Resilience in Immigrant Youth Paving Your Path Resilience in Immigrant Youth

According to Stats Canada… Census of 2011: Canada had a foreign-born population of 6,775,800 people-which is 20.6.% of the population This means that 1 in 5 people in Canada are foreign-born The majority of foreign-born population live in 4 provinces: Ontario-53.3% British Columbia-17.6% Quebec-14.4% Alberta-9.5% Demographics of Immigrants in Canada from 2006-2011 56.9% came from Asia (including the Middle East) 13.7% were European-born Immigrants 12.3% came from the Caribbean, Central and South America http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/statistics/

Age Demographics of B.C. The total population of B.C. as of the 2011 Census is 4,400,057. The Demographics of Youth in B.C. as of the 2011 Census is the following 0-4 years of age: 219,665 5-9 years of age: 218,920 10-14 years of age: 238,780 15-19 years of age: 275, 165

Where are Canadian immigrants coming from? The 2010 demographics of Immigration to B.C. are the following: China: 9,317 people Philippines: 6,661people India: 5,850 people U.K.: 2,475 people South Korea: 2,164 people Taiwan: 1,842 people U.S.: 1,697 people Iran: 1,359 people Mexico: 758 people Singapore: 631 people Other countries: 11,422 Totalling 44,176 immigrants in the year of 2010

B.C. Immigration Overview by Source Area http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/statistics/facts2014/index.asp

Canada Immigrant Overview by Source area and Age http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/statistics/facts2014/permanent/09.asp

“People who are resilient can effectively cope with, or adapt to, stress and challenging life situations.” Barankin & Khanlou, 2007, p. 9.

Immigrants face many challenges when moving to a new country Immigrants face many challenges when moving to a new country. A new culture, new language, new society with a different value system and different beliefs. Potential poverty, as job search might be challenging. Exclusion from other peer groups (for both youth and adults), difficulties within the household as everyone adapts differently to a new culture, and many more challenges that immigrants face every day when transitioning to a new culture and a new way of life.

What are some factors that enhance resilience in immigrant children? Fostering of resilience can occur within 3 levels: Environmental/societal level Interactional level Individual level

3 levels of Resilience Enhancement of resilience can be divided into 3 different groups. There is resilience at the individual level, the family level and the environment or societal level. The environment or societal level refers to the person’s ethnicity, their cultural beliefs, S.E.S. of the individual’s surroundings, and lastly, the social representations and ideologies. The family level is also known as level of interaction. Level of interaction refers to the interaction between the individual and their surroundings. It can include family, school, and peer groups. In this level, immigrants struggle to find a balance between the home culture (the family they come from, and their ethnic peer group) and the host culture, referring to the school and new peers. Lastly there is the level of the individual, which refers to the person’s personality, their motivation, their opinions or way of thinking (cognition).

Environmental level Inclusion Social Conditions sense of belonging within a community can raise self-esteem and confidence when it comes to socializing, feeling accepted, and being part of a new, bigger culture. As an educator we can teach about other cultures with respect and sensitivity to their traditions; we can help our students connect with culturally appropriate services if available (Barankin and Khanlou, 2007, p. 74) Social Conditions S.E.S. Protective factors: nutritious meals, safe housing/neighbourhoods, adequate clothing,  access to good education and recreational activities Risk factors: difficulty finding employment, unsafe neighbourhoods-crime, pollution- not meeting/barely meeting basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. As teachers we need to speak up to ensure our students are receiving the support necessary (ex: ESL students receiving help in developing new language skills) Media influences

Environmental Level continued Access: systems promoting resilience Education- Barankin and Khanlou (2007, p. 79) Set policies that prevent harassment, bullying and other forms of violence Give students the opportunity to take on responsibility, problem-solve and make decisions Help develop an orientation program to welcome students (new students and returning students) Health The government needs to provide appropriate programs and support of health, including mental health Provide culturally appropriate counselling health care for youth Involvement: youth participation in the world around them Home: participating in cleaning, and taking care of the home School: school planning committee Community: events that are meaningful to the individual

Interaction level Family Protective factors: a family with strong bonds (attachment), loving towards each other, flexible,  supportive, communicate and share their feelings Risk factors: unhealthy attachments within the family, abuse, substance abuse/addiction, do not communicate well, do not accept each other’s feelings or thoughts, absent parents, lack of structure, lack of consistency, etc. Barakin and Khanlou (2007) stated that “young people from poorly functioning families can and do develop into resilient adults because of their individual strengths, a caring relationship with a parent or other supportive adult, or community support that allow them to thrive” (p. 48).

Interaction level continued Outside of the Family group As teacher we can provide support and encouragement that our students many not be receiving at home We can encourage our students to be involved in volunteering events, recreational programs or after-school programs (in community centres or rec centres) We can help parents in looking for parenting programs that will suit their needs-for example: a newcomer asks for help in improving their literacy skills, if you have any knowledge of where they can go to, help them set up an appointment

Individual level Temperament- is the child easy going? Relaxed? Or Demanding? Anxious? Helpful tips: learn and recognize the various types of temperament to be better equipped when dealing with youth that have difficult temperaments Be sensitive to young people’s temperaments Give the student/child the tools and power to become aware of their feelings and how they can deal with them; we can do so by creating lessons such as journal writing, in which students describe their feelings, what evokes these feelings and how these feelings affect their relationships with others (Barakin & Khanlou, 2007, p.22) The knowledge of being able to communicate and explain personal feelings is definitely helpful when transitioning to a new culture-personal example Learning Strengths The individual’s ability to develop knowledge and skills As an educator: give choice within boundaries

Individual level Feelings and emotions Self-concept Ways of thinking Refers to coping, optimism about the future, having a sense of belonging Ways of thinking Adaptive skills Social skills Physical Health

References Motti-Stefanidi, F. & Masten A. S. (2013). School success and school engagement of immigrant children and adolescents: A risk and resilience developmental perspective. European Psychologist, 18(2), 126-135. DOI: 10.1027/1016-9040/a000139 Barankin, T. & Khanlou, N. (2007). Growing Up Resilient: Ways to Build Resilience in Children and Youth. Toronto: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

Recommended Readings Barankin, T. & Khanlou, N. (2007). Growing Up Resilient: Ways to Build Resilience in Children and Youth. Toronto: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. http://www.edutopia.org/blog/welcoming-immigrant-students-into-classroom-sara-burnett How to Welcome Students into the Classroom Beiser, M., Hou, F., Hyman, I., & Tousignant, M. (1998). Growing up Canadian-a study of new immigrant children. Applied Research Branch. p 1-46 Borrero, N., Sookyoung Lee, D. & Padilla, M. A. (2013). Developing a culture of resilience for low-income immigrant youth. Urban Rev, 45, 99-116. Constantine, A. N., Benard, B. & Diaz, M. (1999). Measuring protective factors and resilience traits in youth: The healthy kids resilience assessment. Paper presented at the Seventh Annual Meeting of the Society for Prevention Research, New Orleans, LA Liebenberg, L., Ungar, M. & Van de Vijver, F. (2012). Validation of the child and youth resilience measure-28 (CYRM-28) among Canadian youth. Research on Social Work Practice, 22(2), 219-226. Reardon-Anderson, J., Capps, R. & Fix, M. (2002). The health and well-being of children in immigrant families. An Urban Institute Program to Assess Changing Policies, 52, 1-8. Smokowski, P. R., Reynolds, A. J. & Bezruczko, N. (1999). Resilience and protective factors in adolescence: an autobiographical perspective from disadvantaged youth. Journal of School Psychology, 37(4), 425-448.