Darren_And_Karen

Hi all,

pretty simple question really. Knowing that people in the UK are pretty split when it comes to their feelings about immigrants i wondered, what do the Canadians 'really' think about immigrants?

Are there as many ignorant people in Canda as there are here when it comes to immigration?
Or are they far more accepting?

Darren

Madmac

Ignorance is universal...and perversely comforting in a way. Haven't noticed much animosity but then again, we fit the local demographic norm neatly.

dbd33

More than half the population of Toronto was born outside Canada. Some huge chunk of the remaining population was born here to immigrant parents. There are few unhyphenated Canadians and they stick to specific occupations; fireman, cop, politician, military so their opinion is, by and large, irrelevant. Torontonians generally maintain the animosities of their homelands, Greeks and Turks, Israelis and Palestinians, French and Algerians, feud as they would at home.

Souvenir

There are plenty of ignorant people in Canada and anti-immigrant sentiment is focused on particular groups, just as it is in the UK. It is perhaps not as public but it's there.

A while back I took a taxi driven by a native Quebecker. He really laid in to immigrants. I pointed out that I am an immigrant. He countered that I am "one of the family". I took that to mean a white European.

There are plenty more like him.

dbd33

There are some unifying themes among the immigrants. In Toronto I have heard the "How do you make a Chinaman go blind?" joke from cab drivers of all manner of colours and nationalities.

PhilG43

Hi
I think that where ever you are in the world outsiders coming in from another country will be an issue for someone somewhere and that is just, it seems the case in Canada

dazzlerdaz

Great reply.......i think this sums it up nicely !

MB-Realtor

I've found Winnipeg to be a remarkably good City for accepting different races.

We have a lot a family's who's grandparents came here to escape persecution in the Mennonite and Hutterite families, along with others from the Ukraine and Poland. More recently an Influx of Jews between the wars. So alot of the "Old" Canadian family's here were escaping persecution and have that as part of their "back story". Perhaps the tolerance rubbed off????

As I've said before, the Peoples who get it bad are the Aboriginals/Natives/Indians who suffer a lot from prejudice.

ireland2canada

Isn't it just.

This is something I gave a fair bit of consideration before deciding on my Canada plans. I was dubious about going somewhere where I may be discriminated against/disliked due to my nationality....I can get enough of that in the UK!
I had a lengthy conversation with a friend in Ontario who assured me that she didn't see any issues, because I want to go to Canada to work and enjoy what the place has to offer while hopefully giving something back myself.
Her attitude was that people object most to immigrants coming over & being a 'drain' on the country.

Almost Canadian

My experience in Calgary is that, on the surface, everyone seems to accept immigrants. However, scratch below the surface and you will find the same issues as in the UK.

The Chinese appear to be universally hated and the locals don't like immigrants from the countries that "don't want to integrate, learn our language, expect us to accept their religions without accepting ours etc, etc" So not hugely different to most of the UK really.

Souvenir

I don't see being from NI will cause you any problems. My experience has been that people from the British Isles seem to forget about the petty rivalries and prejudices concerning region. My circle of friends in Oakville included Glaswegians, Scousers, Geordies, Welsh, Londoners, Irish, Northern Irish, even Germans. I never saw any animosity, even with beer added.

Few people other than the Brits will be able to tell you are from NI, by the way. Most cradle Canadians would be lucky to guess the right continent.

dthomas

It's a national fact that Albertans hate everyone .

Darren_And_Karen

hmmm certainly food for thought. Like ireland2canada, i too wouldn't like to go to a country to start a new life only to find everybody hated the fact i was there.

I can't see it putting us off, though something that needs to be thought about.

Guess it's just one of those things you either learn to have a thick skin about or don't bother emmigrating?!

Anybody emmigrated to NS, in particular Halifax? Is it pretty much the same there?

Like most of you we intend to move their and work for a living and hope to put as much into Canada as we expect to get out of it - in terms of a great life

mandymoochops

My perspective of being an immigrant purely means willingness to integrate.

If you throw yourself head on into the local community they will accept you - there is a fijian guy who runs a gas station here (Drum is quite insular in a Redneck way and people are not overly welcoming of "outsiders") however this guy is really great and just gets on with everyone.

When I said to a buddy - well how come you like "Bob" and not any of the other immigrants (theres quite a few Fillipino's) the answer is "well they all stick together and don't make the effort.

I think that sums it up - if we had a large Brit population here I would not make an effort to stay exclusively with "my own kind" meaning from my home country - as the locals would see it as two fingers up to them and their hospitality.

I think this is where dislike of immigrants stems from as non English speakers would tend to stick together as they are in a group of people who have the same language and traditions etc and that creates the animosity.

startwin

Canada is comprised mainly of immigrants so we're all basically in the same "boat". It's like the league of nations in Vancouver. The only gripe I have is when there is no attempt to assimilate by certain ethnics who won't learn the language or mix with anyone other than their own race. On the whole, there's not much ignorance.