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The Politics of Ethnicity in a Transnational World
Alan SimmonsYork University
First, a One Minute Summary…
Thesis: An examination of ethnicity “politics” in a transnational world leads to these questions:
1. Who are we?
2. How do we relate to others?
From Elan Stavans & Lalo Alcarz (2000: 1)
Who are we?
How do we relate to others?
Outline of Presentation
1. Framework: ethnicity changing in a transnational world
2. Empirical cases: the ethnicity of Latin Americans and Caribbeans in Canada
3. Conclusions: new concepts and measures suggested by this analysis
Framework Questions
1. What is ethnicity?
2. What forces shape ethnicity?
3. Who are the main actors?
4. What are the main current issues?
What is Ethnicity?
Ethnicity as a “political” process involves:
• Social construction of a field of ethnic groups• The field changes across historical periods • Membership is by imposition and/or by voluntary choice • Group boundaries may be rigid or fluid• Individual identification may be with one or many groups
Characteristics of ethnicity in an era of intense transnationalism:
• New ethnic labels are emerging• Some old labels are retained; others are abandoned• Voluntary choice is becoming more important • Group boundaries are increasingly fluid• Identification is increasingly with multiple groups• New ethnic formations are often hybrids
What forces shape ethnicity?
1. Political ideologies: e.g., liberalism
2. Social processes: e.g., transnationalism
3. Social actors, including– Dominators– Minorities– Egalitarians, including;
• Assimilationists• Multiculturalists
Positions of Actors Shaping Ethnicity
EgalitariansDomin-ators
Minorities
ETHNICITY FIELD
A main issue: What kind of multicultural society will emerge?
2. Case Studies
• Background– Numbers, flows & SES indicators
• Latin American ethnicity– Census data– Survey data: Central American adults– Survey data: Latin American youth
• Caribbean ethnicity– Survey data (adult Jamaicans)
Immigrant Numbers
• Total immigrants in Canada: 5,448,480
• From Central & South America 304,650• From Caribbean 294,050• Total 598,700
(Source: 2001 Census)
Immigrant Arrivals to Canada from Latin America and the Caribbean
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
40000
Total
Caribbean
C. Am.
S. Am.
Socio-economic Indicators for Selected Ethnic Groups in Toronto
Central Am.
S.Am. & Mexican
African, Black & Caribbean
Total City
% with university complete 8.9 12.8 10.5 22.7
% university grad’s (ages 20-24) 6.0 9.4 9.7 15.1
Unemployment rate AGES 15-24Unemployment rate AGES 25-64
32.723.9
23.914.3
32.316.5
19.69.4
% in low-skilled jobs WOMEN MEN
79.266.7
68.958.2
68.964.3
52.844.4
% of families below poverty line 51.6 40.2 44.6 22.7
Median family income $31,500 $36,300 $23,400 $51,600
Numbers 7,395 59,030 226,525 2,363,870
Source: Ornstein (2000)
Canadian Residents Who Could be Considered Ethnically Latin American or Hispanic Based on
Information in the 2001 Census
ETHNIC LABEL AND CRITERIA Latin American
N.
Born in Central & South America1 304,600 Self-identify as Latin American2 146,040 Born in Canada identifying as Latin American 11,250
Hispanic Have a knowledge of the Spanish language3 590,688 Identify their ethnicity as Spanish4 209,992
Self-Identification as Visible Minority or Not Among Latin American Born Residents of Canada (2001 Census)
Central American
South American
Not visible minority (European, etc.) 26.3 35.3
Chinese 0.3 1.3
Black 0.4 0.5
Latin American 71.5 60.1
Arab 0.0 0.4
South , West and Other Asian 0.2 0.5
Visible minority, n.i.e. 0.8 1.2
Multiple visible minorities 0.5 0.7
100.0 100.0
Ethnic Identities of Guatemalans and Salvadorians in Toronto
SAGIT Survey, Toronto, 2000. N = 168 Heads of Household
Label Identifies with label (%)
No Sometimes Always Total
Guatemalan or Salvadorian 6.3 10.0 83.8 100.0
Latin American 9.1 33.8 57.1 100.0
Latino 23.8 22.5 53.8 100.0
Central American 25.3 22.9 51.8 100.0
Hispano 43.0 21.5 35.4 100.0
Canadian 70.9 22.8 6.3 100.0
Latin American Youth:Attachment to Ethnic Origin Labels
Identity Label Attachment to label (%)
Not at all A little Very much Total
Spanish 32.8 19.4 47.8 100.0
Hispanic 18.8 10.1 71.0 100.0
Latino 2.7 12.2 85.1 100.0
Source: Survey of Latin American Youths in Toronto, 2000 (N=80)
Latin American Youth:Attachment to New Ethnic Labels
Identity Label Attachment to label (%)
Not at all A little Very much Total
Canadian 65.1 27.0 7.9 100.0
Hispanic Canadian 56.9 23.1 20.0 100.0
Latino Canadian 46.3 19.4 34.3 100.0
Source: Survey of Latin American Youths in Toronto, 2000 (N=80)
Contextual Identity of Jamaican Immigrants
Not at all Very Little
Some-what
Verymuch
How Jamaican do you feel when among Canadian born? 3.9 7.9 15.7 72.4 100.0
How Canadian do you feel when among other West Indians? 36.7 22.7 26.6 14.1 100.0
Jamaican Remittance Survey, Toronto, 2005. N = 123
Percent of Jamaican-born Who Feel Somewhat or Very Canadian Among Other West Indians
0102030405060
LT 20K 20- 39K 40-59K EGT 60K
Annual Household Income ($C.)
Series1
Source: Jamaican Remittance Survey, Toronto, 2005. N = 123
3.Conclusions
Re Framework• Ethnicity as a quest for voice and security?• Ethnicity as a bridge to acceptance?
Re Measures• Add measures of strength of identification with different ethnic
origins?• Add measures of strength of identification with current nation of
residence?
