The History of Jamaicans Immigration to Canada

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Table of Contents

Introduction
The earliest Jamaicans to immigrate to Canada
Immigration of Jamaicans to Canada after the Second World War
Jamaican immigrants in Canada after 1960
Employment of Jamaican immigrants
The material culture of Jamaican immigrants
Jamaicans nonmaterial culture
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Citizens from West Indian nations have been immigrating after every twelve months to various states. Amongst these immigrants, Jamaicans are not excluded. In fact, nearly all Jamaicans travelling to Canada after leaving the West Indies desert island often settle in Toronto, Halifax, or Montreal.

According to the Canadian bureau of statistics, since 1960s, citizens whose origin is Jamaica have increased their number in Canada. The main motives why Jamaicans decided to migrate to Canada are different. Today, most Jamaicans living in Canada seem to occupy key employment positions and are found in various key Canadian towns.

This paper examines the history of Jamaicans immigration to Canada. The first section discusses the earliest Jamaican group to immigrate to Canada. The second section discusses the migration of Jamaicans to Canada after WWII. The final section examines and discusses the migration of Jamaicans to Canada from 1960s to the financial year 2000.

The earliest Jamaicans to immigrate to Canada

Research studies show that the earliest Jamaicans to immigrate and settle in Canada barely acted in favor of their drive. They nevertheless stood very steady for their passions. The West Indian slaves were traded either in groups or separately in Nova Scotia and France. Despite the importation, the Maroons who in 1976 migrated to Halifax became the earliest Jamaicans to settle in North America.

The Maroons chose to create free societies far-away from the Jamaican-European settlements. In 1975, the British and the Maroons began to fight each other in Jamaican island. The fight between these two groups could end. The British thus pretended to have put aside their weapons. This made the Maroons associate with them, but later on, they were conquered and transported to Nova Scotia (Krosenbrink-Gelissen, 1993).

Wentworth John, the governor, later on settled down over five hundred Maroons around Halifax. The governor offered any man who was a Jamaican Maroon an employment opportunity. The job was to protect the Citadel. In 1800, the Maroons were allowed to go back to West Africa’s Sierra Leone.

This took place after appealing several times to London. However, the Maroons left behind their heritage standing on the Fortress Mountain. They named it the Maroon defender. It denoted the joy and donations made by the minority nonwhites who were left behind (Mogocsi, 1999).

Between the 1800s and 1920s, some few West India citizens who worked at cape coalmines moved from Jamaica to work in Canada. Others moved from Barbados to seek employment in similar coal mining stations. After the 1920s, West Indians who sought for immigration could not do so since relocation nearly ended.

The residents of West Indies as a result, reduced in the financial year 1941. In West Indies, many immigration demands built up. The government of Canada however refused to let in any nonwhite immigrants into this state (Krosenbrink-Gelissen, 1993).

Immigration of Jamaicans to Canada after the Second World War

The 1948 National Decree demanded unskilled labor force. This took place sometime after the Second World War. This law was passed to draw the attention of low-priced laborers from overseas states. The outcome of this saw several migrants from West Indies entering Canada amongst them were Jamaica residents.

This resulted from the hopes that arisen from residents of Jamaica who believed that it was their chance to avoid resource shortages and poverty (Krosenbrink-Gelissen, 1993). Besides, they saw Canada as a wonderful nation where success and private progress was possible. It was indeed the best vision for starting fresh survival. In the fiscal year 1952, the Walter Law came into existence to stop further entry into the country.

Around 1955, the West Indian household proposal was brought to life by Canadian administration. This allowed nonwhite women who were qualified to have a healthy life, and freed them from kin woes to enter Canada. Females whose age brackets ranged from 18 years to 36 years and had at least a grade eight in schooling were permitted to enter Canada. This was only entitled to females from Barbados and Jamaica.

These women were handy to landed migrant provision. After five years, they were allowed to submit applications for residency. By the fiscal 1962, the Jamaican migrants’ statistics considerably increased. This occurred since injustices against ones race was handled in Canadian migration law. In the financial year 1965, 2690 females’ crossed the border into Canadian territories (Mogocsi, 1999). This occurred despite the fact that just one hundred women from Barbados and Jamaica were initially allowed to migrate to Canada.

Jamaican immigrants in Canada after 1960

During the fiscal 1960s, migration Act permitted the nonwhites to flow into Canada without restrictions. This change enabled Jamaicans to enter Canada hoping that their lives would change through achievements and sets of life targets. Several racist migration courses of actions were stopped. Therefore, a huge number of citizens from Jamaica entered Canada mainly as visitors or travelers. Eventually, they managed to submit their requests independently for the category of landed immigrant.

Before 1970, an article on family reunification was introduced in the migration guidelines by the state. This provision made it easy for immigrants from other ethnic regions and Jamaica to move their families to Canada. Furthermore, in the economic years 1970 and 1980s, spouses and children of women who had migrated to Canada between the year 1955 and the financial year 1965 entered Canada (Kelley & Trebilcock, 2010).

The Ontario City and Quebec Town were the bases for Caribbean emigrants. However, some stayed in established towns and counties that they preferred. Halifax, Windsor, Waterloo, Kitchener, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Montreal are among the cities where migrants were found in large numbers (Krosenbrink-Gelissen, 1993). Additionally, they are densely populated in Metropolitan Toronto or boroughs such as Mississauga, North-York, Toronto, and Scarborough.

By the year 1989, it was clear that 27.50% of the total immigrants’ population from West Indies were Jamaicans. The smaller percentage of 0.60% settled in other parts of Canada while 1.70% in Manitoba. In British Colombia, there was 1.10%, Alberta comprised of 2.60%, and 7.40% settled in Quebec (Mogocsi, 1999). The rest were found in Ontario, and they represented 86.70% of the total residents of Jamaican migrants to Canada.

Jamaicans establishment in Canada

From time in memorial, Jamaica formed the ground for West Indies migration since most of residents were permitted to enter the state called Canada. With reference to that, 35.70% residents from West Indies who migrated to this state emerged from the country of Jamaica. This occurred from the financial year 1974 to 1989. A decrease in the number of immigrants was recorded in early 1980s. However, in the fiscal year 1986, there was a rise before another down ward trend in immigrants was reported in the year 1989. The early 1990s saw 40.0% of West Indian migration to Canada consisting of Jamaicans (Mogocsi, 1999).

Canadian immigration statistics in the fiscal 1996 placed Jamaica in position eight. This was done in regard to the number of public immigrating to Canada from other countries. The migration of Jamaicans to Canada decreased in two consecutive years. That is, from the economic year 1997 to 1998. When the twentieth century ended, the Jamaica migration to Canada reduced. This made the Canadian immigration department rank Jamaica tenth by the year 2000 (Krosenbrink-Gelissen, 1993).

Jamaicans in Quebec

An immigration report released by the Montreal ministry of foreign affairs indicated that 7346 Jamaica immigrants lived in Quebec in 1995. New reports have nevertheless shown that the number of Jamaicans living in Quebec has increased (Mogocsi, 1999). Between 1960s and 1970s, various groups of immigrants were living in Quebec.

Jamaicans alone comprised of 28.0% of the total immigrant population. A sharp increase of 13% was reported between 1971 and 1980 that saw the number of Jamaicans living in Quebec moving to 41%. From 1981 to 1985, a considerable decline to 12.0% in the number of Jamaican immigrants living in Quebec was reported. This number thereafter increased to 20.0% from the financial year 1986 to 1991 (Kelley & Trebilcock, 2010).

The drop in the number of Jamaican immigrants in Quebec between 1982 and 1985 is attributed to the introduction of the linguistic law bill 101. This bylaw openly discriminated, and it was passed into bill by the first provincial separatist administration. This administration denied its citizens the freedom and right to speech.

Under this bylaw, English usage had tighter limits and restrictions became obvious for those seeking to join English schools. Commercial signs that were produced in any language other than French were alleged to act contrary to the law. Mogocsi (1999) reports that the bylaw was intended to make all employees to adopt and use the French language when working.

Only 20.0% of the total Jamaican who live in Quebec can converse in French while most of them (86.0%) are Christians. It comes out that 16.0% of Jamaicans in Quebec attained university education, and only 1.0% of the entire populace hardly attained any education achievement. From the Jamaican population residing in Quebec, those with college and high school education are 25.0% and 45.0% whereas those with primary education attainment are 13.0% (Kelley & Trebilcock, 2010).

Employment of Jamaican immigrants

According to study literature, 68.0% of the Quebec work force constituted of Jamaican masses. This was around 1985. Approximately 25.0% of this population worked in the social services and health sectors. In industries, Jamaicans dealing with computerized services were approximately 21.0%.

However, the other remaining 13.0% of the labor force was directed to construction and maintenance. Moreover, clerical duties and office work had about 15.0% of the entire Jamaican employment power. A smaller proportion of about 7.0% of the total population was involved in management functions. In fact, these immigrants had towering know-how, understanding, work morals, and good education. Now, they have varied establishments in almost all professions (Krosenbrink-Gelissen, 1993).

Employment ratio

The ratio of Jamaican residents in Canada by the year 1955 was 41.0% men and approximately 59.10% women. The total immigrants who were employed in Quebec were nearly 30.01% men and 38.0% women. Most of these female employees worked in community services and health sectors (Krosenbrink-Gelissen, 1993).

Families

This community practiced extended-nuclear relations that are well-known in most cities in North America. The Jamaicans maintain their ties with friends and families back in their country (Mogocsi, 1999).

The material culture of Jamaican immigrants

Foodstuffs

In Quebec, the Jamaicans consume spiced cuisine with multicolored blends. These included chilly pot broth, curried-goat, mutton and fish, peas and rice as well as sailfish and ackee (Kelley & Trebilcock, 2010). Other foodstuffs consumed were exotic desserts, salads, banana-fritters, and baked yams.

Crafts and Art works

In immigrant Jamaican life, most homes are constructed using wood and semi-precious sand, crust, fabric, terracotta, and creations in straw. The bold lines and bright colors featuring in their paintings illustrated their environment and ways of life. Their catering places were equipped with duchy (Mogocsi, 1999). These were pots made with iron used for preparing their meals. They trusted that good and delicious food production took place when these pots were darker.

Games and Sports

Luda and domino took center stage in all events, as one would think they were national games. However, the Jamaican migrants played various games. They included track and ground actions, rafting, horse race, water sport, bicycle riding, soccer, and cricket (Kelley & Trebilcock, 2010).

Jamaicans nonmaterial culture

Social events and celebrations

Despite immigrating to Quebec Canada, Jamaicans usually come together to celebrate their day of independence. The celebration takes place each year on sixth of August. On 18 July every year, Jamaica day is celebrated. Finally, at the start of July after every twelve months, Jamaicans normally hold fair celebrations (Krosenbrink-Gelissen, 1993).

Language

In Quebec, the immigrant Jamaicans popularly speak vernacular that is not similar to English. However, their vernacular originated from mixing different African vernaculars that slaves used and the reference language, English. For the Jamaicans, the commonly embraced vernacular is patois. Patois was used for communication purposes amid Jamaicans slaves to avoid being understood by slave dealers. For more than 300 years now, Jamaicans who immigrated to Quebec embrace English as their certified vernacular (Mogocsi, 1999).

Jamaican traditions

Jamaicans and other groups that stemmed from different continents passed through the chronological processes where social hierarchies were made separate. The culture of Jamaicans who live in Quebec is therefore a blend of diverse sets of people. The Jamaicans believe that one people should be the premise for their existence (Kelley & Trebilcock, 2010). The African heritage greatly influences their time-honored traditions, whereas the prescribed behaviors are obviously British in fashion.

Religious practices

Jamaicans residing in Quebec are primarily Christians. There are also various other religious denominations that are practiced and observed by Jamaicans. They include Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, and Rastafarianism. Between 1930 and mid 1960s, Jamaicans backed a local religious group called Rastafarianism that had some external control and influence. In the fiscal 1933, Jamaicans who migrated to Canada carried with them Rastafarianism (Krosenbrink-Gelissen, 1993).

Music

Jamaicans are renowned musicians. Most of the songs and music composed by immigrant Jamaicans include reggae tunes, revivalist mantras, work songs, as well as folk-ballads. During 1960s, the Kingston ghetto founded the reggae songs. It was a mixture of blues and African sweet rhythms and the way of life (Mogocsi, 1999).

Conclusion

Even though Maroons were the first to migrate to Canada, they worked as laborers between the economic years 1900s and 1902s. They faced many challenges that limited their chances to stabilize in Canada. They were liable for opportunities that could help them develop their personal understanding and escape poverty in their main land.

The Canadian administration that needed inexperienced labor provided this. After settling down, Jamaican women reunited with their spouses and children who followed them to Canada. Jamaica still stands as the strongest base of migrants to the Canadian state. This has made it easy for them to fall in the same mix as the Canadians. Overall, Jamaicans share many things in common with their Canadian natives namely vernacular, traditions, creed, and ways of life.

References

Kelley, N. & Trebilcock, M. (2010). The making of the mosaic: A history of Canadian immigration policy. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Krosenbrink-Gelissen, L. (1993).The Canadian constitution, the charter, and aboriginal women’s rights: conflicts and dilemmas. International Journal of Canadian Studies, 207-223.

Mogocsi, P. (1999). Encyclopedia of Canada’s peoples. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

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