1. Issues in Human Services
(HMNS 10085)
Module 8: Issues Pertaining to
Newcomers to Canada, Racialized
Minorities & First Nations Peoples

2. Defining Racism: 3 Types:
• Defined as, the “Collection of actions,
attitudes, beliefs and practices that reflect a
negative view of people in particular racial
groups.” (Hick, 2007).
• Individual racism
• Institutional racism
• Structural racism
• Outcome not intent

3. Defining Ethnocentrism
• Defined as, “a belief in the superiority of one
culture over another.” (Fleras, 2010).

4. Legislation:
• Prior to first Immigration Act of 1952, for groups considered
“undesirable” to immigrate:
– Outright ban
– Head taxes (prohibitively expensive)
• “most favoured” groups- British, or French (in Quebec),
Americans, Northern Europeans & then, other Europeans.
• People from Asia, Africa & Latin America considered too
difficult to assimilate.
• Immigration Act, 1962 – system of point that did not
include race
– Points based on labour needs of Canada at time, education,
level of skill, having a pre-arranged job, knowledge of official
languages, “personal qualities” considered desirable

5. Categories to Immigrate to Canada
• Economic Class
• Family Class
• Refugee Class

6. Current Trends:
• 60% - Economic class
• 40% - Family & Refugee classes
• Countries of origin
– China
– Philipines
-India
-Pakistan
• Areas of settlement: Toronto, Montreal & Vancouver
– Ontario - 54% of newcomers
– BC - 17% of newcomers
– Quebec – 16.5% of newcomers
• Immigration is forecast to be main form of population
growth in Canada over next couple of decades.

7. Legislation: Protection:
• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,
1982
• Employment Equity Act, 1986
– Visible minorities
– Aboriginal people
• Multiculturalism Act, 1988
– Composed of many cultures that we accept and
celebrate

8. Experiences of Newcomers &
Racialized Minorities
• Newcomer – 5 years or less in Canada
• Visible minority- define people who are neither
Caucasian or white
– Better termed “racialized minorities”
• “Every act of immigration is like suffering a brain
stroke. One has to learn to walk again, to talk
again, to move around the world again, and
probably most difficult of all, one has to learn
how to re-establish a sense of community.”

9. Experiences of Newcomers
• May not be able to communicate in English/French
• Difficulty obtaining adequate, affordable housing
• Social exclusion or marginalization due to racism &
ethnocentrism
• Learning to navigate complex institutions such as
immigration department, health system, social
services, school system
• Few social supports
• Concern for family remaining in country of origin
• Islamophobia

10. Experiences of Newcomers:
• Wage gap - $9581 between racialized minorities & white
workers
– Racialized women worse off
• More likely to live in poverty
• Barriers related to employment:
–
–
–
–
–
More likely to be in low-income earning jobs
Educational credentials are not seen as valid or transferable
Need to update credentials before working
Work experience outside of Canada less valued
Language/cultural barriers produce challenges to “fitting in” to
workplace culture
– Older newcomers fare worse than younger newcomers
– Glass ceiling re: promotion

11. Who Are First Nations Peoples?
• Inuit
• Metis
• Status & Non-Status “Indians”

12. First Contact: Relationship with
Colonial Settlers:
• First Contact – arrival of French & British settlers
• First Nations peoples seen as inferior
• No recognition of sovereignty of First Nations
peoples
• Value conflict – cooperative vs. individualist
approach
• One-sided assimilation
• Imposition of Christianity
• Decreased self-sufficiency

13. Indian Act, 1876
• Defined who was “Indian”
– Male person of Indian blood belonging to a particular band
– Child of the above
– Woman married to male person of Indian blood
• Decision-making rested with the federal government
over their lands and people
– In return, government provided social, health &
educational services on government terms
• Could not vote
• This occurred on reserves administered by an “Indian
Agent”

14. Increased Assimilation
into White Culture
• 20th century – aim of assimilation
• Residential schools – not exposed to any
teachings about their communities, ways of
life, language or spirituality > damage
• Children – adopted out of their families &
communities in large numbers

15. Income Inequality & Poverty:
• Low income rates
– 31.2% First Nations families vs. 12.9% of all Canadian
families
– 55.9% single, unattached First Nations individuals vs.
38% for all Canadian single, unattached individuals
• Income from social assistance:
– 20-30% of peoples in Ontario & Quebec receive sole
income from social assistance
– 75% in Atlantic provinces
– 48-58% in western provinces

16. Employment Inequality:
• Unemployment rate 19.1% (First Nations Peoples)
vs. 7.4% (general Canadian population)
• Less full-time, full-year employment: 40.5% in
full-time employment vs. 53.9% (general
Canadian population)
• Lower employment incomes:
– Full time workers: $33,416 vs. $43,298 (general
Canadian population)
– Part time workers: $13,795 vs. $19,207

17. Other Social Issues:
• Housing – inadequate/substandard, often
overcrowded on reserves
– Shortage of water and sewer connections
– Recent Attawapiskat attention in media
highlighted this
• Incarceration – overrepresented in prisons
• Less likely to graduate from high school

18. Health Inequality:
• 2 times more likely to experience heart problems,
cancer or have a long-term disability
• 5 times more likely to have diabetes
• Tuberculosis is an ongoing concern in reserve
communities
• Gap in life expectancy is 6 years less for both
genders
• Infant mortality rate – 3.5 times higher
• Suicide rate – 8 times higher for female youth & 5
times higher for male youth

19. Self Government:
• Hundreds of land claim negotiations
• Oka crisis of 1990
• Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples early 1990s
– Recommended a return to nation to nation
relationship between First Nations and the
government

20. Readings:
• Hick, S. (2007). Social Welfare in Canada:
Understanding Income Security, 2nd Ed.
Toronto: Toronto Educational Publishing Inc.
Ch. 7, and 8.
On reserve in library
• Research and read an article on Attawapiskat
crisis.