Exploration of socio-cultural adaptation and changes in quality of life at settlement among older Chinese immigrants in Canada

Author / Creator

Da, Wei Wei

Summary

Drawing from data from interviews of 24 family-sponsored older immigrants from China currently living in London, Ontario, this paper reports on their settlement experience focusing on reasons for i...

Drawing from data from interviews of 24 family-sponsored older immigrants from China currently living in London, Ontario, this paper reports on their settlement experience focusing on reasons for immigration, living arrangements, intergenerational relationships, support networks and self-perceived life satisfaction. Findings highlight the care-giving role of these older immigrants in assisting their children in settlement, as well as a decline in power and status in the family, due primarily to socio-economic dependency resulting from immigration. Observed patterns of immigration and settlement among these older immigrants are associated with their age at immigration, government policy, personal background and family contexts. Some findings provide empirical evidence to support existing literature on Chinese immigrants, while others challenge stereotyped images of older immigrants. The findings have implications for policy makers and social service providers to address the needs of family-sponsored older immigrants.

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