women were unable to pay the "head taxes" (Globalization and the Erosion of the welfare state) because of limited employment opportunities, as a result few workers settled in Canada. Those females who managed to settle in Canada worked on an agreement that helped them pay off their taxes and roaming costs but with a high interest rate. However head tax were not imposed on all Chinese, different classes were to pay different amount of tax. For instance rich Chinese families were allowed into Canada for the sheer reason of trade, therefore they were required to pay a meager amount of tax (Globalization and the Erosion of the welfare state). Poor Chinese women were prohibited marital life thereby reducing the number of Chinese female population in Canada.

Recent Progress

From the year 1987, the number of Hong Kong immigrants has increased rapidly (Globalization and the Erosion of the welfare state). Even though several policies have been changed and newer ones have been enforced in order to attract Chinese people with money so as to bring about huge investments within Canada but the female Chinese immigrants still remains small in number. The changeover of Hong Kong from British to Chinese rule has bolstered the confidence of the people of Hong Kong and has painted an optimistic picture for them. For the past many years, the number of Chinese immigrants has increased, thereby calling it the "single largest group of immigrants in Canada" (Racism, sexism, and experience of Chinese Immigrant). However the sex discrimination still exists and Chinese women settled in Canada are deprived of an optimistic and a bright future.

Experience of female Chinese immigrants to Canada

Several "social scientists" (The experience of Middle-class Women in Recent Hong Kong Chinese Immigrant Families in Canada) have categorized all Chinese as one "homogenous group" (Racism, sexism, and experience of Chinese Immigrant). On the contrary, in actuality the Chinese belong to different regional sites, some of which are Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong (). In addition to the above they come from divergent cultures and subgroups and occupy separate "class," "age," "gender" (The experience of Middle-class Women in Recent Hong Kong Chinese Immigrant Families in Canada) as well as "sexual locations" (). Another example is that of female Chinese immigrants from Hong Kong greatly differ from those of Mainland China immigrants as they belong to separate governmental as well as economic framework (Racism, sexism, and experience of Chinese Immigrant). In short, the Hong Kong female immigrants are richer and possess individual property before moving to Canada as compared to the immigrants from China. However, the Canadian government only requires highly skilled workforce irrespective of their countries.

In the following passage we will discuss the "institutional processes" that effect the experiences of middle class Chinese women immigrants in Canada as well as the social organizations of both the societies (Racism, sexism, and experience of Chinese Immigrant).

Organizational Processes

Organizational processes are those processes that formed the basis of physical changes and effected the Chinese women immigrants just by being a part of Canada. For instance the relationships between the family members due to the discriminating attitude towards Chinese women immigrants. Before the 1980s the Chinese immigrants in Canada earned a better or an equal wage as compared to those in Hong Kong and enjoyed other employee benefits (The experience of Middle-class Women in Recent Hong Kong Chinese Immigrant Families in Canada). But with the passage of time, the discrimination explained above by the Canadians towards the Chinese immigrants has portrayed a bad picture altogether. However this discrimination has played a positive role in strengthening the relationships of Chinese families in Canada. Many studies reveal that Chinese women immigrants who remained unemployed experienced a better relationship with their husbands by investing more time with their families and by supporting each other through difficult situations like the effect of cultural as well as political differences. Women who have been able to get employment feel a strong sense of security and enjoy an equal status. In addition to the above, unemployed or underemployed Chinese women immigrants had a tough time dealing with their household responsibilities. A survey shows that some of the immigrant Chinese women received extra help from the other aging family members or maids but after migrating to Canada and being under employed, they faced difficulties in coping with the responsibility of household chores. Lack of daycare facilities has been another major hindrance for these Chinese women in obtaining full time jobs (Racism, sexism, and experience of Chinese Immigrant). However Chinese immigrants enjoy their social life by making friends immigrating from Hong Kong who share a somewhat similar culture. They still manage to lead a happy life because of the interaction with people from the same culture and experiencing the same consequences and problems (The experience of Middle-class Women in Recent Hong Kong Chinese Immigrant Families in Canada).

Conclusion

The Canadian government has been taking measures to attract highly skilled and professional workforce from other countries for accomplishing its self- interests.

However by reading the above passages it is evident that the Chinese women immigrant have faced a drastic change of cultural, political as well as social differences. The discrimination on the basis of class, color, age and religion between the Canadians and the Chinese has led to innumerable damages of Chinese women immigrants and to the accomplishment of Canadian government's policies and aims.

However the discrimination as well as the injustices practiced by Canadians against Chinese women is a debatable subject because several efforts are being made by the Canadian government at present in order to bring about a positive change in the political as well as social conditions prevailing in Canada. The Canadian Race Relation Foundation (Crosspoint Anti-Racism Canada) is one of the organizations that have been making considerable efforts in producing a peaceful Canada that remembers its racist past and eliminates the discrimination faced by the Chinese immigrant women in Canada. This organization is committed to eradicate the hostile attitude of the Canadians towards some of the Chinese and promises to enforce changes helping in treating everyone in Canada at an equal level (Crosspoint Anti-Racism Canada).