A grounded theory study examined the socio-cultural adaptation experiences of ‘earlier’ Mainland Chinese skilled immigrants; ‘earlier’ refers to those residing in Canada longer than three years and therefore no longer considered ‘newcomers’ eligible for federal government-sponsored settlement programs. Analysis of 29 in-depth interviews and four focus groups involving 29 participants yielded an over-arching theme of luocha (deep plunge). Luocha describes the enormous gap skilled immigrants experienced between their current life in Canada and their pre-immigration life in China, and contextualizes the many challenges associated with their sociocultural adaptation (settlement) experiences. At the same time, these immigrants also discussed various coping strategies that they employed to deal with this deep plunge. Recommendations for social service provision and social policy are discussed.
Akhter, A., Chakrawarti, R. and Rasheed, N. ( 2006) A Review of Bridge Training Programs for Immigrants with Professional Backgrounds in Ontario: Exploratory Findings. Toronto: The Policy Roundtable Mobilizing Professions and Trades.
2.
Aydemir, A., and Robinson, C. ( 2006) Return and Onward Migration of Working Age Men . Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
3.
Bauder, H. ( 2003) ‘"Brain Abuse", or the Devaluation of Immigrant Labour in Canada’, Antipode35(4): 699-717.
4.
Charmaz, K. ( 2006) Constructing Grounded Theory: A Practical Guide Through Qualitative Analysis. London: Sage .
5.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) ( 2004) Facts and Figures 2004: Immigration Overview - Permanent and Temporary Residents. Ottawa: Author.
6.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) ( 2006) Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, 2006. Ottawa: Citizenship and Immigration Canada .
7.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) ( 2007) Facts and Figures 2007: Immigration Overview - Permanent and Temporary Residents. Ottawa: Author.
8.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) ( 2008) Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, 2008. Ottawa: Author.
9.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) ( 2009) Facts and Figures 2008: Immigration Overview - Permanent and Temporary Residents. Ottawa: Author.
10.
Department of Canadian Heritage Citizenship and Heritage Sector (2005) Annual Report on the Operation of The Canadian Multiculturalism Act, 2003-2004. Ottawa: Author.
11.
Drisko, J.W. ( 1997) ‘Strengthening Qualitative Studies and Reports: Standards to Promote Academic Integrity’, Journal of Social Work Education33: 185-197.
12.
Erlandson, D., Harris, E., Skipper, B.L. and Allen, D.S. ( 1993) Doing Naturalistic Inquiry. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
13.
Ferguson, K.M. and Islam, N. ( 2008) ‘Conceptualizing Outcomes with Street-living Young Adults: Grounded Theory Approach to Evaluating the Social Enterprise Intervention’ , Qualitative Social Work7: 217-37.
14.
George, U., Fong, E., Da, W.W. and Chang, R. ( 2004) Recommendations for the Delivery of ISAP Services to Mandarin Speaking Newcomers from Mainland China. Toronto : Joint Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Settlement - Toronto .
15.
George, U., Tsang, K.T., Man, G. and Da, W.W. ( 2000) Needs Assessment of Mandarin Speaking Newcomers . Toronto: South East Asian Service Centre.
16.
Grant, T. ( 2009) ‘Wading into the Talent Pool’, The Globe and Mail. January 26.
17.
Hawthorne, L. ( 2008) ‘The Impact of Economic Selection Policy on Labour Market Outcomes for Degree Qualified Migrants in Canada and Australia’ , IRPP Choices14(5).
18.
Israel, B.A., Schulz, A.J., Parker, E.A., and Becker, A.B. ( 1998) ‘Review of Community-Based Research: Assessing Partnership Approaches to Improve Public Health’,Annual Review of Public Health19: 173-202.
19.
Keung, N. ( 2006) ‘A Strange Country, a Desperate Feeling: Experts Call for Integrated Approach to Mental Health’, Toronto Star, Oct. 16: D1.
20.
Li, P.S. ( 2003) Destination Canada: Immigration Debates and Issues . Toronto: Oxford University Press .
21.
Man, G. ( 2004) ‘Gender, Work and Migration: Deskilling Chinese Immigrant Women in Canada’, Women’s Studies International Forum27: 135-48.
22.
Martiniello, M. ( 2003) ‘The State, the Market and Cultural Diversity’ , Immigrants and Minorities22(2-3): 127-40.
23.
Nerad, S., Fernandes, C., Tran, T., Rashid, M., and Audley, J. ( 2007) ‘Settlement is a Health Issue: Connecting with Recently Arrived Immigrants and Refugees’, presentation at the Association of Ontario Health Centres, Toronto, June, http://www.accessalliance.ca/media/SettlementIsAHealthIssue.pdf (consulted Mar. 2009).
24.
Omidvar, R. and Richmond, T. ( 2003) Immigrant Settlement and Social Inclusion in Canada . Toronto: Laidlaw Foundation .
25.
Ong, A. ( 1999) Flexible Citizenship: The Cultural Logics of Transnationality . Durham and London: Duke University Press.
26.
Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration ( 2006) ‘Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act, 2006’ , http://www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/english/working/farpa (consulted Mar. 2009).
27.
Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration ( 2008) ‘About Ontario’s Bridge Training Programs’ , http://www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/english/working/experience (consulted Mar. 2009).
28.
Padgett, D.B. ( 1998) Qualitative Methods in Social Work Research: Challenges and Rewards. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
29.
Patton, M.Q. ( 1990) Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods, 2nd edn. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
30.
Picot, G. ( 2008) Immigrant Economic and Social Outcomes in Canada: Research and Data Development at Statistics Canada. Ottawa : Statistics Canada.
31.
Policy Roundtable Mobilizing Professions and Trades (PROMPT) (2004) In the Public Interest: Immigrant Access to Regulated Professions in Today’s Ontario. Toronto : Policy Roundtable Mobilizing Professions and Trades , http://onestep.on.ca/resource/files2/In%20The%20Public%20Interest%20-%20Final%20Version%20Sept%2023.pdf (consulted Mar. 2009).
32.
Qiao, S. ( 2009) ‘With Skills and Luck, He Caught on’ , Toronto Star, 15 January: Y1.
33.
Razack, S. ( 1999) ‘Making Canada White: Law and the Policing of Bodies of Colour in the 1990s’, Canadian Journal of Law and Society14(1): 159-84.
34.
Reitz, J. ( 2005) ‘Tapping Immigrants’ Skills: New Directions for Canadian Immigration Policy in the Knowledge Economy’, Law and Business Review of the Americas11: 409-32.
35.
Rouse, R. ( 1995) ‘Thinking through Transnationalism: Notes on the Cultural Politics of Class Relations in the Contemporary United States’ , Public Culture7: 353-402.
36.
Sakamoto, I. ( 2006) ‘When Family Enters the Picture: The Model of Cultural Negotiation and Gendered Experiences of Japanese Academic Sojourners in the United States’, Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology Journal12(3): 558-77.
37.
Sakamoto, I. ( 2007) ‘A Critical Examination of Immigrant Acculturation: Toward an Anti-Oppressive Social Work with Immigrant Adults in a Pluralistic Society’, British Journal of Social Work37(3): 515-35.
38.
Sakamoto, I. and Zhou, Y. ( 2005) ‘Gendered Nostalgia: The Experiences of New Chinese Skilled Immigrants in Canada’, in V. Agnew (ed.) Diaspora, Memory and Identity: A Search for Home, pp. 209-29. Toronto: The University of Toronto Press.
39.
Sakamoto, I., Wei, Y. and Truong, L. ( 2008) ‘How Do Social Service Organizations and Social Policies ‘Acculturate’ to Immigrants?: Social Service Provision for Chinese Skilled Immigrants in Canada’, American Journal of Community Psychology42(3-4): 343-54.
40.
Salaff, J. and Greve, A. ( 2003) ‘Gendered Structural Barriers to Job Attainment for Skilled Chinese Emigrants in Canada’, International Journal of Population Geography9(6): 443-56.
41.
Statistics Canada (2005) Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada: A Portrait of Early Settlement Experiences . Ottawa: Author.
42.
Strauss, A. and Corbin, A. ( 1998) Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory, 2nd edn. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
43.
Wang, S. and Lo, L. ( 2004) ‘Chinese immigrants in Canada: Their Changing Composition and Economic Performance’, CERIS Working Paper Series #30 . Toronto: Joint Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Settlement - Toronto.
44.
Watt, D., Krywuak, T. and Kitagawa, K. ( 2008) Renewing Immigration: Towards a Convergence and Consolidation of Canada’s Immigration Policies and Systems. Ottawa : The Conference Board of Canada.
45.
Weinfeld, M., and Wilkinson, L. ( 1999) ‘Immigration, Diversity and Minority Communities’ , in P. Li (ed.) Race and Ethnic Relations in Canada, pp. 55-87. Toronto: Oxford University Press.
