Succeeding From the Margins of Canadian Society: A Strategic Resource for New Immigrants, Refugees, and International Students. Francis Adu-Febiri

      [Carol Goar, We Cannot Let Immigrants Fail. Toronto Star, April 14, 2004]

       Language

      One of the most common barriers to success in Canada for immigrants is language. Having knowledge of English or French and being able to communicate in these two languages can give one a leg up. After all, whether in the workplace or in social encounters being able to communicate in the same language can tear down barriers. Immigrants who speak these two languages are sometimes surprised, however, that despite what they considered to be facility in the language some Canadians beg to differ. “You have an accent!” one hears over and over again, even when this accent does not particularly impede communication. Some exasperated immigrants have enrolled in accent reduction courses or made use of language tapes to “improve” their accents. Others believe that if Canadians can’t accept a multiplicity of accents then too bad! Everyone, after all, has an accent. Just transport the Canadian born and bred individual to Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand and others would be saying the same of them. So, why can’t Canadians simply accept the reality that everyone has an accent and that as long as people can express themselves clearly and well it should be possible to work with them?

      As with most issues the individual has to make the determination as to what is the proper course. There are numerous instances, however, of immigrants who imagined that simply by living in Canada they would achieve fluency in English or French. As the years go by, however, they find that they are no closer to mastering either language than when they first came. Their exasperation continues to increase the longer they live in Canada and hear negative comments about their accent or their lack of fluency. With this in mind, some have found it necessary to enroll in language classes believing that such classes will enhance rather than detract from their goal of blending in with the Canadian mainstream. But not everyone wants to blend in if that means obliterating elements that lend uniqueness to their personalities. Canada, after all, encourages all Canadians to respect their own culture and those of others. The immigrant needs to be aware of the incredible importance of language and effective communication, however. When one of the writers was working in a provincial government ministry it was a matter of considerable wonder to him that people at the higher echelons seemed to be the better communicators. The directors, all masterful communicators, did not always have the highest credentials. Some only had a bachelor’s degree while their subordinates held doctorates and master’s degrees. It drove home the importance attached to effective communication in the work place even among native speakers. Speaking fluently in English and/or French with or without accent would facilitate your successful entry into the Canadian labour market. If you have the chance to improve your English or French speaking skills why not go for it? Bad English is nobody’s culture and neither is atrocious French.

       Qualified? Under or Over?

      You are eager to work. You have the qualifications. You think that employers would be eager to hire you, especially since you see the same advertisement in the paper day in and day out -- the perfect job for you. Well, don’t hold your breath. You may get the job but then again you might not. The number of real or imagined factors that can keep you from getting the job you need and deserve are legion. They may range from your lack of “good” language skills through your lack of a Canadian degree to your being overqualified! Your misfortune, indeed, may be your “choice” of birthplace, parents, the environment in which you grew up, or having too many degrees! Just such a problem faces many new immigrants. Despite their numerous qualifications such as higher educational credentials and impressive work experiences outside Canada, and sending out numerous résumés to Canadian organizations, they don’t get any offers. Many Canadian organizations see such people as not having the relevant Canadian experience to be hired in high level jobs and at the same time overqualified for medium to lower level jobs. Those immigrants in this situation who get connected to the right community, network of settled immigrants or career counselling organization are made to realize that they need to get Canadian educational credentials or whittle their résumés down by not listing all their career achievements and their higher non-Canadian educational qualifications. Guess what? Such new immigrants get jobs.

       Sorry, Wrong Accent

      A white, Jewish and Jamaican couple, Joan and Richard Davidson, who moved to Toronto over twenty years ago found that looking just like the majority of Canadians provided no protection from experiencing the cold hands of prejudice. By the time they landed in Toronto with their three children Richard already had seventeen years of experience in the insurance industry. As Richard answered advertisement after advertisement without any luck on the job front it became obvious that something was not quite right. As Joan notes, “We knew it was because of his accent, because we realized that the reputation of the Jamaicans up here was not that great… To put it in absolute terms, they figured that he was black and they didn’t want to employ him. It didn’t take a genius to figure it out” (Ashante 1999). A number of years later, through some connections Richard was able to obtain an interview with an individual from a family-owned firm in Toronto. As he reports, “I had a great interview with the son, who was very satisfied with me, but when I met with the father he said, ‘I’d really like to employ you because you certainly know your business, but the type of clientele that I have, they wouldn’t be very happy with the phone being answered by a West Indian voice,’ recalls Richard” (Ashante 1999). Interestingly, on those occasions when Richard’s accent was mistaken for a South African, Welsh or Australian one, he noticed that he was much better received.

      Despite the blatant prejudice against some population groups it is well worth knowing that there are many individuals who have succeeded in Canada nonetheless. For example, Raymond Chang, a Jamaican/Canadian is the multimillionaire chairman and capital partner of CI funds, which is one of the largest mutual funds in Canada. For every Raymond Chang, however, there are thousands of immigrants whose dreams may have been derailed not because they were not hardworking, educated, or enterprising but because their colour, like the mark of Cain, made them into untouchables, and thus destined to remain at the bottom rungs of Canadian society.

       Foreign Credentials

      You may have spent a few years in university and worked hard to obtain a degree. In Canada, this degree may not necessarily count for much in the eyes of employers. After all, it was not issued in Canada. The citing of foreign credentials may be just an excuse to refuse jobs to visible minorities. In one case, a lady who had taught for over twenty years in an Asian university tried to get a job in Canada and was told that her degrees, which included a Ph.D. and two master’s degrees, would be recognized only up to high school level! After much haranguing of the authorities in her local area she was finally asked to take some courses in Canadian history, paving the way for full recognition of her undergraduate degree.

      There are indications that some professional organizations try to keep immigrants out just to protect the jobs of their members. Certainly, it makes sense to require new immigrants to prove their expertise but some of the hoops immigrants have to jump through are so ridiculous that there is no better explanation than that the professional groups in question are trying not to open their field to newcomers. When Jurgen Reinhardt, a physiotherapist from Germany became a landed immigrant following his marriage to a Canadian, it seemed appropriate to set himself up in Canada doing what he knows best. He was told upfront by the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators that he had better not waste his money on the application fee as it was unlikely that he would be accepted. Reinhardt “has German colleagues in Vancouver who have failed in that attempt. So now he works as a gardener. ‘I do not want to sound ungrateful because I am a guest here,’ he says, ‘but this is the biggest problem I have. It makes sense to have standards but this is protectionist. It has really gotten to me’” (Janigan 2002). And you know that something is not right when you consider the case of a doctor from Haiti who entered Canada in 1977 but could not practice until 1992. Fifteen years! (Janigan 2002).

      In another case an immigrant from Bahrain who had been in charge of $1.7 billion under the Bank of Bahrain’s management came to Canada only to realize that his background meant nothing to potential Canadian employers. Muneeb Fazili, like many other immigrants had been attracted to Canada as a wonderful place where he