Diaspora In Canada Research Articles

“Trying to twist your way out of your skin” — different faces of Chinese Canadian experience in selected poems by Grace Lau

The notions of inclusion, exclusion, and otherness remain at the core of the diasporic experience and an integral part of the history of Chinese diaspora in Canada. In her debut collection The Language We Were Never Taught to Speak (2021), Grace Lau, a Chinese Canadian poet, explores these ideas and their impact on individuals and on the whole Chinese diaspora. Through the analysis of four of Lau’s poems — “When Yuhua Hamasaki Went Home”, “3 a.m. Communion”, “Pedicure at Pinky’s”, and “Escape Artist” — this article discusses how the poet connects experiences of inclusion and exclusion with both historical instances of prejudice and discrimination and their modern counterparts, highlighting the role consumerism plays in those processes.

Functioning of the Chinese Diaspora in Canada: Demographic and Sociocultural Aspects

Functioning of the Chinese Diaspora in Canada: Demographic and Sociocultural Aspects

Letters from Exile: Canadian Media, the Romanian Diaspora, and the Legionary Movement

This article traces the post-Second World War immigration of Romanians to Canada, and addresses themes of self-identification versus outside perception, national identity, and myth-making in the Romanian-Canadian community. It subsequently documents the scrutiny faced by the Romanian diaspora for supposed links to the interwar Romanian far-right Legionary Movement. Beginning in the 1950s, Romanian exiles in Canada forged their own community organizations, churches, and media, in which a unique synthesis of national identity and far-right politics was promoted, placing these new immigrants at the center of intracommunity and inter-ethnic conflict. Following the release of the Deschênes Report on war criminals living in Canada in 1986, as well as a series of unsolved terrorist attacks, Romanian-Canadians were subject to investigations by the mainstream Canadian media for potential involvement in far-right organizing. In the years since the collapse of state socialism in Eastern Europe, significant strands of the Romanian diaspora in Canada have continued to embrace historical figures of the Legionary Movement, synthesizing a diaspora identity flavored by anticommunism, radical right politics, and (ultra-) nationalism well into the post-communist period.

Understanding the Risk of Social Vulnerability for the Chinese Diaspora during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Model Driving Risk Perception and Threat Appraisal of Risk Communication-A Qualitative Study.

During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, immigrants were among the most socially vulnerable in Western countries. The Chinese diaspora in Canada were one such group due to the widespread cultural stigma surrounding their purported greater susceptibility to transmit and become infected by COVID-19. This paper aims to understand the social vulnerability of the Chinese diaspora in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada, during the first wave of COVID-19 from an explanation of their risk perception and threat appraisal of risk communication. We conducted secondary data analysis of 36 interviews using critical realism. The participants self-identified as being of Chinese descent. The results were used to develop a model of how social vulnerability occurred. In brief, cognitive dissonance was discovered to generate conflicts of one's cultural identity, shaped by social structures of (i) stigma of contagion, (ii) ethnic stigma, and (iii) public sentiment, and mediated by participants' threat appraisal and (iv) self-reliance. We assert that risk communicators need to consider their audiences' diverse socialization in crafting messages to modify behaviors, create a sense of responsibility, and mitigate public health threats. A lack of awareness of one's cognitive dissonance driven by cultural vulnerability may heighten their social vulnerability and prevent them from taking action to protect themself from high-risk events.

Critical Estimation of Rohinton Mistry’s Novel ‘Such a Long Journey’

The present paper emphasizes on the presentation of the predicament of Parsi community in Indian context as reflected in Rohinton Mistry’s novel ‘Such a Long Journey’ (1991). The novel selected for the study provides sufficient background to grasp the socio-political status of marginalized group of Indian society viz. Parsi in post-colonial era. Rohinton Mistry being associated with Indian Diaspora in Canada utilizes his fictional writing to explore the life, struggle, frustration and middle-class aspirations of an average, lower middle-class Parsi family in Bombay in the novel under scrutiny.

Жінки України у боротьбі за формування національного світогляду в умовах еміграції: на прикладі діяльності українських жіночих організацій Канади

Successful development and the formation of a modern legal system in Ukraine should be based on the understanding of the value of human life, the importance of the full and harmonious development of each individual, ensuring human rights, and the necessity of creating conditions for the self-realization of human potential. This is possible only through the provision of gender equality. The study and reconsideration of the idea of gender equality through the example of the activities of Ukrainian women's movements in the conditions of emigration not only analyze the development of this idea in the past but also take into account the achievements of the past in understanding the ways and legal mechanisms for the real provision of gender equality in modern Ukrainian society. The article examines the role and contribution of Ukrainian women in the process of shaping the national worldview among the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada. The importance of the contribution of Ukrainian women in the diaspora to the formation of cultural and national identity helps to highlight their role in preserving and developing the Ukrainian heritage beyond the homeland and their influence on the activities of women's movements in Ukraine during the studied period. An integral part of the socio-political life in the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada became the women's movement, which initiated the creation of Ukrainian women's societies. Their task was not only to preserve national self-identification and culture but also the need to assist national institutions in Ukraine. The article also reveals important aspects of women's activities in public life, education, the cultural sphere, and the struggle for the rights of the Ukrainian community in Canada. It explores the instruments, methods, and strategies used by women to support their national identity and contribute to the formation of a Ukrainian national worldview among the immigrant community.

Work of Ukrainian Composers in Concert and Performance Practice of Pianists of the Canadian Diaspora in the Second Half of the Twentieth Century

The purpose of the work is to highlight the main milestones of the concert performance activities of pianists of the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada in the second half of the twentieth century; to reveal the palette of their repertoire; to outline the role of Ukrainian composers in the performing heritage of emigrant pianists. The research methodology is based on the following scientific approaches: chronological, which allows the author to consider the artistic activity of pianists of the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada in a chronological sequence; specific search, which consists in studying the literature on related topics; subject-targeted analysis of the concert and performance atmosphere in the diaspora, which helped to trace the individual performance style of emigrant pianists and the palette of their concert repertoire. The scientific novelty of the research lies in a comprehensive study of the main aspects of the performing creativity of pianists of the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada in the second half of the twentieth century, mainly in clarifying the role of the Ukrainian composers in their repertoire; for the first time, the concert and performance achievements of pianists Roman Stetsura and Stefania Zhovnir-Klos, little-known in Ukraine, were analysed. Conclusions. Having analysed the concert activities of Ukrainian pianists of different generations, it can be argued that the creative and performing activities of artists of the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada have made a significant contribution to the development of the musical culture of Ukraine, as its representatives have made great efforts to preserve and popularise the national musical art in a multicultural environment. A vivid evidence of this is the inclusion in their performance repertoire of works by composers of different eras: from D. Bortnianskyi and M. Lysenko, to examples of the musical creativity of contemporary masters – B. Filts, E. Stankovych, M. Skoryk, H. Liashenko, O. Krasotov, Zh. Kolodub, L. Dychko, with whom the pianists worked closely. Key words: Ukrainian diaspora of Canada, piano performance, Ukrainian composers, repertoire, concert performances.

Impact of the overseas Chinese diaspora on Canada's economic development

China today is the largest country in terms of population on our planet. The Chinese diaspora also occupies a leading position in the world. According to various sources, in 2021 the total number of the Chinese living abroad was 38.9 million people. There is a large Chinese diaspora in Canada with a rather interesting history. There are now 1.92 million Chinese Canadians living there. The Chinese living in this country have influenced and continue to influence its economy as a fairly active part of the population.

The shadow pandemic and the divine feminine in the diaspora: An analysis of Deepa Mehta’s Heaven on Earth

This article engaged in a literary analysis of Deepa Mehta’s Heaven on Earth, with a specific focus on the shadow pandemic being domestic violence in the Indian diaspora, and on the film’s representation of the divine feminine in Indian culture. By using the lens of Hindu mythology, the feminine divine was given prominence. The film centres on the Indian diaspora in Canada. The Canadian diaspora was similar to the South African diaspora through its depiction of Indian and African people living together and experiencing a shared knowledge with specific reference to traditional medicine. Through Heaven on Earth, Mehta offered an alternative to hegemonic patriarchal religious depictions and a varied perspective on gender by highlighting the essential role of the divine feminine. The term ‘shadow pandemic’ denoted domestic violence as a ‘pandemic’ that has scourged across the world, exacerbated by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through an analysis of culture and female divinity, the main female protagonist of the text was able to exit an abusive relationship and enter into her own female power. This feminine agency was an important resource for countless women trapped in abusive relationships.Contribution: The discussion in this article centres on a literary analysis of Deepa Mehta’s Heaven on Earth (2008) with emphasis on domestic violence and the shadow pandemic with specific emphasis on women of colour in the diaspora. The analysis also makes use of a cultural lens to discuss both the snake and androgyny in diasporic Indian culture providing a counter-stance to patriarchy. This research can be utilised by hermeneutists of suspicion and specialists in the field of public theology.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine and humanitarian nationalism in Canada

ABSTRACT Canadian society and governments across multiple jurisdictions have embraced an unprecedented “humanitarian nationalism” in relation to Ukraine and particularly to displaced Ukrainians coming to Canada after the Russian invasion. Humanitarian support for Ukrainians in Canada is salient and unprecedented: Ukrainian flags fly on cars, appear in gardens and are attached to churches, but the Canadian state also champions Ukraine and its people in it foreign policy, and on the federal government website for Ukrainians seeking safety in Canada, where flags are also evident. Comparing recent special government programs for Ukrainians, Afghans and Syrians, data overwhelmingly show more Ukrainians are being helped, support matched by widespread support from civil society. The presence and mobilization of a vast and well-organized Ukrainian diaspora in Canada, as well as the relative absence of securitization concerns in relation to Ukrainians, have shaped the very warm welcome they have received.

Intercultural sensitivity at work: oral histories of the first-generation Serbian immigrants to multicultural Canada

ABSTRACT This article aims to problematize the concept of Canadian multiculturalism from its inception in 1971 to its current tendencies and determine whether this policy is still attainable by referring to significant views of Hall, Taylor, Duchastel, Perin, Clifford, Drache, Hoyos and Kymlicka. These theoretical insights are explored in the case of the Serbian diaspora in Canada. The study is based on the oral histories of the members of the first generation of Serbian immigrants to Canada, conducted in July 2008 in Toronto. Bennett’s Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity is used as a theoretical framework. The results show that the first generation of Serbian immigrants shares stronger ties with the mother country than their descendants; however, respect for the values of diversity and hybridity contributes to the process of making inter-generational differences less conspicuous which, regarding the Serbian diasporic community, represents a proof of the topicality of the Canadian multicultural experiment.

Libraries as Information Resources Centers of the Ukrainian Diaspora in Canada

Libraries as Information Resources Centers of the Ukrainian Diaspora in Canada

Narrative Themes of Chinese Canadian Intergenerational Trauma: Parental Experiences

ABSTRACT In a series of two papers, the narrative themes of Intergenerational Trauma (IGT) from both the parent and offspring generation in the Chinese diaspora in Canada are examined. This paper focuses on the experiences of parental participants and their perspectives on how trauma transmits to the next generation. Narratives of IGT from three participants were co-constructed using the Collaborative Narrative Method. The narratives were largely situated during pre-migration in China, with most traumatic experiences related to sociopolitical events between the 1950s to 1980s. Themes were developed from the narratives using reflexive thematic analysis. These themes include the following: (a) decimation of social structures; (b) oppression, chaos, and abuse; (c) desperation for survival; (d) personal losses and the denial of education and opportunities; and (e) preservation of values. Themes associated with participant perception of how their traumatic experience transmitted to their offspring, include the following: (a) desire for stability and opportunities; (b) pressure and concern for the future of their offspring; and (c) hope for the future. The study has implications for understanding the linkage between historical events and individual narratives in the Chinese diaspora, as well as the study of IGT among Chinese populations and their narratival understandings.

The Latin American Diaspora in Canada today

The author examines the parameters of the Latin American diaspora in modern Canada. Various aspects are investigated: quantitative and qualitative components, as well as the history of its formation. Difficulties are noted with the unification of terminology used when counting immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean. Difficulties with the self-identification are also pointed out. Particular attention is paid to the assimilation of Hispanic immigrants from Latin America in the francophone province of Quebec and immigration from Mexico.

Peculiarities of the relationship of the Ukrainian-Canadian «special partnership»

The more than century-long history of Ukrainians in Canada led to the formation of unique Ukrainian-Canadian relations, which were later legally consolidated as a «special partnership» in the Joint Declaration on a Special Partnership between Ukraine and Canada dated March 31, 1994. Both Ukraine and Canada were colonies of two empires. After all, Canada, as a state, arose as a result of the colonization of the territory of North America by two competing European nations: the French and the Anglo-Saxons. In turn, the western part of Ukraine once belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the eastern part to the Russian Empire. The colonial past of both states determines their certain historical kinship, which is one of the specific features of the «special partnership» relationship between our countries. However, the formation and development of Ukrainian-Canadian «special partnership» relations took place under the influence of the super-powerful Ukrainian diaspora in Canada, which, being one of the most powerful and organized, not only plays a prominent role in the political life of its country, but also acts as a decisive factor that determines the specificity of Ukrainian - Canadian relations. The Ukrainian community in Canada is one of the most powerful, organized and active. As a result, a prominent role in the political and cultural life of Canada. The Ukrainian community of Canada managed to positively integrate into the country's non-ethnic society, at the same time preserve its identity and act as a reliable partner of Ukraine in the implementation of internal democratic reforms and improvements in foreign policy positions. Having variable instruments of influence on international politics, it used the most effective strategy for achieving its own goals, the essence of which is to influence the policy formation of the host state. The Ukrainian diaspora played a significant role in shaping the image of independent Ukraine in Canada, in popularizing Ukrainian domestic and foreign policy, which contributed to the formation of friendly and mutually beneficial relations between the two countries and found its logical continuation in the form of the establishment of first diplomatic relations, and later «special partnership» relations between Ukraine and Canada.

Light in the contemporary churches of the Ukrainian diaspora

Nowadays, the Ukrainian church building has not yet succeeded in establishing its own modern image/type of church, different from the conventional one. One of the significant reasons for this situation is the long break in the design and construction of churches in Ukraine during the 20th century. The Ukrainian diaspora has accumulated considerable experience in the construction of modern churches, which ensures the continuity of the tradition of the church building. The purpose of the research is to explore the still invaluable experience of designing church buildings and the architectural and artistic organisation of their interior in Ukrainian diaspora churches, which is an important foundation for solving the problem of developing the image/appearance of a modern church. The research used general scientific and special methods. Attention is devoted to the research of current issues of developing a light composition in the sacred space of modern diaspora churches. The research analyses several projects by architects of the Ukrainian diaspora in the field of sacred architecture. The research identifies the specific features of the establishment and development of church architecture in the Ukrainian diaspora in terms of the debate over the conventional and modern forms of church buildings and the spatial organisation of the light composition of their sacred space. The research outlines the influence of the local architectural tradition of the church building in North America – Protestant and Catholic churches – and the modernist design culture of the period of functionalism and neo-modernism in architecture on the architectonics of Ukrainian churches in the diaspora and the organisation of the light environment of their interior space. For the first time, the features and regularities of the organisation of the light environment of the most famous Greek Catholic churches of the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada and the United States, built in the second half of the 20th century, are explored. The influence of natural light on the architectonics of churches and the specific features of visual perception of their internal object environment and on the development of the appropriate mood imbued with mysticism and sacred atmosphere of the interiors of churches is determined. The experience of diaspora architects is explored and analysed, which has not been understudied but will be essential for use in the practice of Ukrainian architects in designing modern churches while preserving national identity and church-building traditions

Motif of Death in Ukrainian-Canadian Poetry

Purpose of the research is to study the originality of interpretation of death in the lyrics of Ukrainian diaspora in Canada in the context of the opposition "foreign land – motherland", based on its existential development in philosophical anthropology and culture of the last two centuries. Its implementation presupposes, first of all, analysis of the forms of development and disclosure of the death motif by figurative and artistic means. Theoretical basis. The author uses the well-founded tradition of interpreting the death motif in philosophical literature of the last centuries, i.e. non-classical and modern philosophical thought. Originality. The present study is an attempt at systematization of the notions of death in Ukrainian poetry in Canada in the second half of the 20th century. It is based on the study of artistic texts and the worldview of Ukrainian emigrants. Appeal to the fiction of the Ukrainian Diaspora allows illustrating the originality of philosophical understanding of death in the context of the national culture. Conclusions. Reference to Ukrainian-Canadian poetry allows expanding the space of philosophical understanding of death in the form of figurative fiction. Concretizing the character of their interpretation of the motif of death, it is necessary to focus attention on its two basic forms of manifestation: existential, associated with living abroad, and sacrificial death for the benefit of the homeland. Thus, the motif of death occupies a significant place in the lyrics of representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora. The concept of human death is closely connected with the concept of life, which is concretized through their meaningful comprehension. This is a matter of interpretation of despair and loneliness motifs, as well as the illumination of the images of a foreign land, which is one of the features of emigrant literature in general.

THE PHENOMENON OF UKRAINIAN DIASPORIC CINEMA IN THE CONTEXT OF CANADIAN MULTICULTURALISM POLICY

The article is devoted to a comprehensive study of the genesis and development of Ukrainian cinema in the conditions of being outside the ethnic territory. The author explores cinema as one of the essential aspects of the national and cultural movement of the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada from the second quarter of the 20th – to the beginning of the 21st century. Particular attention is paid to the phenomenon of Canadian multiculturalism and its role in the development of both Anglo-French and Ukrainian cultural traditions. The relevance of this work is related to the current geopolitical, economic and cultural state of Ukraine in the world. Today, in the conditions of military aggression, ethnic genocide, and information chauvinism, which caused a new wave of Ukrainian emigration, it is necessary to take steps to preserve the national heritage and acquaint the world community with the achievements and urgent needs of Ukraine. Therefore, cultural and strategic cooperation between Ukraine and Canada is too important. This publication summarizes the main aspects of the history of Ukrainian and Canadian cinema, formulates standard and distinctive features of Western – Anglo-Saxon, French, and East Slavic – Ukrainian film tradition, analyzes various manifestations of Ukrainian diaspora cinema in Canada, and studies acculturation trends. We included the necessary source base to achieve this goal, containing Canadian and Ukrainian periodicals, the vast majority of which were put into scientific circulation for the first time. Based on carefully studied relevant historiography, the author draws the appropriate conclusions necessary for the entire disclosure of the topic of the scientific article. It is essential to compare the vision of the creative process from the standpoint of historians, cultural study researchers, and artists - actors, directors, and screenwriters who have influenced the development of domestic and foreign cinema. The article's methodology consists of analysis, historical-comparative, and historical-genetic methods. The object of the work is the culture of the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada, and the subject is the analysis of the history and development of Ukrainian cinema in Canada as a multicultural state. This article attempts to supplement and summarize various aspects of the problem.

Narrative themes of Chinese Canadian intergenerational trauma: offspring perspectives of trauma transmission

ABSTRACT In a series of two papers, the narrative themes of Intergenerational Trauma (IGT) from both the perspectives of the parent and offspring generation in the Chinese diaspora in Canada are examined. IGT involves parental traumatization, the intergenerational transmission of trauma, and the impact of trauma on subsequent generations. This study focuses on the narratives of the offspring generation and their construction of how their parents’ traumas shaped their lives. Narratives of IGT were constructed using a collaborative narrative method. The offspring narratives were centred on their experiences growing up in Canada and how those experiences were influenced by the transmission of their parents’ traumas. Narratives were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) reflexive thematic analysis. The themes developed from the narratives were as follows: (a) silence and disconnection; (b) saving face and conflicting values; (c) discipline and internalization of insecurities; (d) education as necessity; and (e) preservation and reclamation of heritage. The study illustrates how collective and IGT are understood through the mediated narrative lens of subsequent generations. The role of silence and its construction in these narratives is discussed from a cultural standpoint in relation to dominant trauma discourse. The study has implications for understanding Chinese diasporic IGT through narrative and cultural frameworks and invites trauma and IGT discourses as clinical and research considerations for this population.

Свобода вибору країни проживання: рееміґрація з Канади в Українську РСР (1955–1960-ті роки)

The article examines the peculiarities of the Soviet policy of return-to-the-homeland campaign from Canada to the Ukrainian SSR, which since 1955 was conducted by the Committee for Repatriation to the Motherland. The Ukrainian Diaspora in Canada occupied a special place in the committee’s efforts. The propaganda campaign for re-emigration was aimed at forming a positive images of the Soviet Union / Ukrainian SSR, in particular their economic achievements. The emotional component that was used to stir up nostalgia among the Diaspora was also fully used. The Ukrainian pro-communist press published numerous letters by Ukrainians who had lived in Canada but returned to their native land as evidence of the wonderful life in Ukraine. The return-to-the-homeland campaign was helped by leftist Canadian organizations (such as Association of United Ukrainian Canadians) through their own newspapers. It regularly published letters to friends in Canada from recent returnees. The return-to-the-homeland campaign was conducted in the context of the Cold War and the difficult relationship between Canada and the Soviet Union. However, re-emigration from Canada did not become so massive, as hoped for by its organizers, and by its scale was inferior to reminiscences from other countries (for example, from Argentina). The hundreds of Canadians who resettled in the Soviet Union in the second half of the 1950s represented only a small part of the Ukrainian origin community in Canada. But even in this situation, the Canadian government’s position on the return-to-the-homeland campaign was clearly considered too passive by members of the Ukrainian Canadian Committee. Canadians who returned to the U.S.S.R. felt duped and were not easily integrated into Soviet life. Those who succumbed to the manipulation of Soviet propaganda were quickly disappointed with the realities of life in the Ukrainian SSR and began to appeal for a return. Such persons immediately fell within the sight of the Committee of State Security, whose staff conducted “preventive conversations” with them. From the Canadian government’s perspective, there were no problems for people who had been born in Canada and they were eligible for Canadian citizenship. From the Soviet point of view, such steps were equivalent to political betrayals and were completely prevented. Separate cases of successful returns to the ocean were fixed at the beginning of the 1970s, which became possible due to the detente of international tensions during the Cold War and more persistent actions by Canadian authorities. A small number of repatriates managed with considerable difficulty to return to Canada. Some of them (N. Demydenko, E. Lenko) have been seeking permission to go to Canada for several years.