4. Ethnic diversity and immigration

View the most recent version.

Archived Content

Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please "contact us" to request a format other than those available.

Archived

This page has been archived on the Web.

Ethnic Diversity Survey (EDS) (2002)
Record number: 4508

Summary
This is a survey on ethnicity that undertakes to address the various dimensions of this subject and related issues on Canada’s changing cultural diversity.

There are two primary objectives of the survey. First of all, the survey will help us to better understand how people’s backgrounds affect their participation in the social, economic and cultural life of Canada. Secondly, the survey will provide information to better understand how Canadians of different ethnic backgrounds interpret and report their ethnicity.

Topics covered in the survey include ethnic ancestry, ethnic identity, place of birth, visible minority status, religion, religious participation, knowledge of languages, family background, family interaction, social networks, civic participation, interaction with society, attitudes, satisfaction with life, trust and socioeconomic activities.

The survey explores both objective and subjective dimensions of ethnicity and asks questions about the respondent’s ethno-cultural background in order to better understand how respondents choose (or do not choose) certain ethnic identifications.

Frequency
One time only, postcensal, 2002.

Target population
The population sampled was selected on the basis of the responses given to questions on ancestors’ ethnic origin, the respondent’s place of birth, and the place of birth of parents in the 2001 Census. It includes persons aged 15 years or older living in private dwellings in Canada’s ten provinces. It does not include persons living in collective dwellings, persons living on Indian reserves, persons reporting an Aboriginal origin or identity, or persons living in Northern and remote areas.

Sample size
The size of the final sample is 42,476 persons.

Sample size based on main language characteristic
The main language characteristic used to identify official-language minorities in the EDS is mother tongue, namely the language first learned at home in childhood (single responses only).

Table 4.1
Sample sizes of official-language minorities, based on the criterion of mother tongue, Ethnic diversity and immigration, 2002
Table summary
This table displays the results of sample sizes of official-language minorities. The information is grouped by language (appearing as row headers), canada less quebec and quebec, calculated using number units of measure (appearing as column headers).

Language	Canada less Quebec	Quebec
	number
French	1,085	Note ...: not applicable
English	Note ...: not applicable	1,197
... not applicable Source: Statistics Canada, Ethnic diversity and immigration survey, 2002.

Language questions in the survey

What was the language that you first learned at home in childhood?

Can you still understand [mother tongue]?

Using a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is “not well” and 5 is “very well”, how well can you understand [mother tongue] now?

Can you still speak [mother tongue]?

Using a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is “not well” and 5 is “very well”, how well can you speak [mother tongue] now?

Besides the language of the interview and your first language, are there other languages that you speak well enough to conduct a conversation?

What languages are these?

Using a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is “not well” and 5 is “very well”, how well can you speak [spoken language] now?

What language do you speak most often at home?

Are there any other languages you speak on a regular basis at home?

What languages are these?

What language do you speak most often with your friends?

Are there any other languages you speak on a regular basis with your friends?

What languages are these?

Up until you were age 15, what language did you and your parents use most of the time when speaking to each other?

Up until you were age 15, what language did you and your brothers, sisters, and any other children in your household, use most of the time when speaking to each other?

What was the language that your mother first learned at home in childhood?

What was the language that your father first learned at home in childhood?

What languages does your spouse/partner speak well enough to conduct a conversation?

What was the language that your spouse/partner first learned at home in childhood?

Does your spouse/partner still speak [mother tongue]?

What languages does [child’s name] speak well enough to conduct a conversation?

What was the first language that [child’s name] learned at home?

Does [child’s name] still speak [mother tongue]?

Using a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is not important at all and 5 is very important, how important is it to you that [child’s name] learn to speak [mother tongue]?

Survey data access
In addition to the information and publications on the Statistics Canada website, the EDS public use microdata file is available through the Data Liberation Initiative (DLI). The microdata file is also available in the Research Data Centres.

Website: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=4508&lang=fr&db=IMDB&dbg=f&adm=8&dis=2

Examples of publications related to the survey

Abada, Teresa, & Eric Y. Tenkorang (2009). “Pursuit of university education among the children of immigrants in Canada: the roles of parental human capital and social capital”. Journal of Youth Studies, 12(2), 185-207.

Boyd, Monica, & Emily Laxer (2011). “Voting across immigrant generations” in Reading sociology: Canadian perspectives, L. Tepperman & A. Kalyta (Eds.). Toronto: Oxford University Press.

Buzdugan, Raluca & Shiva S. Halli (2009). “Labour market experiences of Canadian immigrants with focus on foreign education and experience”. International Migration Review, 43 (2), 366-386.

Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB)
Record number: 5057

Summary
The Immigration Database was created to respond to the need for detailed and reliable data on the performance and impact of the Immigration Program.

The Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB) is an administrative database combining linked immigration and taxation records. The IMDB is a comprehensive source of data on the economic behaviour of the immigrant taxfiler population in Canada and is the only source of data that provides a direct link between immigration policy levers and the economic performance of immigrants. The database is managed by Statistics Canada on behalf of a federal-provincial consortium led by Citizenship & Immigration Canada. This database contains only the names of people who have obtained landed immigrant status since 1980 and have filed at least one income tax return since becoming a landed immigrant.

The IMDB allows the analysis of relative labour market behaviour of different categories of immigrants over a period long enough to assess the impact of immigrant characteristics, such as education and knowledge of French or English, to their settlement success. It is also used to assess the various categories and number of immigrants with access to social assistance and allows the measurement and analysis of secondary inter-provincial and inter-urban migration.

Reference period
Data collection occurs throughout the calendar year for immigration data and in March and April for fiscal data.

Target population
A person is included in the database only if he or she obtained landed immigrant status since 1980 and filed at least one tax return since becoming a landed immigrant.

Data access
The data are available as customized tables on a cost-recovery basis. Some tables will soon be available on CANSIM.

Sample size
The database contains information on approximately 4.88 million immigrants.

Language variables available
Language characteristics are drawn from the Generic Application Form for Canada:^{Note 1}

1. Language preference for
2. correspondence
3. interview
4. interpreter requested
5. Mother tongue (This is not a specific question. Although respondents are encouraged to indicate their mother tongue, no explanation or definition is provided).
6. If your native language is not English or French, which one do you use most frequently? English, French, Neither
7. Are you able to communicate in English, in French or in both languages?^{Note 2}

English, French, Both, Neither

Website: http://www23.statcan.gc.ca:81/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=5057&lang=fr&db=imdb&adm=8&dis=2

Publications related to the database

Bernard, André (2008). “Immigrants in the hinterlands”, Perspectives on Labour and Income, Vol. 9, No. 1, January, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 75-001-X.

Dempsey, Colleen (2004). “Elderly Immigrants in Canada: Income Sources and Composition”. Horizons, Policy Research Initiative, Vol. 2, No. 7.

Picot, Garnett, Feng Hou and Simon Coulombe. 2007. “Chronic Low Income and Low-income Dynamics Among Recent Immigrants”. Analytical Studies Branch Research Paper Series, No. 294, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 11F0019MIE.

Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada (LSIC) (2005)
Record number: 4422

Summary
The Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada (LSIC) examines immigrants’ settlement process during the first four years following their arrival in Canada, a crucial time when newcomers establish economic, social and cultural ties to Canadian society. To this end, the objectives of the survey are two-fold: to study how new immigrants adjust to life in Canada over time; and to provide information on the factors that can facilitate or hinder this adjustment.

Topics covered in the survey include language proficiency, housing, education, foreign credential recognition, employment, health, values and attitudes, the development and use of social networks, citizenship, income, and perceptions of life in Canada. The questions concern the respondent’s situation before and after coming to Canada.

Frequency
The Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada is a longitudinal survey conducted on a cohort of immigrants. This cohort was interviewed three times: six months (Wave 1 in 2001), two years (Wave 2 in 2003) and four years (Wave 3 in 2005) after arriving in Canada.

Target population
The target population for the survey consists of immigrants who meet the three following criteria:

1. arrived in Canada between October 1, 2000 and September 30, 2001;
2. were aged 15 years or older at the time of landing;
3. landed from abroad, must have applied through a Canadian Mission Abroad.

Individuals who applied and landed from within Canada are excluded from the survey. Refugees claiming asylum from within Canada are also excluded from the scope of the survey.

The LSIC’s population of interest consists of immigrants in the target population who are still living in Canada at the time of the interview.

Sample size
Wave 1: 12,000
Wave 2: 9,300
Wave 3: 7,700

Sample size based on main language characteristic
Since most immigrants have a mother tongue other than English or French, we are instead interested in the knowledge-of-English or -French characteristic to identify official-language minorities in the LSIC. Included in the total for Quebec are respondents who reported being able to speak only English “well” or “very well.” For Canada less Quebec, the total includes those who reported being able to speak only French “well” or “very well.”

Table 4.2
Sample sizes of official-language minorities, based on the criterion of knowledge of French or English, for each wave of the Longitudinale Survey of Immigrants to Canada, 2001, 2003 and 2005
Table summary
This table displays the results of sample sizes of official-language minorities. The information is grouped by wave (appearing as row headers), canada less quebec -
french, quebec -
english and total sample, calculated using number units of measure (appearing as column headers).

Wave	Canada less Quebec - French	Quebec - English	Total sample
	number
Wave 1 (6 months)	321	650	12,000
Wave 2 (2 years)	272	648	9,300
Wave 3 (4 years)	222	596	7,700
Note: Data are based on the province of residence at the time of the interview and not at the time of landing. Sources: Statistics Canada, Longitudinale Survey of Immigrants to Canada, 2001, 2003 and 2005.

Language questions in the survey

(Not all the questions come from the third wave of interviews.)

What is the first language that you learned at home as a child and that you still understand?

What language do you speak most often at home?

How well can you speak English/French? Would you say poorly, fairly well, well, very well?

How easy is it for you to tell someone in French/English what your address is?

Would you say you can do this easily, you can do this with some help, you can do this with a lot of help, or you cannot do this?

How easy is it for you to tell someone in French/English what you did before immigrating to Canada? Would you say you can do this easily, you can do this with some help, you can do this with a lot of help, or you cannot do this?
                                                            
How easy is it for you to understand a message in French/English over the telephone? Would you say you can do this easily, you can do this with some help, you can do this with a lot of help, you cannot do this?

How easy is it for you to tell a doctor who speaks only French/English what the problem is? Would you say you can do this easily, you can do this with some help, you can do this with a lot of help, you cannot do this?

How easy is it for you to ask someone who speaks only French/English to re-arrange a meeting with you? Would you say you can do this easily, you can do this with some help, you can do this with a lot of help, you cannot do this?

How well can you read in French/English? Would you say that you read poorly, fairly well, well, very well?

How well can you write in French/English? Would you say that you write poorly, fairly well, well, very well, cannot write this language?

Have you learned most of your English/French before or after your arrival in Canada?

How did you learn most of your English/French?

How important is it for you to learn or improve your French/English? Would you say that it is very important, important, not very important, not important at all?

When you arrived in Canada, did you have plans to study or improve your English/French?

Since you came to Canada, what steps have you taken to improve your English/French?

Since you came to Canada, do you feel that you have had opportunities to learn or improve your English/French?

Are there any other languages, other than those you have already mentioned, that you speak or read at least to some degree?

Which other languages can you speak or read?

What was the language of instruction of your highest level of education attained outside Canada?

In what language do you speak outside of class with your friends from school?

In what language is/are your child/children mainly taught at school?

In what language do/did you speak with your business partner(s)?

In what language do/did you speak with your employees?

In what language do/did you speak with your clients?

In what language do/did you speak with your suppliers?

In what language do/did you speak with the people you work(ed) with?

In what language do/did you speak with your supervisors?

Survey data access
The Statistics Canada website contains information and publications on the LSIC. For access to the survey data, the microdata file is available in the Research Data Centres. There is no public use microdata file for the LSIC.

Website: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=4422&lang=fr&db=imdb&adm=8&dis=2

Examples of publications related to the survey

Chui, Tina, and Kelly Tran. 2003. Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada: Progress and Challenges of New Immigrants in the Workforce. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 89-615-XWE.

Grenier, Gilles & Li Xue (2011). “Canadian Immigrants’ Access to a First Job in Their Intended Occupation”. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 12, 3: 275-303.

---

Notes

1. Generic Application Form: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/index.asp
2. Based on the applicant’s self-assessment, except in cases where the immigration officer completes the form for the applicant.