Competing interests: Toronto's Chinese immigrant associations and the politics of multiculturalism

✍ Scribed by J. Salaff; Pearl Chan

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 135 KB
• Volume: 13
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1544-8444
• DOI: 10.1002/psp.430

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Social service agencies and advocacy groups have played an integral role in mediating between the Asian ethnic populations. In the Canadian institutional setting, associations become a means of political expression. Canada incorporates new immigrants into its national institutions. However, these neo‐liberal institutions and policies have not redressed major problems arising in the settlement process. Under Canada's discourse of enlightened multiculturalism, social service agencies are funded to help to integrate diverse peoples. The policy of multiculturalism meshes well with the liberal ideology underlying loose coupling, encouraging people to retain their cultural identities while settling and participating in national processes. These policies are designed to be sensitive to clients' cultural backgrounds; however, there are unforeseen consequences. In this system, different groups are granted different amounts of social, cultural and economic capital along with differential access to this capital, which affects their position and potential for action in other arenas. In particular, we find that the social service approach treats new Chinese immigrants as similar, thereby fostering competition between subgroups over leadership, funds and representation. Our data come from interviews with key figures in the Chinese‐Canadian community and associations, and reviews of press and other media. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.