LATIN CANADIAN HERITAGE
The first wave of Latin American immigrants to Canada arrived between 1970 and 1973. (Official figures show that Canada's total Latin American population was less than 3000 before 1970.) The influx of Latin Americans (some 68 000) in the early 1970s can be partly attributed to Canada's "open door" IMMIGRATION POLICY. From 1969 to 1972 it was possible to arrive in Canada as a tourist without a visa and later apply for landed immigrant status from within the country. At the same time, due to a growing demand for labourers (see IMMIGRANT LABOUR), Canada relaxed its immigration requirements. Argentinean immigrants, who before 1970 had arrived at a rate of 200 yearly, numbered 948 in 1973, 1088 in 1974 and 674 in 1975. The vast majority of Chilean political REFUGEES immigrated to Canada by way of Argentina after the overthrow of the Allende regime. From 1963 to 1973, only 2135 persons were recorded as emigrants from Chile; by 1976, there were 4600 people who had immigrated to Canada as part of the Special Chilean Movement initiated by the Canadian government. During the early 1970s about 20 000 Ecuadorians in search of a better life immigrated to Canada, primarily to Montréal and Toronto. By the late 1980s several hundred Central Americans had arrived as refugees.
Latin Americans are some of the most recent cultural groups to arrive in Canada however the number of people reporting Latin American origins has grown quickly. Between 1996 and 2001 the number of Latin Americans in Canada increased 32%, while the overall population grew by 4% during the same period. According to Statistics Canada there were almost 250 000 Latin Americans in Canada in 2001, and by 2006 their numbers had grown to over 527 000. The growth of this segment of the population is due to immigration; the majority of people of Latin American origins report being born outside Canada
Most Latin Americans originally settled in the urban centers. The demand for workers in industry and light manufacturing required semiskilled workers and this work was generally located in the suburbs of large cities like Toronto and Montréal. The need to live near their work encouraged many Latin Americans to move to some of the more isolated neighbourhoods in major cities. Latin American families have also migrated west, mostly to Alberta, in search of work.
The service industry, light industry manufacturing and the garment industry have traditionally been the areas of employment to which Latin Americans gravitated. Workers of Latin American origin have also been more likely to be employed in sales and service. There has been a perceptible shift, over time, from lower skilled jobs obtained upon arrival in Canada to positions requiring greater skills. With the growth and stabilization of the Latin American community in the mid-to-late 1980s, many of its members entered occupations such as insurance, real estate, restaurants and travel agencies. Also, a growing number of professionals and academics revalidated their qualifications in Canada and entered their professional fields of expertise.
The first wave of Latin American immigrants to Canada arrived between 1970 and 1973. (Official figures show that Canada's total Latin American population was less than 3000 before 1970.) The influx of Latin Americans (some 68 000) in the early 1970s can be partly attributed to Canada's "open door" IMMIGRATION POLICY. From 1969 to 1972 it was possible to arrive in Canada as a tourist without a visa and later apply for landed immigrant status from within the country. At the same time, due to a growing demand for labourers (see IMMIGRANT LABOUR), Canada relaxed its immigration requirements. Argentinean immigrants, who before 1970 had arrived at a rate of 200 yearly, numbered 948 in 1973, 1088 in 1974 and 674 in 1975. The vast majority of Chilean political REFUGEES immigrated to Canada by way of Argentina after the overthrow of the Allende regime. From 1963 to 1973, only 2135 persons were recorded as emigrants from Chile; by 1976, there were 4600 people who had immigrated to Canada as part of the Special Chilean Movement initiated by the Canadian government. During the early 1970s about 20 000 Ecuadorians in search of a better life immigrated to Canada, primarily to Montréal and Toronto. By the late 1980s several hundred Central Americans had arrived as refugees.
Latin Americans are some of the most recent cultural groups to arrive in Canada however the number of people reporting Latin American origins has grown quickly. Between 1996 and 2001 the number of Latin Americans in Canada increased 32%, while the overall population grew by 4% during the same period. According to Statistics Canada there were almost 250 000 Latin Americans in Canada in 2001, and by 2006 their numbers had grown to over 527 000. The growth of this segment of the population is due to immigration; the majority of people of Latin American origins report being born outside Canada
Most Latin Americans originally settled in the urban centers. The demand for workers in industry and light manufacturing required semiskilled workers and this work was generally located in the suburbs of large cities like Toronto and Montréal. The need to live near their work encouraged many Latin Americans to move to some of the more isolated neighbourhoods in major cities. Latin American families have also migrated west, mostly to Alberta, in search of work.
The service industry, light industry manufacturing and the garment industry have traditionally been the areas of employment to which Latin Americans gravitated. Workers of Latin American origin have also been more likely to be employed in sales and service. There has been a perceptible shift, over time, from lower skilled jobs obtained upon arrival in Canada to positions requiring greater skills. With the growth and stabilization of the Latin American community in the mid-to-late 1980s, many of its members entered occupations such as insurance, real estate, restaurants and travel agencies. Also, a growing number of professionals and academics revalidated their qualifications in Canada and entered their professional fields of expertise.
