After immigration, I feel people could hardly remember my Chinese name; I had to have an English name “John” for people in Toronto to call me conveniently. I am a Chinese citizen, non-religious, and heterosexual male. I am disadvantaged by my age, just stepped to fifty. I have a Bachelor of Art degree majoring in English language and literature in China. Before I immigrated to Canada in 2007, I had a career in business in China.
At my job and in my place in Chinese society, I benefited from privileges like never worrying about my race, being able to have a middle class standard of living and not having my competence questioned. Outside of work, my interests lied in learning languages: classical as well as modern Chinese and the English language.
However, things became quite different when my family and I landed in Toronto in 2007 as skilled immigrants. We lost all of our previous positions, friends, and connections in China. People here regarded me, my wife, and my son as new immigrants from China.
Table of Contents
1. How I experience inequality after immigration
2. Economic globalization and social identity
3. Strategy for social work practice
Objectives and Key Themes
The author provides a personal reflection on the challenges of immigration, specifically focusing on the shift from a high-status professional position in China to a marginalized laborer in Canada. The narrative aims to connect these individual experiences of inequality and discrimination with broader theories of globalization, social identity, and anti-oppressive social work practice.
- Personal narrative of the immigration experience
- Intersectionality of race, language, and social status
- Economic impact of globalization on marginalized groups
- Application of social work theory to personal bias
- Advocacy and community mobilization strategies
Excerpt from the Book
How I experience inequality after immigration
For a period of time, I was depressed, frustrated and bewildered what I should do in future. That was a time when I arrived in Toronto at my first few months. My social position dropped sharply from what I was a leader in a state run import and export company in China to a general laborer in Toronto. On one Sunday morning, I was fascinated by a TV program that introduced some activities held by an American church, one of the scenes is the church called on people to donate 20 dollars/month to help children in Africa to return to school. In return, the church gave each donator a white, delicate ceramic box inside which contains a variety of flowers seeds. There are five golden words curved on the ceramic cover: “Blossom where you are planted.” Suddenly, I was electrified by these five words and it like a thunder awakened me and later these words become strength to stimulate me to step forward. Here I recorded some of my previous personal experience to reflect how I realize inequality after immigration and how I adapted to the changed environment.
After immigration, I feel people could hardly remember my Chinese name; I had to have an English name “John” for people in Toronto to call me conveniently. I am a Chinese citizen, non-religious, and heterosexual male. I am disadvantaged by my age, just stepped to fifty. I have a Bachelor of Art degree majoring in English language and literature in China. Before I immigrated to Canada in 2007, I had a career in business in China. I was the assistant general manager for an Import and Export Company Ltd., in Beijing and was responsible for business negotiations, contracts settlement and training new employees. At my job and in my place in Chinese society, I benefited from privileges like never worrying about my race, being able to have a middle class standard of living and not having my competence questioned.
Summary of Chapters
1. How I experience inequality after immigration: This chapter outlines the author's transition from a successful career in China to the difficulties of adjusting to life as an immigrant in Toronto, highlighting personal struggles with employment and social devaluation.
2. Economic globalization and social identity: The author discusses how macroeconomic forces like globalization and free trade agreements contribute to systemic inequality and how his own understanding of social identity and privilege evolved through his experiences in Canada.
3. Strategy for social work practice: This chapter details the author's professional response to his experiences, proposing a framework for social work that includes self-reflection, the use of an anti-oppressive lens, and community-based advocacy.
Keywords
Immigration, inequality, social identity, globalization, anti-oppressive practice, social work, discrimination, visible minority, Canada, China, economic transition, advocacy, community mobilization, privilege, marginalized groups.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this narrative?
The text serves as a personal reflection on the author's journey as an immigrant to Canada, documenting the emotional and professional hurdles faced after leaving a high-status role in China.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The key themes include the socio-economic impacts of immigration, the experience of being a visible minority, systemic discrimination, and the intersection of globalization with personal identity.
What is the core objective of the work?
The author intends to use his personal experiences of displacement and inequality to inform his development as a social worker and to advocate for anti-oppressive practices.
Which scientific or theoretical methods are referenced?
The author applies social work theory, specifically an anti-oppressive lens, to analyze his personal experiences and to formulate strategies for future community-based practice.
What topics are discussed in the main section of the book?
The main section covers the author's initial unemployment, the unfair treatment in his first job as an assistant superintendent, the discovery of his identity as a visible minority, and his critique of global economic power structures.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as immigration, anti-oppressive practice, intersectionality, globalization, social justice, and systemic discrimination.
How does the author describe his transition from a business leader to a laborer?
He describes the experience as a sharp drop in social position, characterized by frustration and a loss of the privileges he previously enjoyed in China, such as social status and job security.
How does the author view the role of the 'white, delicate ceramic box' mentioned in the introduction?
It acts as a symbolic turning point, providing the motto "Blossom where you are planted," which serves as the emotional catalyst for his resilience and forward movement in a new country.
What specific workplace conflict does the author detail in the text?
He details a significant discrepancy in salary and treatment between himself and his white colleagues while working as an assistant superintendent, despite having equal job responsibilities.
What conclusion does the author draw regarding globalization?
He concludes that globalization, while promoting free trade, often serves the interests of dominant groups and corporations at the expense of developing nations and the working class, thereby exacerbating poverty and inequality.
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- Liguo Zhang (Autor:in), 2013, Inequality after immigration. A personal experience, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/317172
