Social Work with Immigrants and the Paradox of Inclusive Canadian Identity: Toward a Critical View of “Difference”

This is the published version of an article published by the Canadian Social Work Journal.Canada has maintained one of the highest levels of immigration among the G8 countries and is often called a country of immigrants. In light of the Multiculturalism Policy proclaimed in 1971 and, more recently, the way in which the Canadian government and the country’s citizens have accepted the settlement of Syrian refugees in Canada, one of Canada’s strengths is seen to be its diversity and inclusivity. “Canadian experience,” aptly phrased, can mean Canadian identity and pride, including Canada’s open-mindedness and many other unique characteristics that would make Canadians proud of being Canadian. It is ironic, however, that the term also refers to the commonly exercised exclusion of immigrants from employment by pointing to a set of elusive criteria which most immigrants cannot meet, thereby serving as a reason for excluding them. In social work research, we pay attention to the state of marginalization and discrimination but not always the mechanism by which such marginalization is produced and maintained. Therefore, in this paper, by drawing from the popular discourse on “Canadian experience” in print media, we examine how exclusionary ideas against “immigrants” are paradoxically maintained through an “inclusive” Canadian identity. Using critical social work scholarship as well as social psychological and sociological concepts, we theorize notions of identity within the context of immigration integration in social work. Finally, we share some critical questions to help us guide social work theory and practice into the next generation.The Canadian Experience Media Project study referred to in this paper was funded by a Standard Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and CERIS (formerly, CERIS – The Ontario Metropolis Centre). The first author of this paper (Sakamoto) was the project lead of this collaboration with funding from the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada’s Public Outreach Grant