Professionalization and Colonized Body? the Career Rebuilding of Chinese Immigrants in Toronto Canada

Background & Purpose

    Recent research shows that Chinese immigrants encounter challenges in employment in Canada, such as language barriers, unfamiliarity with job market, non-recognition of foreign credentials and/or work experience, and lack of networking, social skills or Canadian work experience. For many Chinese immigrants, professionalization has been one of the key strategies for better settlement experience and professional achievement. However, professionalization aggravates colonization and creates hierarchy between “local” and “foreign” achievements that distinguishes professionals from “non-professionals” based on criteria in the immigrant-receiving country. This study is designed to explore the employment experiences and strategies of Chinese immigrants in Toronto, and to investigate the operation of colonization in the changing process of their career trajectories.

Method

    The study employed semi-structured, in-depth interviews to capture cultural understanding, knowledge, and information provided by our participants. We recruited immigrants from different Chinese communities, such as Taiwan (n = 16), Hong Kong (n = 12), and Mainland China (n = 22) through snowball sampling in collaboration with two local Chinese community-based organizations and one immigrant service agency. Interviews last from 60-120 minutes and were conducted in the language preferred by the participant (Mandarin, Cantonese, or English). Grounded theory and critical discourse analysis were used to explore how societal power relations and colonization are established in their life adaptation and how colonization is operated by professionalization.

Findings

    Data analysis reveals that the process of seeking “sameness” with local populations helps Chinese immigrants to seek inclusion but disempowers them psychologically at the same time. Some participants doubt whether they can transfer their skills to the new country and obtain satisfying jobs. The colonial process of “professional” training in the new country frustrates these immigrants and causes low self-esteem. The strategies Chinese immigrants use to develop their career include participating in language courses, vocational training, and volunteer work and placement programs. However, these immigrants have to negotiate their skills and reconstruct their understanding of job market - usually by devaluing their cultural heritage as well as valuing Canadian culture- in order to fit into the new country. Findings show that professionalization provides these immigrants with access to more opportunities, but shapes their understanding and reconstruction of self-concept.

Conclusions & Implications

    The negotiation and sacrifice in the process of career rebuilding of these Chinese immigrants should be considered as a social justice issue in social work practice. Findings highlight the importance of reexamining the ideology of colonization in professional training and its impact on career development. Also, it is imperative to problematize the notion of immigrant adaptation as a main goal in our employment services. Social and employment services may benefit from using critical lens of diversity and to reexamine the bridging programs in order to develop cultural-specific career transition plans. By enhancing the academic understanding of career transformation of Chinese immigrants in Canada, social workers can improve services with more respect for immigrants’ self-determination and autonomy, minimizing oppression and discrimination.