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Chinese Immigrants’ Fertility Behaviour in Canada

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Date

2018-12-12

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Publisher

Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa

Abstract

China is one of the top three sources of immigrants to Canada (Statistics Canada, 2016a). As a result, many scholars now recognize the importance of studying Chinese immigrants (Guo, 2013; Mah, 1995; Chow, 2004; Fong & Ooka, 2006; Tang, 2001; Mao, 2015). However, so far, most studies have focused only on this group’s economic attainment, their educational performance, and their sociocultural dynamics. As yet, there has been little discussion of their fertility. Indeed, in my opinion, far too little attention has been paid to the upbringing of these immigrants in the context of China’s unique efforts at population control, culminating in the official One-Child Policy of 1979. Therefore, this study aims to answer the following three research questions about Chinese immigrants living in Canadian society: • Do the Chinese immigrants conceive their fertility with reference to the One-child policy? • What factors do they attribute to this policy, either as benefits or as drawbacks, in terms of their fertility? • Do their discourses reveal any evidence of internalization of the One-child policy, despite their exposure to competing fertility norms in Canada? Or on the contrary, has the immigration process disrupted their subscription to the one-child norm? My study draws on fifteen semi-structured interviews with Chinese immigrant women. This paper presents its main results as the following: 1) the one-child policy has indeed influenced Chinese people’s view of fertility, which since 1982 has changed from a pronatalist philosophy to one favouring fewer births; 2) Chinese immigrants to Canada have in fact internalized the one-child norm; 3) The experience of immigration has not disrupted the one-child habitus. Rather, the immigrants’ exposure to the Canadian environment—in terms both of workplace and community—has contributed to its reinforcement. Of course, it may not be possible to generalize from the results of my local research (conducted in Ottawa, Ontario) to all immigrant women across the country. Nevertheless, I am confident that this study will prove to be a valuable contribution to discussions on the issue of Chinese fertility in Canada.

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Keywords

Chinese immigrants, Fertility

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