A national alliance dedicated to providing an evidence base for newcomer settlement & integration and the promotion of welcoming communities in Canada
The Media Roundup provides links to recent and archived articles, in both English and French, on immigration and diversity appearing in the national and local news. Some international content is also included. Articles are updated weekly.
In a tip of the hat to the Toronto Police Service’s efforts to communicate with a city that is now almost half non-white, the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada has given its annual award to corporate communications media relations co-ordinator George Christopoulos.
Mr. Burkhart’s plea fell on deaf ears. Just as the Immigration and Refugee Board had done earlier that year, the Federal Court ruled against him and his mother. The Burkharts claimed they faced persecution from fascist groups in Germany, the country from which they arrived in Canada.
Iowa looks different than it did 10 years ago. Though the state’s white population increased by nearly 2% in the past decade, that’s no match for the dramatic growth of its minority groups. African Americans are up by 44%, Asians by 45% and Latinos by a whopping 84%, according to latest census figures. The numbers are evident not just in schools and businesses in Polk County, which includes Des Moines, the state’s largest city, but also in the rural counties of Crawford and Buena Vista, both home to meatpacking plants.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2012/jan/02/changing-faces-iowa?INTCMP=SRCH
It’s especially vital in neighbourhoods like Bathurst-Finch where the percentage of immigrants, seniors and youth is the largest in the city. With a population of about 25,000, 64 per cent of residents speak a language other than English, according to Statistics Canada. The majority are of Russian, Filipino and South Asian backgrounds. Many live in the area’s high rise towers.
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1109327–volunteers-making-their-community-safe-for-pedestrians
Traditionally, the Canadian economy has benefitted from immigration, as new immigrants bring both skills and culture to this country. Some of the skills are required more than ever before, given that a substantial portion of the Canadian workforce is set to retire in the next few years. Statistics Canada has estimated that a major chunk of these jobs will be filled by immigrants, as there are not enough Canadians. The challenge for the immigration policy is to select those immigrants that can reduce the skills gap in the economy, and be able to adapt to Canadian conditions quickly.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/12/30/prweb9066692.DTL
This year I was reminded of how fortunate I am to be born in Canada and to have a job that lets me meet so many people who are not. The newcomers I write about who’ve fled tyranny and violence remind me to be grateful for the rule of law, democratic elections and a social safety net. What I’m most grateful for is their demonstration of how to handle life when you’re dealt a bad hand.