By Yue Qian, University of British Columbia; The Conversation
While some western cultures identify the family unit as couples and their children, many other cultures see that unit as larger, with parents as an integral part of the family and household. (Pexels Photo)
The Canadian government recently announced it is indefinitely pausing new permanent residency sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents.
Up until the pause, a limited number of qualifying Canadian citizens and permanent residents were able to apply to bring a parent or grandparent to Canada. Now the only option is a 10 year super visa which only allows them to stay in Canada for up to five years at a time.
The pause is part of the federal government’s broader push to reduce permanent immigration by 20 per cent.
This announcement could be devastating news for thousands of immigrant families settled in Canada hoping to reunify with their parents. The pause could also further undermine Canada’s efforts to recruit and retain skilled immigrants and address chronic worker shortages.
Culture matters: definitions of family
While some western cultures identify the family unit as couples and their children, many other cultures see that unit as larger, with parents as an integral part of the family and household.
I grew up in China and as the only child in my family, it was a hard decision to come to Canada to work. I dedicated my PhD dissertation to my parents:
“I want to thank my parents…It was not easy for them to spend every day, in particular Chinese New Years, without their only daughter by their side. They love me so much that they let me be half the world away to pursue my passion and career!”
How to provide care to my elderly parents has been on my mind since I left China over a decade ago. As the child of a working-class family, part of my financial equation is supporting my parents, including (if my parents are willing to move) my sponsorship of their immigration to Canada.
I am not alone. According to 2021 Canadian Census data, over 700,000 immigrants to Canada are from China. And many of them were born during the one-child policy era from 1979-2015.
Over the years, I have served as an expert witness for many immigration cases in which immigrants had to justify why it was important for their parents to immigrate to Canada.
In those cases, I have explained that just as young children are considered dependants of principal immigrant applicants and thus, will be admitted as accompanying immediate families, parents could also be interpreted as dependants.
The current definition of “dependants” in Canada’s immigration reflects what prominent sociologist Dorothy Smith had called the Standard North American family, emphasizing parents and young children living in the same household as a family.
However, many recent immigrants to Canada come from India, the Philippines, China, Syria, Nigeria and elsewhere — places where older parents and their adult children rely on mutual support to keep their family running.
Challeges of separation and caregiving
Culture also matters. For example, in China and elsewhere, the idea of placing one’s parents in a nursing home is considered shameful. Because of the cultural emphasis on filial piety, people often perceive relying on nursing homes for elder care as a personal failure and a sign of abandonment by adult children that leads to a serious loss of dignity for the elderly.
As one senior care centre director in Shanghai said, “if you get along well with your children…few will consider a nursing home.”
To add to this, the nursing homes reality is harsh in China. In Shanghai, China’s largest city, there are fewer than three nursing home beds for every 100 elderly residents. In other less-developed regions, the shortage is worse, with virtually no specialized nursing homes for taking care of elderly persons with disabilities.
The lack of social connectedness to adult children is a significant risk factor for physical and verbal abuse. Parents could lack social connectedness with their children who have immigrated to Canada, making them particularly vulnerable to abuse and neglect in nursing homes.
Older immigrants are not burdens
A frequent argument against parent and grandparent immigration is that they will prove to be a burden on Canada’s welfare and health-care system.
But research has demonstrated that older immigrants are not burdens on Canadian society as commonly assumed. Rather, according to an article in Canadian Ethnic Studies, “sponsored parents and/or grandparents make significant economic contributions to Canadian society as well as other non-economic ones that are often overlooked.”
For example, given the shortage of affordable child care in Canada, many immigrant families rely on grandparents to care for young children, so that their parents, especially women, can continue to work outside the home. Many elderly immigrants also contribute to Canada’s economy by working paid jobs and enrich Canada’s communities through their diverse volunteer services.
Canada is competing against other countries for talented workers. Allowing immigrants to reunite with their parents (and grandparents) is not only the right humanitarian choice; it is also one that will help Canadian families in their day to day lives, not to mention boost Canada’s efforts to retain much-needed talent.
Yue Qian, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of British Columbia
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
