"Prepare for the worst": Rite of passage of Filipino women's settlement and integration in Canada, from the 1960's to the present

Abstract

<p>This thesis explores the settlement and integration of Filipino women. It identifies the migration waves of women from the Philippines from the 1960's to the current period and uses these periods of migration as a framework for understanding the barriers and integration processes of different immigrant groups. Sixteen Filipinas were interviewed and were asked about their immigration entry to Canada, prior expectations, migration process and their settlement and integration experiences. Demographic characteristics such as marital status, level of education, social networks and employment history were also gathered to provide a profile of the sample. Data on the periods of the immigration entry to Canada, housing accommodation and settlement organizations that assisted them enabled comparisons between the various immigration waves of Filipino women. Differences and similarities in labour market integration emerged. Initial findings illustrate that the settlement and integration of Filipinas are conditioned by their entry status in Canada. Filipinas' identities are grounded not only in their various ethnic heterogenous backgrounds but also in their global position as a group of workers in the social reproduction of caring labour. This comprises their labour diaspora and transnational identity and influences their cultural perception of work, adaptation labour strategies and the tension between their occupational and social status in Canada and their homeland.</p>