Canada: a Bridge Connecting Together the Rest of the World
Canada: A Bridge Connecting Together the Rest of the World
By E. Chan
The year was 1981, and Kin Chan had arrived in Canada for the first time, leaving China, the communist-controlled nation, to seek a better life and a promising future for his family. Having only partially completed secondary education (the Cultural Revolution forbids citizens to advance in education), Chan still maintained his optimism: “[Chan]...do what whatever it takes to work hard and survive and raise a family here in Canada,” he once promised. As honourable as his statement was, there was one other that couldn’t have been more definite: “I need this country as much as it needs me.” In Canada, a home to many immigrants such as Chan, there is a mutual dependency as this country was founded by immigrants; however, should Canada consider limiting its quota on the number of immigrants arriving into the country? With a nation of nearly 34,000,000 people (Statistics Canada 2010), Canada has been experiencing a slowdown in its natural increase of population and is nearing zero population growth (Kendall, Nygaard, and Thompson 2008:344). If Canada is to have any form of optimism in its future, it must sustain a healthy population growth or raise the quota of the number of immigrants into Canada which is currently aimed for 240,000-270,000 people (Citizenship and Immigration Canada 2009). Immigrants have been taken for granted in this country as there are many natural-Canadian citizens who do not realize the countless of beneficial gains: to counter zero growth rates; to build a healthy economy; and to sustain a true cultural mosaic that makes Canada so unique. As Canada is believed to have completed the demographic transition (Hiller 2006:29) which it initially begins with high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates, due to technological development (contraception, improved medical care and medicine), Canada must now rely on immigration to counter this effect. In an article
By E. Chan
The year was 1981, and Kin Chan had arrived in Canada for the first time, leaving China, the communist-controlled nation, to seek a better life and a promising future for his family. Having only partially completed secondary education (the Cultural Revolution forbids citizens to advance in education), Chan still maintained his optimism: “[Chan]...do what whatever it takes to work hard and survive and raise a family here in Canada,” he once promised. As honourable as his statement was, there was one other that couldn’t have been more definite: “I need this country as much as it needs me.” In Canada, a home to many immigrants such as Chan, there is a mutual dependency as this country was founded by immigrants; however, should Canada consider limiting its quota on the number of immigrants arriving into the country? With a nation of nearly 34,000,000 people (Statistics Canada 2010), Canada has been experiencing a slowdown in its natural increase of population and is nearing zero population growth (Kendall, Nygaard, and Thompson 2008:344). If Canada is to have any form of optimism in its future, it must sustain a healthy population growth or raise the quota of the number of immigrants into Canada which is currently aimed for 240,000-270,000 people (Citizenship and Immigration Canada 2009). Immigrants have been taken for granted in this country as there are many natural-Canadian citizens who do not realize the countless of beneficial gains: to counter zero growth rates; to build a healthy economy; and to sustain a true cultural mosaic that makes Canada so unique. As Canada is believed to have completed the demographic transition (Hiller 2006:29) which it initially begins with high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates, due to technological development (contraception, improved medical care and medicine), Canada must now rely on immigration to counter this effect. In an article
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