Negotiating identities : Indian Canadian child protection workers speak out

The population of ‘ethnic minorities’ is continuously increasing in Canada. There is now a large population of second generation individuals who are the children of immigrants, but born and raised in Canada. As this population rises, diversity in the workforce is also increasing. This is especially true in the area of social work. There are many more women of colour becoming social workers in Vancouver. Many studies have been completed on how to work cross culturally with the client, but there is limited research on the social workers own ethno-racial identities within this interaction. Their ethno-racial identities are impacted by many different experiences including those of multiculturalism, immigration, gender, and racism. Using a qualitative approach informed by a feminist perspective, this study has explored the understanding that 6 second generation Indian Canadian female social workers have of their racial and cultural identity and how that impacts their practice as social workers. This study has been informed by a grounded theory approach for data collection and data analysis. This study has found that the understanding that women of colour social workers have of their racial and cultural identity does indeed influence the way they practice social work. Although, for each of the 6 participants of this study, the impact of their ethno-racial identity on their social work practice might be different, they share some similar experiences and perspectives which have important implications to social work practice and research.Arts, Faculty ofSocial Work, School ofGraduat