International Immigration and Official-Language Minority Communities : Challenges and Issues for the Canadian Linguistic Duality

Transcription

1 International Immigration and Official-Language Minority Communities : Challenges and Issues for the Canadian Linguistic Duality Jean-Pierre Corbeil, Ph.D. Statistics Canada Annual meeting of the Language Rights Support Program «Demo-linguistic Evolution and Immigration in Official-Language Communities : Current and Upcoming courses of Action for Constitutional Language Rights» Ottawa, November 19, 214

2 Objectives of the presentation Present major trends on international immigration in Canada Provide some highlights on Immigration in Officiallanguage minority communities 2

3 International Immigration constitutes a growing share of Canada s population 35% 3% 25% 2% 15% 1% 5% 16% Foreign Born 22% 28% % Source: Statistics Canada, 1981 to 26 censuses, National Household Survey, 211 and Projections of the diversity of the Canadian population.

4 Population in Canada by place of birth Million million Canadians (more than 1 in 5) 34.3 million 78% 22% 211 Born in Canada Foreign-Born Source: Statistics Canada, Population Estimates Program and National Household Survey, 211.

5 Population in Canada by place of birth Million million 78% Foreign-Born population by immigration period 17% 19% million Canadians (more than 1 in 5) 22% 211 Born in Canada Foreign-Born Source: Statistics Canada, Population Estimates Program and National Household Survey, % 27% Before

6 Population in Canada by place of birth Million million 85% 78% 22% 15% 34.3 million 78% 22% Born in Canada Foreign-Born Source: Statistics Canada, Population Estimates Program, 1971 Census and National Household Survey, 211.

7 Population in Canada by place of birth Million million 22. million 85% 78% 22% 15% 34.3 million 78% 22% Born in Canada Foreign-Born Source: Statistics Canada, Population Estimates Program, 1931 and 1971 censuses and National Household Survey, 211.

8 Population in Canada by place of birth Million million 42.1 million million 78% 72% million 85% 78% 28% 22% 22% 15% Born in Canada Foreign-Born Source: Statistics Canada, Population Estimates Program, 1931 and 1971 censuses, National Household Survey, 211 and population projections, medium-growth scenario,

9 Foreign-born population in Canada by place of birth % % 3% 12% 4% 31% 16% 7% 6 81% 8% 45% 4 Americas Africa Asia Europe Others 2 28% 22% 22% 15% Foreign-Born Source: Statistics Canada, National Household Survey, 211, 1931 and 1971 censuses.

10 Foreign-born population in Canada by place of birth % % 3% 12% 4% 31% 16% 7% 2% 14% 9% 6 81% 8% 45% 55% 4 Americas Africa Asia Europe Others 2 28% 22% 22% 15% Foreign-Born Source: Statistics Canada, National Household Survey, 211, 1931 and 1971 censuses and Projections of the diversity of the Canadian population.

11 Population in Canada by place of birth Million % 78% 22% 15% 78% 72% 28% 22% Born in Canada Foreign-Born Source: Statistics Canada, National Household Survey, 211.

12 Population in Canada by generation status Million % Born in Canada from both parents also born in Canada Children of immigrants Foreign-Born 85% 22% 15% 78% % 17% 22% 72% 28% Source: Statistics Canada, National Household Survey, 211.

13 Population in Canada by generation status Million % Born in Canada from both parents also born in Canada Children of immigrants Foreign-Born 85% 22% 15% 39% % 17% 22% 72% 28% Source: Statistics Canada, National Household Survey, 211.

14 Population in Canada by generation status Million Born in Canada from both parents also born in Canada Children of immigrants Foreign-Born 78% 2% 39% 35% 65% 22% 15% % 17% 22% 72% 28% Note: For 1971, the distribution by generation status is extrapolated from the distribution for the population aged 15 and Source: Statistics Canada, National Household Survey, 211 and 1971 Census.

15 Population in Canada by generation status Million Born in Canada from both parents also born in Canada Children of immigrants Foreign-Born 78% 2% 39% 35% 65% 22% 15% % 17% 22% 53% 19% 28% 47% Note: For 1971, the distribution by generation status is extrapolated from the distribution for the population aged 15 and over. Source: Statistics Canada, National Household Survey, 211 and 1971 Census and Projections of the diversity of the Canadian population.

16 And what about the consequences of immigration on the evolution of the linguistic portrait of the country?

17 Since 1951, the relative share of English mother tongue has remained pretty stable. On the other hand, the share of French mother tongue has decreased by more than seven percentage points. As for other languages, their share increased by nine percentage points. Evolution of the demographic weight of English, French and other mother tongues, Canada, 1951 to 211 % English French Other Census years 17 Statistics Canada Statistique Canada

18 In Canada as a whole, the decrease in the relative share of French continues. percentage Ability to conduct a conversation First official language spoken Mother tongue Language spoken most often at home Non-native speakers Source: Statistics Canada, Census of Population, Statistics Canada Statistique Canada

19 In 211, immigrants comprised almost 13% of the overall Quebec population. In Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, the proportions were 29%, 28% and 18% respectively. In thousands Number of immigrants in Quebec and demographic share of immigrants within Quebec population, 1971 to 211 % Nombre (milliers) Pourcentage 19

20 Evolution of Canada s demographic portrait Population share of Canada's regions, 1951 to 211 4% 38.4% 35% 32.8% 3% 28.9% proportion 25% 2% 23.6% 18.2% 17.6% 15% 11.6% 13.1% 1% 5% 7.% 8.3% %.2%.3% Atlantic Provinces provinces Quebec Ontario Prairies Provinces provinces British Columbia Territories

21 And what about Immigration in Official- Language Minority Communities?

22 In provinces and territories outside Quebec, the number of immigrants among the Officiallanguage minority population reached 114, in 211. Of that number, almost 7 % lived in Ontario (mainly in Toronto and Ottawa). They represented 2, % of international immigration outside Quebec. Statistique Canada Statistics Canada

23 The share of French-speaking immigrants among the francophone population is on the rise in large Census metropolitan areas. Proportion of French-speaking immigrants (after redistribution of the French-English category) within the total French-speaking population, selected census metropolitan areas percent Moncton Ottawa Toronto Winnipeg Calgary Vancouver Sources: Statistics Canada, 1991 to 26 Censuses and 211 National Household Survey.

24 Knowledge of French among newcomers upon arrival in Canada, Quebec and Canada outside Quebec, 198 à Percentage 4 3 Quebec 2 1 Canada outside Quebec Year Source : Citizenship and immigration Canada 24 Statistique Canada Statistics Canada

25 Ability to sustain a conversation in French or in English among recent immigrants, Quebec, 1971 to 211 1% 9% % % % 5% Ni français ni anglais Anglais seulement Français et anglais 4% Français seulement % 2% % 22.5 % Sources : 1971 to 21 Censuses National Household Survey, 211

26 Francophone immigration in Canada outside Quebec and Anglophone immigration in Quebec : A few similarities and differences. Similarities High level of schooling Polarisation between immigrants highly educated and immigrants with low education Issues related to labour market integration Significant proportion of so-called visible minorities Importance of ability to speak the majority language 26

27 Francophone immigration in Canada outside Quebec and Anglophone immigration in Quebec : a few similarities and differences (con td). Differences Contribution to the demographic vitality of the minority population Outside Quebec, immigrants represent 11.7% of the Francophone population In Quebec, immigrants represent 33.6% of the Anglophone population Outside Quebec, 2% of immigrants are Francophones In Quebec, 36% of immigrants are Anglophones Outside Québec, 23.9% of Francophone immigrants arrived in Canada between 26 and 211 In Quebec, 17.9% of Anglophone immigrants arrived in Canada between 26 and

28 Francophone immigration in Canada outside Quebec and Anglophone immigration in Quebec : a few similarities and differences (con td). Differences Contribution to the demographic vitality of the minority population Outside Quebec, 2.9% of immigrants who arrived in Canada between 26 and 211 are Francophones In Quebec, 28.2% of immigrants who arrived in Canada between 26 and 211 are Anglophone Outside Quebec, 3% of the Francophone population is between 2 and 44 years of age In Quebec, 37% of the Anglophone population is between 2 and 44 years of age Outside Quebec, the majority of Francophone immigrants do not live close to Francophones born in Canada In Quebec, the majority of Anglophone immigrants live close to Anglophones born in Canada 28 Outside Quebec, Francophone immigrants are concentrated in Ontario (Toronto and Ottawa) In Quebec, Anglophone immigrants are concentrated in Montreal

29 Conclusion As migration is becoming the sole driver of population growth, the ethnocultural diversity of the Canadian population will increase rapidly in coming years, and more regional differences are likely to occur International immigration is transforming in a profound way the social, cultural and demographic fabric of Canada. Because of the propensity of most newcomers to adopt English as their first official language spoken in Canada outside Quebec, the demographic imbalance between the English- and French-speaking populations is likely to grow over the years. 29

30 Conclusion (cont d) One can look at the consequences of international immigration on the vitality of Francophone minority communities through at least tow lenses : Numbers : the official-language minority community population keeps increasing. However, the number of French-speaking immigrants increases slowly compared with the number of English-speaking immigrants. Demographic weight : The demographic weight of the French-speaking population outside Quebec is decreasing. The share of French-speaking immigrants represents barely 2% of the overall international immigration. The decline of this demographic share of the French-speaking population outside Quebec is mostly caused by the non-transmission or incomplete transmission of French to children of Francophone parents, the aging of the Francophone population and an insufficient contribution of international immigration which cannot compensate for the consequences of the two latter factors. Do we need 4%, 8% or even 12% of French-speaking immigrants to compensate for these phenomena? 3