Personal Obstacles or Invisible Structural Barriers? A Study of Job-Hunting, Working Experience and Occupational Attainment of Chinese Immigrants in Saskatoon
Date
2020-10-05
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
0000-0001-6112-3985
Type
Thesis
Degree Level
Masters
Abstract
As the first country in the world to adopt multiculturalism in the Constitution, Canada is proud of its inclusiveness, cultural diversity, and belief that all citizens have equal opportunities regardless of ethnicity. However, several scholars point out there is a new type of racism rising, in which racist behaviors and attitudes are implicitly expressed in a muted, covert, or polite way (Wang, Zong and Li 2012; Wang et al. 2011; Zong and Perry 2011).
This research study focuses on Chinese immigrants in Saskatoon and aims to disclose the structural barriers and racial discrimination perceived by immigrants. By using a mixed-method design, including quantitative survey and qualitative semi-structured interviews, this research focuses on Chinese immigrants in Saskatoon and their experiences of job-hunting, and daily work through a gender lens.
The survey result shows that more than 75% of the respondents do not feel being discriminated, even though many of them experience structural barriers such as the devaluation of their foreign credentials and working experiences. The interviews, on the contrary, suggest that most of the interviewees have had some “uncomfortable” experiences but prefer not to label such experiences as discrimination. This result, I would like to argue, supports the notion that implicit racism does exist in the social structure and daily life practices of Chinese immigrants. These trends prevent them from full participation in the labor market thereby hindering their integration into mainstream society.
Description
Keywords
Chinese Immigrants, Multiculturalism, Racism, Gender, Immigrant Women
Citation
Degree
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Department
Sociology
Program
Sociology