(SOM3b) Immigrant networks in the integration process II

The process of immigrant integration is multifaceted and influenced by various factors, including economic opportunities, cultural adaptation, and social networks. While all these components play important roles, the influence of social networks, in particular, has garnered increasing attention. Social networks, comprising individuals and the relationships that exist between them, can significantly impact immigrants' experiences in their destination countries. This session aims to explore the intricate dynamics of how immigrants form new ties and the profound effect of these networks on the overall integration process. It seeks to address the question of what role the immigrant’s network plays in their integration process and overall well-being and falls under the theme of immigrant integration. Tags: Migration and Immigration, Networks

Organizers: Emmanuel Kyeremeh, Toronto Metropolitan University, Jonathan Amoyaw, Dalhousie University; Chair: Jonathan Amoyaw, Dalhousie University

Presentations

Jennifer Ma, McMaster University; Maimuna Khan, McMaster University

Mycelium: Racialized migrants' resistance to systemic discrimination and the promotion of cultural connection and knowledge through informal networks

About 40 years ago my family fled their homes following the war in Vietnam. They were eventually sponsored to be resettled on Turtle Island. While we have experienced hardships and racism in Toronto, we actively created a community with others who also fled Vietnam, supporting one another while addressing collective trauma. These connections sustained us, much like mycelium, a dynamic root system of mushrooms that is grounded in trust to build and sustain a vast, reciprocal, underground network. This network connects the roots of trees and plants, so they can share nutrients and resources to support the health of the entire ecosystem. They clear toxins, expand roots for growth, foster interconnectedness and interdependence, as well as intergenerational relationships by connecting older trees to younger trees. In this project, mycelium is a metaphor for community, the social networks of invisible connections that hold people together. This includes sharing resources, promoting traditional knowledge and healing practices, resisting systemic discrimination collectively, strengthening communication through meaningful discussions, and developing reciprocal relationships. This study focuses on how racialized migrants build communities and cultivate collective well-being, using art as an anti-racist and decolonial practice. Particularly, this study focuses on the ways in which communities resist systems of oppression while promoting cultural identity and knowledge, which is fundamental in supporting the well-being of racialized migrants. What I have learned through my lived experiences is that the lack of a collective critical consciousness about the war has resulted in a reproduction of victim blaming, minimization, discomfort, and/or silence – responses which create further harm and isolation for communities. The reality is a divided community cannot effectively respond to social injustices in the face of a diminishing social infrastructure where racialized people are encouraged to seek informal supports within their racial/ethnic communities. This study repositions racialized migrants as productive disrupters of mainstream narratives, using participatory action research as a tool that can effectively intervene into hegemonic understandings and scholarly traditions. The first year of a two-year project, Mycelium seeks to understand the processes of resistance and the promotion of cultural identity and knowledge by employing participatory visual approaches, which have been found to create spaces for social inclusion, expression and confidence building, transformation to agency and citizenship, countering stereotypes while speaking out about discrimination and dismantling structural barriers, and dialogue between racialized migrants and mainstream society (Clini, Thomson, and Chatterjee, 2019; Lenette, 2019; McGregor and Ragab, 2016; Moreira and Jackobi, 2021). Specifically, through a participatory action research in the form of Photovoice in partnership with Newcomer Women’s Services Toronto (NEW). Three themes emerged from the images and stories created by 16 women participating in the Community Leadership Program at NEW: 1) the importance of informal networks and collective action for belonging and resisting systemic discrimination, 2) food, stories, and art as conduits for physical and emotional connection within and between communities, and 3) the need for systemic changes to address language barriers, unemployment, limited access to services, and physical and mental well-being. The findings suggested that organizations that work with migrants should increase opportunities for cultivating social connections with each other in order to engage in collective healing and action. The women underscored the importance of these relationships as newcomers. Additionally, community building and well-being occur through engagement with food, stories, and art as the women expressed creating deep connections within their communities and other communities through sharing their culture. Lastly, there is a need for systemic changes to address barriers that prevented them from leading healthy lives, including the recognition of credentials, translation services, tailored employment services for women, and increasing access to services and mental health support.

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Non-presenting authors: Sara Asalya, Newcomer Women's Services Toronto; Nevin Alqishawi, Newcomer Women's Services Toronto; Oluwasikemi Ogunleye, McMaster University; Minju Kim, McMaster University; Haleemah Shah, University of Toronto; Xin Huang, McMaster University; Ayat Salih, McMaster University

Ka Po Kong, University of British Columbia; Sean Lauer, University of British Columbia

Immigrant Friendships and Social Integration: A Study of Friendship Networks and Sense of Belonging

Current research has demonstrated the significance of social networks in the dynamics of international migration, from the initiation of migration processes to the subsequent settlement and success of immigrants in host societies (Boyd 1989, 2012). These networks contribute to the accumulation of social capital, providing immigrants with tangible and intangible resources crucial for integration, such as financial support and access to information (Kazemipur, 2006). Research also finds that minority immigrants often rely more heavily on social networks as a compensatory strategy for mitigating other disadvantages in their new homes (Raza et al., 2013; Soehl and Van Haren, 2023). While a growing body of literature investigates the role of social networks in settlement outcomes, fewer discussions focus on the relevance of social networks in enhancing or constraining the social integration of immigrants. Research on immigrant friendship networks is particularly scarce, due partly to the fluid nature of non-contractual relationships and the context dependence across different settings (e.g., classrooms, university environment). More friendship and social integration studies concentrate on children and adolescent immigrants in educational settings (Hooijsma and Juvonen, 2021; Lorenz et al., 2021; Reynolds and Crea, 2017), leaving the experiences of adult immigrants less explored. Friendship is a barometer of social integration. Friendships signify a sense of mutual respect and acceptance between two equals (Vela-McConnell, 2017). Friendships, though voluntary and egalitarian, often reinforce and are patterned to reflect social stratification. Research finds that individuals tend to befriend those of homogenous status, including race, ethnicity, and immigrant identity, which can contribute to exacerbating network homophily and social segregation (Mollica et al., 2003; Titzmann, 2014; Zhao, 2023). Therefore, friendship networks serve as a valuable inquiry into immigrant social integration, which offers not only essential social capital but also fosters a sense of identity and access to broader social connections. Immigrant friendship networks can contribute significantly to their making of new homes and belongingness. Using the data from the Canadian General Social Survey (GSS) Cycle 27, this study asks: How do friendship network characteristics influence immigrants’ sense of belonging to their host community? To provide a more comprehensive view of the characteristics of friendship networks, this paper builds on Van der Horst and Coffé’s (2012) three-component network model: size (the number of friends), heterogeneity (the number of friends of different ethnic backgrounds), and interconnectedness (the frequency of contact). The analysis compares the means and distributions of these characteristics between immigrant and non-immigrant groups. Then, a binary logistic regression model is applied to assess the influences of friendship networks on the sense of belonging, while controlling sex, age and visible minority status variables. Preliminary findings reveal that immigrants generally maintain a smaller size of close friendship networks, averaging two to three close friends, and exhibit lower interconnectedness that most immigrants have in-person communications with friends twice to three times a month, compared to non-immigrants. Interestingly, immigrants also tend to have more friends of different ethnic backgrounds than non-immigrants. However, this pattern varies across ethnic groups, with the ethnic majority (33%) and Chinese (32%) reporting no cross-ethnic friends at all. The regression model (R2=0.106) indicates that a stronger sense of belonging in the host community is associated with having more close friends, higher frequency of telephone communication, greater satisfaction with communication and a moderate level of friendship network heterogeneity. Additionally, ethnic identity significantly influences immigrants sense of belonging, with a Chinese ethnic identity showing the strongest negative relationship. This study aims to explore the link between friendship network characteristics and immigrants social integration. Preliminary findings highlight the significance of the core friendship network in shaping the sense of belonging, limiting the impact of peripheral relationships. Surprisingly, while heterogeneous networks contribute to belongingness, the effect is most robust at a few and about half levels. Moreover, higher telephone contact frequency and satisfaction with communication enhance immigrants sense of belonging, emphasising the influence of closer ties and higher connectedness on social integration. In contrast, overly loose and very heterogeneous friendships may negatively impact immigrants’ feelings of belongingness. Overall, preliminary findings suggest that aside from cross-ethnic friendships, co-ethnic connections also play an equally important role in immigrants’ sense of belonging, and further call for more investigation on immigrant friendship networks and social integration.

Thomas Soehl, McGill University

Connected to last? The temporary effect of sponsorship on refugee's friendship networks

Having crossed the territorial boundary, how do migrants cross the social boundary and develop friendship networks in their destinations? The canonical assimilation model suggests that this process unfolds gradually and, especially when it comes to relationships that span social differences like those that reach outside the co-ethnic community, is intertwined with other adjustments such as learning the host country language, and residential and occupational mobility. But is this coupling of different dimensions of assimilation inevitable? Refugee sponsorship policies like those pursued in Canada offer an opportunity to examine this question. Providing social connections right upon arrival they re-order the typical sequence. Drawing on a representative, longitudinal survey of Syrian refugees in Canada who arrived through different resettlement programs we investigate whether these initial connections indeed result in durably different friendship networks and are thus able to uncouple friendship formation from other dimension of settlement. We find that only sponsorships where refugees are matched with sponsors they did not know prior to migration and where the sponsorship relationship bridges large social distances – is associated with larger and more diverse friendship networks. And while they can provide tangible benefits, these additional friendship ties are fragile and dissolve in relatively short time.

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Non-presenting author: Ana Cañedo, Université de Montreal

Emmanuel Kyeremeh, Toronto Metropolitan University; Jonathan Amoyaw, Dalhousie University; Bridget Annor, Western University

Immigrants' network in Canada: the case of Ghanaian immigrants in Canada

Research indicates that immigrants establish new connections upon their arrival in the host country while also preserving their old ones in their home nations. The structure and development of these connections can influence their integration into many aspects of the host nation. However, there has been few studies investigating the structure of immigrants networks and its influence on their integration, particularly in places like Canada. Utilizing egocentric network analysis of 172 Ghanaian immigrants in the Greater Toronto Area, we investigate the configuration and composition of their networks. Additionally, we also investigate the type of support immigrants are likely to derive from such networks since networks are known to provide varying degrees of support. Based on prior studies, we focus on two forms of support (informational and emotional support) in these networks, and how they impact their integration. The findings indicate that immigrants in Canada were primarily connected to immigrants of the same nationality, followed by connections with individuals in other locations, then connections with individuals in their home country, and finally connections with those who were native-born. The application of multinomial multilevel regression demonstrates that immigrants tend to receive emotional and informational support from their connections, which can originate from both their relationships in the host country and their home country. We utilize theoretical knowledge derived from the migration project and the context of reception to elucidate the impact of these connections on the process of integration in Canada. The policy implications of these findings are also addressed.