Social action: concepts and applications

Diaspora

Social Action

Discuss the Factors that are at Play for Diaspora Groups Trying to Claim Permanent Urban Space.

The process of globalization and global immigration has become a contemporary phenomenon with a number of social and human rights implications. Many countries, such as Canada, have during the latter part of the last century experienced the effects of global immigration, which has resulted in the demographic and social transformation of many cities. In Toronto, for instance, in the past most of the immigrant population came mainly from Europe and the United Kingdom. However, since 1060 this has decreased and most immigrants have been increasingly coming from the Middle-East and Asia, Africa. South America and the Caribbean, as well as an influx of many Chinese immigrants " (Isin and Siemiatycki, 2002). This has led to a multicultural society with all the attendant problems that arise when different cultures vie for urban space.

Therefore, the presence of groups from the diaspora has led to many contentious issues, such as allegations of marginalization and the abuse of human rights. There are a number of factors and variables that play a role in the problematics of the attempts of groups from the diaspora to claim permanent urban space. The first and most obvious of these problems faced by these groups are prejudice and marginalization. This is evident in many examples from throughout the world where immigrant groups attempt to establish themselves. .

A good example is the attempt by Muslims in 1995 to establish a presence of their own in Toronto. The Toronto areas municipal council rejected a proposal to establish a mosque in the city because of a lack of parking space. This was seen by the Muslim's as being a form of racism and essentially prejudicial with regards to their human rights in a democratic society.

Consequently, one could state that the central problem that faces these groups is that of human rights and fair and equable treatment from the host population. In the above case documented by Isin and Siemiatycki (2002) the view is put forward that there are double-standards in the treatment of the Muslim population and that Muslims did not have the same access to religious rights and freedoms as others in the country.

Central to the factors that play a role in the attempt to establish a permanent urban space for these groups is the symbolic and deeper meaning attached to these attempts. Establishing an urban space is not only a matter of economics or politics but is also strongly linked to the search for a collective identity. It can therefore be seen as a much deeper problem and is related to the need for these groups from the disapora to find a sense of psychological, spiritual as well as physical space.

In other words, there is a symbolic level to the acquisition of urban space by these groups, which is an extremely important factor to take into consideration. This is evidenced by the fact that new critiques and research on immigrants no longer view them as the "other" as outsiders but rather emphasizes how these groups create their own urban space in both a physical as well as psycho-social sense.

As a result of this view, many groups and organizations have emerged with the objective of advancing the rights and needs of the immigrants and the development of their own urban space. The aims of one such group are stated as follows:

One Is Illegal (Toronto) is a group of immigrants, refugees and allies who fight for the rights of all migrants to live with dignity and respect. We believe that granting citizenship to a privileged few is a part of racist immigration and border policies designed to exploit and marginalize migrants.

(About No One Is Illegal-Toronto)

In conclusion, as Isin and Siemiatrycki state; "Many diaspora groups in Toronto occupy a marginal and racialized position in the city's social space" (Isin and Siemiatvcki, 2002). This is one of the central factors that impact the human rights and the desire of these groups of people to establish their own space and identity.