Читать книгу Succeeding From the Margins of Canadian Society: A Strategic Resource for New Immigrants, Refugees, and International Students - Francis Adu-Febiri - Страница 14

CHAPTER FOURBARRIERS TO MINORITY SUCCESS: ETHNOCENTRISM

In the eyes of the world, Canada is an open, tolerant country that does a remarkably good job of accommodating newcomers. In our own eyes – and those of recent immigrants – we are a nation coasting on an outdated reputation.

[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 could give his children a comfortable life. Even though he had a chartered accountancy degree from India he had to find work in a Canadian company before his expertise would be recognized by the Canadian professional authorities in that field. As he notes, “People just weren’t interested to speak to me or to see me. I think people just saw it as an immigrant’s résumé and that was it” (Vu “From Executive to Entry Level” 2003). The upshot is that many immigrants have to accept jobs far beneath their professional capabilities. If it’s any comfort, to catch up to one’s former professional status, Lionel Laroche, vice-president of cross-cultural and relocation services at Toronto-based CPI/Hazel & Associates points out that, “It may take 10 to 15 years, but at that point, [the immigrants’] previous managerial experience becomes very valuable to an organization. That’s because they now know how to manage Canadians as well as how to manage back in their home countries” (Vu “From Executive to Entry Level” 2003). Ten to fifteen years; are you taking notes? According to Laroche, Canadians may not be eager to hire managerial talent from outside because “We learn management from our public schools, from our university professors, from our parents, from our summer jobs” (Vu “From Executive to Entry Level” 2003). This might be a convenient excuse.

Could it be that because people in mainstream Canadian society grow up hearing about how wonderful Canada is and by extension how great Canadians are, they develop a feeling of superiority to people from other parts of the world? But then again, people from Australia, South Africa, or the United Kingdom are very quickly accepted and offered opportunities because Canadians probably feel that they are on a par with people from these countries whereas they might find it difficult to accept someone from Bahrain, India, or Burkina Faso coming into a company as a manager. Canadians may feel it’s all right to take orders or guidance from an Australian, a Brit, or an American, all the better if that individual is white, but to take orders from a Burkinabe. Tsk-tsk. Thus, it might be more in keeping with the expectations of some in the mainstream society that immigrants from less favoured societies serve in lowly positions. When finally someone offered Fazili a position there was no disappointment. Tim Collins of Stafflink Solutions, who offered Fazili a job as a part-time accountant admits that he has learned a lot from Fazili as indeed he has provided some mentorship to this accountant from Bahrain. Isn’t this the way it should be? People learning from one another and advancing together regardless of national background? Fazili, by the way, has since been promoted to a top position in the company. If Canadians gave more immigrants a chance maybe they would discover that having an accent does not mean that a person is dumb.

Canadian Experience

Though there may be some pressure on you to get a job, if you are in a position to volunteer, do so. This would help you learn about people in your host country and to absorb some of the values in the Canadian workplace. Such volunteer experience could also come in handy when employers begin to ask about whether you have Canadian experience. Your volunteer experience could be your bridge from untried newcomer to seasoned worker in the Canadian workplace. It seems like a catch-22 when employers would not offer you a job because you do not have the all-important “Canadian experience.” But how, you wonder, can you gain Canadian experience when no one is willing to take a chance on you? You can short-circuit this chicken and egg quandary by getting some volunteer experience. In most major cities in Canada there are volunteer agencies. Check in the phone book or ask your friends and neighbours about such opportunities. This may be just the bridge you need to make an entrée into Canadian work life.

Now, what is so different about accounting in Canada that a professional accountant with 22 years of experience in the United Kingdom cannot pick up on the job within a matter of months? The case of Selladurai Premakumaran and his bookkeeper wife, Nesamalar, is just one of a growing number that has convinced some immigrants, particularly those from visible minority backgrounds, that there is no hope for them in Canada as far as their acceptance as professionals is concerned. Selladurai is originally from Sri Lanka while his wife is originally from Malaysia. With their long years of living in the United Kingdom no one can say that they do not speak English and yet, they were repeatedly hit for the requirement of “Canadian experience.” After a few years in Canada they had to work as janitors as well as stocking shelves in supermarkets to make a living.

Guidy Manman, an immigration lawyer with Toronto’s Manman & Associates, commenting on the Premakumarans’ lawsuit against the Canadian government suggests that one can start making contacts and seeking a position even before arriving in Canada. The only question is that if being physically present in Canada does not help with obtaining a job how would conducting a long distance job search be any better? The only possibility is that the Premakumarans would have found out sooner how grim the prospects would be for them. They could then have saved themselves the trouble of coming over. The lack of success on the part of many professionals in accessing the job market raises the question as to whether immigrants are too obsessed with working for someone. A person with some savings and that many years of experience could investigate the possibilities of working as a self-employed accountant in Canada. One might begin as a home-based business and with a track record of success expand into regular office space. Most people with a need for accounting services would not care as long as they are assured that the job would be done satisfactorily. Considering that payment will be contingent upon proper execution of the project in question no one has anything to lose. Too few recent immigrants may be considering such possibilities even though Canada has a rich history of immigrants succeeding as self-employed individuals or families.

Dealing with “Acculturative Stress”

Going from being a doctor in one’s country and enjoying the status and perks that come with it to becoming a dishwasher in Canada may cause some people to stress out. Some are strong enough that they take such a come-down for what it is: a temporary condition. But as the months stretch into years one’s self-esteem can take a beating. Certainly, you can draw strength from your accomplishments in the past and acknowledge that the shenanigans that Canadians use to avoid employing immigrants do not make you less than you are. While you cannot help but feel the effects it is also clear that your lack of acceptance from those who appear to hold your fate in their hands does not necessarily mean you are incompetent. There is a point beyond which you realize that it’s not just because you are not a good fit for the companies to which you are applying but that there is something deeper going on. You begin to realize that, this great country, with all its shining buildings, well-scrubbed people, gleaming cars and blooming flora, also has another side, a dark side, if you will, and that as the saying goes, all that glitters is not gold. You may find comfort in commiserating with other immigrants whose own tales of woe may be worse than your own. You may even laugh through your tears and go for a walk along the beach or do a bit of window shopping to cheer yourself up. You’ve come to Canada with the full expectation of throwing yourself into Canadian life but how can that happen, when you are stymied at the starting gate? Without a job, how do you participate actively in the life of the community? You may begin to wonder if you had made a mistake to make Canada your new home. You want to convince yourself that all will be well. What a beautiful country! Why can’t you also have a little share in this piece of heaven on earth? But you need to get a job and all your efforts are turning to nil. Beauty is all around you but you can’t have beauty for breakfast, can you? And when your three-year-old cries for some solid food you certainly can’t say, “Hey, kiddo, look through that window pane. This is a beautiful country.” You may begin to feel a certain disconnection between yourself and other Canadians, that is, those that you perceive to be shutting doors of opportunity in your face.

You might draw hope from the experiences of other immigrants who have eventually succeeded in making their dreams come true. For some, having an exit strategy has been the key to saving their sanity and their pocketbook. While some, such as the astronaut husbands of Hong Kong and Taiwan are able to fly back and forth between their native land and their newly adopted country not everyone is able to do so. Consider the full range of options open to you, including whether or not to accept a temporary job while doing what is necessary to gain the necessary occupational foothold in your field.

Move from Knowledge to Wisdom

Wisdom is the application of knowledge. Thus, knowing the importance of good communication skills and the concern that some employers raise about accents would you consider doing something about your accent or do you see that as an assault on your identity to have to try speaking “like a Canadian?” If you are independently wealthy and do not need to depend on others for jobs or other favours you might decide that your accent is just fine, thank you. Others might think that for the sake of adaptability it is important to work on their accents. Some Canadians may truly be unable to understand your accent even though in your heart of hearts you believe that you are speaking English or French. While some make an extra effort to understand the immigrant others take the attitude that immigrants had better adapt, or else! If you have been imagining all along that living in Canada is going to be an easy ride you might have to do a reappraisal. The reasons employers can cite for not taking you on are numerous and they do not all necessarily hold water. The common heritage of mainstream Canadians and those from Western Europe may be one of the key reasons those individuals are given opportunities much faster but the truth may be a little more complex. The educational systems of countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States are perceived to be roughly similar to the Canadian educational system whereas in many other countries Canadians are not really sure. Of course, if business leaders have been paying attention they will know that despite what they read in the media there are many other countries with a good educational base. Also, people from Europe may have more reference points with Canadians in terms of interest in popular culture. It is easier to get along with people who watch the same types of movies, enjoy the same kinds of jokes, and have the same kinds of hobbies. In a perfect world this should not have been the case but we do not live in a perfect world. So, how about taking part in activities that put you in contact with mainstream Canadians? Some have found involvement in church activities, the art and theatre scenes, or sports to be good places to connect with others.