Recent Chinese Migration to Canada

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Professor
Subject
Date
Recent Chinese Migration to Canada
Introduction
The movement of people across borders has an influence on international economic and social relations (Zhang). In recent times, the migration of Chinese to Canada has become diverse and complex due to the economic and social changes that China and Canada are undergoing (Zhang). According to Zhang, China recently became the leading source of immigrants to Canada. China has also beco7me Canada’s largest source of students and tourists (Zhang). Migration denotes the movement of people in various directions with multiple journeys during their lifetime (Yu). The Chinese migration to Canada is characterized by the notion of making a fortune and returning home to make various investments (Yu).
History of Chinese Immigration to Canada
Census carried out in 2001 revealed that Canada has an ethnoculturally diverse population (Guo and DeVoretz). According to the report by Statistics Canada of 2003, 18.4% of Canada’s total population was made up of foreigners with Chinese being the largest visible minority group (Guo and DeVoretz). According to Guo and DeVoretz findings, the Chinese population has been continuously increasing in Canada. To support the claim of the Chinese increasing population in Canada, Zhang states that the Canadian census in 2006 indicated that over 1.3 million people claimed their origin was Chinese. According to the census, the Chinese community is the eighth largest in Canada basing on ethnic origin (Zhang). In the area of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan the Chinese comprise of the largest population of minorities with a proportion of 44%, 30% and 29% respectively (Guo and DeVoretz). Some of the Chinese, who migrate in Canada settle there, however, some return to their original home places such as Mainland China, Hong Kong or Taiwan.
The entry criteria in Canada changes over time and the only immigrant entry gate available for the Chinese is the separate immigrant class. The reason being there are no existing relatives to sponsor the migrating Chinese. Canada can predict the impact on socio-demography and human capital theory by the selection system. New arrivals from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and mainland China are supposed to meet the entry criteria as outlined by Canada’s point grid (Guo and DeVoretz).
After the Second World War ended, most of the Chinese immigrants who came to Canada were from Hong Kong ( Guo and DeVoretz). Guo and DeVoretz research on Chinese immigrants in Vancouver identifies three major immigration waves from Hong Kong as follows:
* The first wave was between 1958 and 1961 as a result of huge changes in the Hong Kong agricultural sector.
* The second wave in 1966-1976 due to political instability that led to the emigration of an elite group headed to the United States and Canada.
* The third wave was in the 1980s as a result of the Sino-British Agreement that put Hong Kong under special administrative rule by China.
Massive emigration from China to Canada started in the 1980s with the pro-democracy student movement of 1989 being the primary catalyst ( Guo and DeVoretz). The event led the Canadian government to issue permanent residency to many Chines...