The first results from the 2011 Canadian census, released today, have a lot of media commentators talking about the changing face of Canada. The numbers are telling: immigrants already provide two-thirds of our population growth.  In other words, two out of every three new persons living in Canada has come from elsewhere. In 50 years, this ratio will increase to five out of six. In the technical language of the census, however, it is easy to gloss over the fact that ‘immigrants’, we hope, will become ‘citizens’. And as citizens, we want them to feel they have both a stake in Canada’s future and fully participate in the governance of the country. How do we ensure this happens? One place we can start listening is with new citizens who don’t feel politically engaged.

This past Fall, Samara was in Vancouver to speak with politically disengaged new Canadians as part of a series of focus groups across the country. Samara’s report, The Real Outsiders, shares the findings from this research. However, limited space meant that the richness of voice and stories in each focus group could not be fully fleshed out. This is the second in a Listening In series of blogs that will provide greater detail and insight into the conversations of each group Samara spoke with.

Each year, thousands of aspiring citizens who arrived as immigrants, became permanent residents, and passed the citizenship exams, at last become full citizens of Canada. Consequently, before they even have full voting rights, new Canadians have been observing and interacting with the Canadian government and its political system for years. These experiences, shared by the new Canadians in this focus group, tell a broader story of how quickly they learned that government and politics were not really interested in their concerns. In the absence of a real ‘welcome mat’ for political engagement, they preferred to work around government where possible. In short, government and politics are viewed as irrelevant.

Many new Canadians in this focus group, for example, said finding a job for themselves or family members was their greatest concern. While employment agencies, funded by government grants, can help prepare a resume or general job searches, one participant noted, they lack the necessary connections within different industries to connect newcomers who are typically without contacts.  Another wished that immigrants were better advised by the Canadian government prior to arrival of the importance of Canadian work experience in the job market, and what it entails.

Not surprisingly, the job hunt wasn’t always successful. One woman applying for Employment Insurance found that Service Canada was “not helpful.” Another was frustrated when she applied for her citizenship test, but could not find out from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) if they had received her application or not: “it is difficult to contact them.” In short, they come to accept that government doesn’t really work for them.

To resolve their concerns, like finding a job, participants spoke of relying on head hunting firms, consultants, Internet sites, and personal networks for assistance. Even then, the experience has been struggle for many without better credential recognition in place. One woman described working as a teacher in Hong Kong, but upon Canadian arrival, she could, get a job as a nanny, at best. To obtain Canadian certification requires a significant investment of funds and time. Others echoed this experience, describing their friends who, “when they come here, their degrees have no value… you have to again start from scratch.”

Certainly the new citizens expressed their appreciation for their adopted country, but this journey has not been an easy ride after experiencing gaps in government service and the absence of their issues on the political agenda, like accreditation. These negative experiences may be related to how new Canadians conceive of their own democratic role.

Many understood this role as a relatively narrow one focused on voting. There was some willingness to be more involved at the local level, but less so at the provincial and federal levels. Other responses were vague. One man described his described his role simply as a “responsibility” to be “a good citizen.”

As with other groups in the study, one of the barriers the focus group identified was the challenge of getting substantive responses to their questions: “it is easy to get basic information, to know what the politicians are, how it works, but if you want actual answers, it’s hard.” In the end, this group of new Canadians demonstrated little interest in engaging with the political system, preferring to be “more interested in our own small lives – family, friends, and the community.”