Integrating Canadian Youth: The State of Intergroup Contact, Belonging, and Support for Immigration

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a survey examining 168 immigrant and non-immigrant youth’s perspectives of intergroup relations, support for immigration, and feelings of belonging in Canada. Using Allport’s (1954) contact theory and the multiculturalism hypothesis (Berry et al., 2021) as a framework, the data is analyzed in the context of relative levels of intergroup contact, friendship, immigration-related knowledgeability, and perceived diversity. This study finds that, overall, the Canadian youth surveyed were more supportive of immigration than older generations and reported high levels of intergroup positivity and frequent intergroup contact. Moreover, intergroup contact and intergroup friendships were positively associated with feelings of belonging, whereas support for immigration was associated with immigration-related knowledgeability and perceptions of diversity.