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Table 2 Summary background information of ethnocultural communities participating in this study

From: Understanding the bigger picture: syndemic interactions of the immigrant and refugee context with the lived experience of diabetes and obesity

Chinese

Countries or regions represented: Chinese speaking people from all areas including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Predominant immigration pathway or status: Family sponsorship (for seniors, spouses), Skilled worker, landed immigrant/permanent resident, temporary foreign worker, visitor, and student.

Pre-immigration realities: These are usually people who have self-elected to move to Canada for a better life for themselves and their families. There are a mixture of people of different backgrounds in terms of education/training, and age. They usually have strong family ties.

Some key post-immigration realities:

∙ Language barrier (especially for seniors)

∙ Difficulties parenting in two cultures – because the Chinese ways of raising a child may be different in some ways from the Canadian ways.

∙ In moving to Canada on sponsorship of their children, seniors tend to lose their traditional role of head of family with a lot of influence on happenings in the family. They usually tend to be dependent on their children. This sometimes leads to family dispute situations.

Eritrean

Countries or regions represented: All areas of Eritrea.

Predominant immigration pathway or status: Primarily refugees who have lived in countries neighbouring Eritrea for several years, family sponsorship, and visitors who later change to refugee claimants.

Pre-immigration realities: Eritrea has faced a lot of political instability, so people coming to Canada from this background have faced the trauma of war and the harsh realities of life as refugees in other countries. This background also affects the family systems as it leads to families being divided which in turn impacts the socialization process of younger generations into what typical family life looks like, and how parenting is done. Additionally, people may have difficulty accessing appropriate formal education in refugee situations. Given poor living conditions such as inadequate food, medication, and shelter, people’s health are adversely impacted.

Some key post-immigration realities:

∙ Domestic violence situations

∙ Difficulties parenting in two cultures

∙ Language barrier / Inadequate education or training

Filipino

Countries or regions represented: All areas of the Philippines. Additionally, people immigrate into Canada from other countries like Hong Kong, Singapore where they live and work.

Predominant immigration pathway or status: Landed immigrant/permanent resident, live-in caregiver, family sponsorship, temporary foreign worker, and visitor.

Pre-immigration realities: These are usually people who have self-elected to move to Canada for a better life for themselves and their families. Usually well-educated, professionals with strong family ties.

Some key post-immigration realities:

∙ The skills and training for which they gained adequate points for immigration are usually not recognized when they migrate to Canada because they are foreign trained. This may cause difficulties securing certain kinds of jobs and affect the settling down process.

∙ Work situations in which parents have multiple jobs so do not have much time for their children or their own health.

∙ Temporary foreign workers are confined by their boundaries of their contract. Opportunities for renewal and subsequently a path to being an immigrant can be challenging.

∙ Difficulties parenting in two cultures. Sometimes leading to cases with Children's Services.

French-speaking African Community

Countries or regions represented: French-speaking countries in Africa

Predominant immigration pathway or status: Refugees, skilled workers, landed immigrants/permanent residents, foreign workers (being on work permits)

Pre-immigration realities: Those from countries where there has been civil war, for example, DR Congo and Burundi, have experienced trauma from the war and life as refugees in neighbouring countries. There are a lot of people separated from their families and this impacts the socialization process of younger generations into what typical family life looks like, and how parenting is done. Additionally, people are unable to access appropriate formal education in the refugee camps. Given poor living conditions such as inadequate food, medication, and shelter, people’s health are adversely impacted. Those that come in as skilled workers are usually people who have self-elected to move to Canada for a better life for themselves and their families. They usually are well-educated.

Some key post-immigration realities: (mainly faced by refugees)

∙ Poverty and low-income situations (low income/government housing, and dependence on social support services).

∙ Large families unable to afford adequate housing space so they have to live in cramped living conditions.

∙ Language barrier.

∙ Difficulties acquiring education or training for meaningful employment (because of language barrier, income, family situation, no previous history with the formal education system)

∙ Parenting challenges arising from impact of refugee situation on socialization into family life; and difficulties parenting in two cultures. Issues with Children's Services may arise from these conditions.

∙ Children struggle to fit into the school system as it is unfamiliar and also because they feel ‘othered’. Parents also struggle to help their children with their school work since they may not have had much education themselves.

∙ For the skilled worker or foreign worker, the skills and training for which they gained adequate points for immigration are usually not recognized when they migrate to Canada because they are foreign trained. This may cause difficulties securing certain kinds of jobs and affect the settling down process.

Somali

Countries or regions represented: All regions of Somalia

Predominant immigration pathway or status: Government sponsored refugees

Pre-immigration realities: Somalia has had civil war since the late 1990s, most Somalis have lived as refugees in neighbouring countries prior to coming to Canada. Those who immigrated prior to the 90s came mainly on scholarships for education purposes and ended up becoming permanent residents and citizens of Canada. Those who came after the start of the civil war have since come as refugees. People have experienced trauma from the war and many years of life in refugee camp settings. There are a lot of people separated from their families and this impacts the socialization process of younger generations into what typical family life looks like, and how parenting is done. Additionally, people are unable to access appropriate formal education in the refugee camps. Given poor living conditions such as inadequate food, medication, and shelter, people’s health are adversely impacted.

Some key post-immigration realities:

∙ Poverty and low-income situations (low income/government housing, dependence on social support services)

∙ Large families unable to afford adequate housing space so they live in cramped living conditions

∙ Language barrier

∙ Difficulties acquiring education or training for meaningful employment (because of language, income, family situation, no previous history with the formal education system)

∙ Parenting challenges arising from impact of refugee situation on socialization on family life; and difficulties parenting in two cultures. Issues with Children's Services may arise from these conditions.

∙ Domestic violence situations may also come up with changing family role dynamics where the father may lose his role as breadwinner.

∙ Children struggle to fit into the school system as it is unfamiliar and also because they feel ‘othered’. Parents struggle to help their children with their school work since they may have not had much education themselves.

South Asian Community

Countries or regions represented: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan

Predominant immigration pathway or status: Landed immigrants, family sponsored immigrants

Pre-immigration realities: These are usually people who have self-elected to move to Canada for a better life for themselves and their families. Usually well-educated with strong family ties.

Some key post-immigration realities:

∙ The skills and training for which they gained adequate points for immigration are usually not recognized when they migrate to Canada because they are foreign-trained. This may cause difficulties securing jobs commensurate with their training and affect the settling down process.

∙ Being a visible minority in some places, they sometimes face discrimination.

∙ Difficulties parenting in two cultures.

∙ Issues with family violence - one of the causes being changes in power dynamics and gender roles. For example, women having opportunities to work and earn, whereas the man may be struggling with finding a stable job.

South Sudanese Community

Countries or regions represented: Families come from all regions of South Sudan.

Predominant immigration pathway or status: Government-sponsored refugees

Pre-immigration realities: South Sudan had been war-torn for over fifty years, so many South Sudanese people coming into Canada have lived for many years as refugees in refugee camps in neighbouring countries prior to coming. People have trauma from the war and refugee situation. There are a lot of people separated from their families and this impacts the socialization process of younger generations into what typical family life looks like, and how parenting is done. Additionally, people are unable to access appropriate formal education in the refugee camps. Given poor living conditions such as inadequate food, medication, and shelter, people’s health are adversely impacted.

Some key post-immigration realities:

∙ Poverty and low-income situations (low income/government housing, dependence on social support services)

∙ Language barrier

∙ Difficulties acquiring education or training for meaningful employment (because of language, income, family situation, no previous history with the formal education system)

∙ Parenting challenges arising from impact of refugee situation on socialization on family life; and difficulties parenting in two cultures.

∙ Children struggle to fit into the school system as it is unfamiliar and also because they feel ‘othered’. Parents struggle to help their children with their school work since they may have not had much education themselves.