Chapter 9 Review Questions

Measures taken before the introduction of the point system include the Chinese Head Tax, Orders-in-Council prohibiting the immigration of specific “races” (specifically African Americans), denial of protection to Jews fleeing Nazi Germany, country quotas, and preference to immigrants from Britain and France. In various ways, each of these measures either prevented minorities from landing in Canada or deterred them from staying.

The stages of migration framework is an approach to working with migrants that focuses on significant events and issues at different stages of the migration process. The framework requires social workers to understand the factors that drove a migrant client to leave their country of origin, to consider the process/journey they went through to get to Canada, and to be mindful of the challenges faced on settling in a new country.

Factors that could affect the settlement of new Canadians include goals and expectations, language proficiency, education/employment, housing, health, and social supports. Each factor can play a role in both helping and hindering the settlement process, depending on the individual characteristics of migrants and the communities to which they migrate.

Unaccompanied and separated minors face a number of vulnerabilities and challenges. If accompanied by an adult, it is possible that this adult will not provide them with adequate care or will exploit them. They are also subject to varying degrees of service and support due to variations in provincial and regional service provision. They may face challenges attending school and may also face difficulty in accessing community services such as libraries and banking. Social workers can support these minors by acting as advocates and assisting with referrals and collaboration across agencies.

The Safe Third Country Agreement is a provision of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that designates the United States a “safe third country,” forcing most refugee claimants who have travelled through the United States to seek asylum there. Officially called the Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the USA for cooperation in the examination of refugee status claims from nationals of third countries, it disproportionately affects those fleeing Central American countries. A serious consequence of any immigration restrictions put in place in the United States is that people from these countries fleeing persecution may try to reach Canada to apply for asylum. Because of the Safe Third Country Agreement, if they were to cross at an official crossing, they would be turned back to the United States; crossing at an unofficial port of entry avoids the application of the STCA.

For practice with migrants, an ecological approach is relevant given its explorations of an individual’s present and past contexts. Adopting an ecological approach requires the social worker to look at influential members in the migrant’s environment and systemic factors that shape settlement. Adapted from science to human behaviour, Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory examines the fit between an individual and their myriad environments, or systems, and interactions that take place within and across systems.

Acculturation is the process of adaptation between two cultures, particularly how traditions, values, language, and beliefs change as they come into contact with a new (usually dominant) culture. Assimilation is defined as a process by which individuals’ cultural identities are greatly minimized or eliminated, replaced by the cultural identities of the larger society. Acculturation is a process of cultural adaptation while assimilation is a process of cultural minimization or replacement.