Becoming Canadian: Immigrant narratives of professional attainment |
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| Affiliation: | 1. University of Potsdam, Inclusive Education Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24 – 25, House 31 – Room 1.13, 14476, Potsdam, Germany;2. Carleton University, Sprott School of Business, 926 Dunton Tower, 1125 Colonel By Drive, K1S 5B6, Ottawa, Canada;1. People''s Health Movement Canada, Montreal, QC, Canada;2. People''s Health Movement Canada, Vancouver, BC, Canada;3. Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada;4. independent scholar, Edmonton, AB, Canada;5. Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada;1. Sprott School of Business, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada;2. Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada;1. Sprott School of Business, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, 810 Dunton Tower, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada;2. Department of Management (MSC 3DJ), College of Business, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA;1. Sprott School of Business, 914 Dunton Tower, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada;2. Sprott School of Business, 1726 Dunton Tower, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada;3. Royal Roads University, 2005 Sooke Road Victoria, BC, V9B 5Y2, Canada |
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| Abstract: | We investigate how economic immigrants in Canada negotiate their identity in the process of “becoming Canadian” through an analysis of public texts. Drawing on the master narrative framework, we examine the interplay between individual and societal narratives as immigrants grapple with the tension between notions of “desirable” immigrants as those that are well integrated professionally and the reality of facing career related barriers. Among those whose success stories align with the master narrative of professional attainment there was little questioning of this expectation, thereby allowing it to remain invisible. Among those who had not (yet) achieved work related success in the receiving country, they tended to engage alternative narratives elaborating on the antecedents, outcomes, and barriers to labor market participation. Despite the countering nature of these alternative narratives, they strengthen the societal expectation of professional success as a key pathway to inclusion, thereby reinforcing the rigidity of this narrative. We contribute to literature on the social construction of national identity by examining the process of becoming national and the role of labor market participation in immigrants’ perceptions of inclusion in their new society. Our study highlights the importance of including immigrants’ voices in the construction of a more inclusive society, which may aid in breaking down exclusionary narratives of national identity. |
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| Keywords: | Inclusion National identity Identity work Markers of inclusion Immigrants Master narratives |
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