Dwelling Satisfaction among South Asian Immigrants and Immigrant Offspring in Canada


Sumi Sasudevan, McMaster University

Although immigrants’ success in the labour market contributes to the receiving country’s prosperity and economy, it is equally important to consider migrants’ integration. Integration to the receiving country not only contributes to immigrants’ well-being but ensures the retention and permanence of immigrants to their adopted country (Berry and Hou 2016). Spatial assimilation, one of the dimensions of immigrant assimilation, deems the spatial distribution of certain racial and ethnic groups as a reflection of their resources and the state of their economic and social assimilation (Gordon 1964; Massey and Denton 1985). Life satisfaction is extensively studied in migration research in Canada, where immigrant high life satisfaction levels have stayed consistent for decades (Frank et al. 2014; Chow 2007). Studies also examine life satisfaction in relation to homeownership and housing characteristics where the homeownership and residential choice represents perceived control and self-esteem (Mahmood et al. 2011; Rohe and Stegman 1994). I argue dwelling satisfaction is linked with life satisfaction, as satisfaction with the home represents agency and control, which in turn impacts life satisfaction. However, dwelling satisfaction, which is linked to aspects of life satisfaction, are understudied in migration research. I extend immigrant life satisfaction research by considering dwelling satisfaction as a more local perspective of life satisfaction. The purpose of this study is to 1) analyse the differences in dwelling satisfaction between immigrant/ immigrant offspring generations in Canada with a specific focus on South Asians and other ethno-racial groups such as Chinese and Whites, 2) compare the regional differences in dwelling satisfaction between generations among South Asians and other ethno-racial groups in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, and 3) assess the impact of housing tenure on dwelling satisfaction based on generational status among South Asians and other ethno-racial groups. This study will contribute to the field of migration in three ways. First, it updates the existing literature on spatial assimilation in Canada, which has stalled since the mid-2000s. Second, it provides a new way to capture a more local level of life satisfaction, dwelling satisfaction, by bridging urban studies and migration research. Finally, this study focuses on South Asians, which is the largest visible minority group in Canada. Quantitative research on South Asians is lacking in Canada, with limited studies on their general integration patterns. Using the 2021 Canadian Housing Survey (CHS) data, I conduct regression analysis to assess variations in dwelling satisfaction by immigrant generations among South Asians and other ethno-racial groups such as Chinese, Blacks and Whites. The CHS data contains information on Canadians’ relationships to their dwelling, including housing conditions and satisfaction. My population of interest are three ethno-racial groups: South Asians, Chinese, and Whites divided by generational status (1st generation immigrants, 1.5 generation immigrants and the Canadian born). My main dependent variables are overall dwelling satisfaction, and two scale dwelling satisfaction variables that were created using factor analysis: dwelling satisfaction based on energy efficiency/infrastructure, and dwelling satisfaction based on comfort of the home. The main independent variables are ethno-nativity status, housing tenure and provinces. Preliminary results indicate satisfaction varies by region and tenure, but there is also some variation by ethnicity and generational status. South Asians have similar levels of dwelling satisfaction to the mainstream Whites, compared to Chinese, who have the lowest dwelling satisfaction among the three groups. However, there is little variation among generations within these ethno-racial groups. South Asians in British Columbia are generally satisfied with their dwelling compared to those in other provinces and other ethno-racial groups. However, Chinese and Whites are more satisfied in Alberta than their counterparts in Ontario and BC. When housing tenure is controlled for, homeowners are generally more satisfied than renters. However, some exceptions exist; South Asians are more satisfied with the energy efficiency of their rented dwelling in Alberta compared to their homeowner counterparts. Similarly, 1.5 generation Chinese who rent in Ontario are more satisfied with their dwelling than their homeowner counterparts. For future analysis, I will examine how the relationship between satisfaction, tenure and province varies by controlling for demographic variables such as household income, gender, marital status, family structure, and neighbourhood contextual variables, such as neighbourhood services, community satisfaction, and sense of belonging.

This paper will be presented at the following session: