Older Immigrant Families: Issues of Socio-Economic Justice Kenise Murphy Kilbride, Ph.D. Ryerson University Toronto, ON., Canada International Metropolis Conference Tampere, Finland September 9-13, 2013

Overview of Project: Speaking with Ontario Seniors ● Phase I: ● Review of the literature ● Selection of immigrant language groups ● 10 individual English interviews with Key Informants ● 20 first-language focus group interviews with 120 immigrant women who had come to Canada at age 50 or over ● 20 first-language focus group interviews with 138 family members who had sponsored a senior to Canada ● 12 First Languages ● ArabicGujaratiPunjabiTagalog ● CantoneseKoreanRussianTamil ● FarsiMandarinSpanishUrdu

Phase II: Demographic Overview of Ontario Seniors First-language individual interviews with 72 first-language immigrant men over 55 years in age 3 Focus group interviews in English with 19 family members who had sponsored a senior into smaller cities 3 English interviews with Key Informants in smaller cities

Cities of women’s and families’ 40 focus groups and men’s 72 individual interviews, all in first languages WindsorNiagara-St. CatharinesToronto LondonHamiltonMarkham MississaugaKitchener-Waterloo Ottawa Smaller cities for families’ 3 focus groups in English Brantford Chatham-Kent Thunder BayBrantford Chatham-Kent Thunder Bay

Less tangible sources of sense of injustice against older members of the family: Ageism Racism Sexism Loss of: Dignity, status Roles as competent providers Independence as couples and persons

More tangible bases for sources of sense of injustice against older members of the family: Unemployment Absence of other income e.g., rent from property, or savings, sold to help family or afford move to Canada Old Age Security No opportunities for productivity, creativity, innovation The ensuing isolation of financially distressed people

If you come here as a refugee it’s impossible for you to be happy. I found myself here lost and unknown…. I came here, and I can’t even say I started at zero, because I’m below zero. I’m willing to do anything, I’m willing to start at the bottom but they don’t give you the opportunity to start anywhere. (Arabic Speaker in Windsor)

I would have liked to have known what I was giving up by coming here. It’s true, coming here probably saved my life, but at what cost? I’ve been unable to provide for my family because I don’t speak English; we had a good socioeconomic position there and here we are at the bottom. (Spanish Speaker from London)

Results of financial situation and its sources: Men: Depression (overwhelming responses) Women: To a somewhat lesser extent, depression and to a great extent, stress over husband's depression and their own Both: Ill health, with the women highly articulate about all and any illnesses the direct or indirect result of financial distress

Intrafamilial stress:Intrafamilial stress: Couples: Considerable concern about the well-being of each other Loss of comfort in relationship Involuntary separation Elder abuse

Parents-children: Relationship now characterized by embarrassment, resentment, stress, and humiliation Financial dependence and strain Domestic servitude of elders to their children In-law conflicts, consequences

Intrafamilial stress, parents- children, continued: Role reversal: older generation being supported by younger generation older generation draining resources of their children younger generation controlling the rules of the home: diet, times of eating, rising and retiring, entertaining (and types of), etc.

Overt conflicts: over childrearing goals for male and female children (friends, clothes, dating patterns, adornment over pain from failed expectations on both sides

Grandparents-grandchildren: Delays in sponsorship and other absences equal: failures in communication a lack of mutual support and intergenerational misunderstandings Ongoing sources of strain: no common language incompatible socializations into different societies, cultures differing identity formations

Seniors' Reflections: What would help? Financially: Employment! Make elders a designated class Create or support specialized employment agencies Financially: Self-employment! Immigrant entrepreneurship certificates Government-backed start-up loans Financially: Old Age Security inclusion No 2nd-class citizenship

Seniors' Reflections: What would help? --continued Better government support for: Multigenerational housing: only purely voluntary seniors' residence preferred education for ethnic groups' understanding Language acquisition

Thank you