Links and Documents

Colour, Culture and Dual Consciousness: South Asian Immigrant Youth in the GTA

(Adobe Acrobat PDF)

This qualitative research study explores and documents settlement issues faced by new immigrant youth of South Asian background who came to Toronto at or over the age of 8 and are now between the age of 16 and 24.

This study sought to explore, decipher and decode the lived realities of South Asian youth living in Toronto. A focus group format was employed to explore the experiences of South Asian youth involved organizing groups with the diversity within the broader South Asian community in mind. Focus groups were firstly held along gender lines. Secondly, separate groups were held for Tamil youth because of their particular pre-immigration experience of civil war. Thirdly, separate groups were held for Muslim and Sikh youth since religion is a significant identifier in their lives relative to other communities now living in Toronto. There were a couple of groups that were mixed and reflected the ethno-linguist and cultural diversity within the South Asian community as a whole. However, separation by gender was always maintained.

The authors sought to begin the process of understanding how racial and cultural differences inform the lives of these youth and their sense of self or identity. Their learnings included:

• how the youth cope with the pressure by defining their sense of space and location in this society;
• that youth are constantly balancing the dual needs of cultural conformity and resistance without having to negate their cultural identity;
• how some youth cope by leading bifurcated lives straddled in two cultures.

The study concluded that there are very few services available for youth in general. Services for South Asian youth seem to be even fewer. In the absence of formal support services, many South Asian youth rely on informal supports usually provided by friends and family. The participants came up with many suggestions on how parents, teachers and the larger community can help make this process of transition an easier one. Their “needs for support” and suggested recommendations are organized under education, social services, parents and the larger community.

Format - This document is available for download in Adobe® Acrobat format [285K].

Language - English

Additional Information

Council of Agencies Serving South Asians, (CASSA), 2 Carlton Street, Suite 1004, Toronto, ON, M5B 1J3, Tel: 416-979-8611, Fax: 416-979-9853, Email: cassa@cassa.on.ca