The Experiences of Mainland Chinese Immigrant Professionals Who Believe They Have Made a Successful Transition: Strategies that Help or Hinder
Keywords:
mainland chinese, immigrant, professionals, transition, strategiesAbstract
The focus of this qualitative and exploratory research study (using the Enhanced Critical Incident Technique) is on the experiences of Chinese immigrant professionals who feel that they are doing well with change. In the 11 interviews that were conducted 191 incidents were identified and these were categorized into seven helping, hindering and wish list categories. The results of the study highlight the structural and personal barriers faced by Chinese immigrant professionals.
References
Alfonso, V. (1997). Overcoming depressed moods after an HIV+ diagnosis: A critical incident analysis. Unpublished Doctoral dissertation. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Amundson, N., Yeung, T., Sun, I., Chan, K., & Cheng, J. (2011). The transition experiences of successful Chinese immigrants. Journal of Employment Counselling, 48.
-135.
Alboim, N., & Maytree Foundation. (2002). Fulfilling the promise: integrating immigrant skills into the Canadian economy. Ottawa: Caledon Institute of Social Policy.
Anderson, B., and Nilsson, S. (1964). Studies in the reliability and validity of the critical incident technique, Journal of Applied Psychology, 48, 398-403.
Bai, L. (2007). Open hearts and open access for immigrant professionals: A case study of Chinese immigrant engineers in Greater Vancouver area. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Basran, G., & Zong, L. (1998). Devaluation of foreign credentials as perceived by visible minority professional immigrants. Canadian Ethnic Studies, 30, 6-24.
Bauder, H. (2003). “Brain abuse” or devaluation of immigrant labour in Canada. Antipode, 35, 699-717.
Beach, C., & Worswick, C. (1989). Is there a double-negative effect in the earnings of immigrant women? Canadian Public Policy, 16, 36-54.
Becker, G. S. (1964). Human Capital. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Blair, K. (2005). Integrating immigrants into the Canadian labor market. Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants. Retrieved February10, 2008, from http://www.ocasi.org/sys/report_detail.asp?ReportID=138
Borgen, W. A., & Amundson, N. E. (1984). Coping with the effects of unemployment in groups. In M. Seligman & L. Marshak (Eds.), Group psychotherapy: Interventions with special populations (pp.72-87). Toronto, Ontario; Allyn & Bacon.
Boyd, M. (1985). Immigration and occupation attainment in Canada. In M. E. A. Boyd (Ed.), Ascription and achievement: studies in mobility and status attainment in Canada (pp. 393-445). Ottawa: Carleton University Press.
Boyd, M. (1992). Gender, visible minority and immigrants earnings inequality: Reassessing an employment equity premise. In V. Satzewich (Ed.), Deconstructing a nation: Immigration, multiculturalism and racism in ‘90s Canada (pp.279-322). Halifax: Fernwood Publishing.
Bridges, W. (1991). Managing transitions: Making the most of change. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Brouwer. A. (1999). Immigrants need not apply. Ottawa: Caledon Institute of Social Policy.
Butterfield, L. D., Borgen, W. A., Amundson, N. E., & Maglio, A. T. (2005). Fifty years of the critical incident technique: 1954-2004 and beyond. Qualitative Research, 5, 475-497
Butterfield, L. D., Borgen, W. A., Maglio, A. T., & Amundson, N. E. (2009). Using the enhanced critical incident technique in counselling psychology research. Canadian Journal of Counselling, 43, 265-282
Calleja, D., & Alnwick, J. (2000). Right skills, wrong country. Canadian Business 73, 34-39
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (2007). Immigration statistics. Ottawa, Canada.
DePass, C. (1989). Employment equity for visible minorities: system maintenance or systems change. Paper presented at the CEIS/CSSE, Learneds Conference, Laval University, June 1989.
Flanagan, J. C. (1954). The critical incident technique. Psychological bulletin, 51, 327-358.
Li. Y. (1999). The adaptation experience of Chinese independent Immigrants. Unpublished Doctoral dissertation, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia,
Canada.
Liu, X. F. (1995). New Mainland Chinese immigration: A case study in Metro Toronto. Unpublished Doctoral dissertation, York University. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Mata, F. (1999). The non-accreditation of immigrant professionals in Canada: societal dimensions of the problem. Paper presented at the conference: Shaping the Future: Qualifications Recognition in the 21st Century, Oct. 12-15, 1999, Toronto,Ontario, Canada.
Maxwell, J. A. (1992). Understanding and validity in qualitative research. Harvard educational review, 62, 279-300.
McCormick, R. (1994). The facilitation of healing for the First Nations People of British Columbia. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
McDade, K. (1988). Barriers to recognition of credentials of immigrants in Canada. Ottawa: Studies in Social Policy, Institute for Research in Public Policy, #88, B.I.
Ngo, H. V. (2001). Professional Reentry for Foreign-trained Immigrants: A grounded theory study. Unpublished master thesis. The University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Salaff, J., Greve, A., & Xu, L. (2002). Paths into the economy: structural barriers and the job hunt for professional PRC migrants in Canada. International Journal of Human Resources Management, 13, 450-64.
Salaff, J., & Greve, A. (2003). Chinese immigrant women: from professional to family careers. Paper presented at the conference Globalization and Gender, the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Salaff, J., & Greve, A. (2003a). Gendered structural barriers to job attainment for skilled Chinese emigrants in Canada. Retrieved Jan. 2008, from http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~salaff/
Salaff, J., & Greve, A. (2003b). Can Chinese women’s social capital migrate? Retrieved Jan.2008, from http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~salaff/
Salaff, J., & Greve, A. (2005). Why do skilled women and men emigrating from China to Canada get bad jobs? Retrieved Jan. 2008, from http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~agreve/Salaff-CERISMontreal-2004.pdf
Shih, Y. T. (2005). Narratives of Chinese female immigrant professionals: Factors that affect their career development and strategies used for career adjustment. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Statistics Canada. No date. Microdata User Guide: Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada: Wave 3. Ottawa. Statistics Canada. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/imd
bbmdi/document/4422_D1_T1_V3-eng.pdf (accessed onAugust 8, 2012).
Woo, T. M. M. (1989). The adaptations of recent Chinese immigrants: A qualitative study. Unpublished Doctoral dissertation, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA.
Woolsey, L. (1986). The critical incident technique. An innovative method of research. Canadian Journal of Counselling, 20, 242-254.
Wu, Q. (2001). Factors affecting Chinese educator’s career development experiences in Canada. Unpublished Master of Education thesis, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Zheng, X., & Berry, J. W. (1991). Psychological adaptation of Chinese sojourners in Canada. International Journal of Psychology, 26 (4), 451-470
Zhu, H. (2005). Capital transformation and immigrant integration: Chinese independent immigrants’ language and social practices in Canada. Unpublished doctoral
dissertation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Zong, L. (2004). International transference of human capital and occupational attainment of recent Chinese professional immigrants in Canada. Working paper series of Prairie Center of Excellence for Research on Immigrant and Integration.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
