2002: THE YEAR IN REVIEW

A look at Canada's new Ukrainians

The focus in late January of 2002 was on immigration to Canada, as Prof. Vsevolod Isajiw, a prominent Ukrainian Canadian sociologist, revealed some preliminary findings from a groundbreaking study of the latest wave of Ukrainian immigrants to Canada. Speaking at the University of Toronto on January 28 at a seminar co-sponsored by the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies and the Peter Jacyk Program for the Study of Ukraine, Prof. Isajiw highlighted the so-called "Fourth Wave" - those Ukrainians who came to North America from 1991 to 2001, and continue to arrive even today - estimating their number to be approximately 18,000 to 20,000 in Canada and at least 100,000 in the United States. He added that, "technically," he would call this a "Fifth Wave" of Ukrainian immigration, as it was preceded by Ukrainian immigrants from Poland in the 1980s, but was amenable to considering it as the second phase of a "Fourth Wave."

Prof. Isajiw provided a basic profile of the immigrants. Ninety percent were born in Ukraine, and 90 percent came as independent immigrants (the remaining 10 percent arrived sponsored). Just over one-quarter (26 percent) have taken Canadian citizenship. They are divided almost equally between males and females. Most (78.6 percent) are married, while 11 percent are single and 9 percent divorced or separated. Their average age upon arrival was 35.4, while their average age at the time of being interviewed was 39, indicating that they had been in Canada, on average, for just over 3.5 years. Twenty-two percent are homeowners. Seventeen percent have no children, while 31.9 percent had one and 45 percent have two. Eighty-nine percent are working full-time, although only 43 percent use specific skills acquired in Ukraine in their work.

The principal area from which they emigrated was "Greater" Ukraine (i.e., Central and Eastern Ukraine, 50 percent), with western Ukraine (Halychyna and Bukovyna) following at 41 percent, and southern Ukraine (and "other" regions) coming in at 9 percent. Significantly, 26 percent of all those who emigrated from Ukraine to Canada came from Kyiv and 24 percent from Lviv.

Prof. Isajiw noted the high educational achievement of the immigrants: 12.8 percent had degrees from an "uchylysche," or a "tekhnikum," 37 percent from an "instytut" and 36.1 percent from a university. As well, he noted their religious affiliation (at the time of emigration) as being split among Ukrainian Orthodox (37 percent), Russian Orthodox (16 percent), Catholics (27 percent) and non-believers (11 percent). Prof. Isajiw noted that while Ukrainian immigrants are fairly well integrated into the Canadian economy, they generally tended to be overqualified for the work they were doing. As such, Canada has done very well by Ukrainian immigration.

Prof. Isajiw then turned to the integration of the new immigrants into the Ukrainian community, the other major question addressed by the study. The conclusion was unequivocal: new arrivals have not linked up with the "hromada" in any significant way. Their active participation in existing Ukrainian organizations stood at 9 percent and in Ukrainian organizations for new arrivals at 4 percent. Their attendance of activities sponsored by Ukrainian organizations was 8.0 percent "very often"; 23.7 percent "time to time"; 20.1 percent "rarely"; and 48.2 percent "never."

Even informally the new immigrants have maintained a certain social distance from local Ukrainian Canadians: less than 27 percent agreed or strongly agreed that it was "easy to make friends with Ukrainian Canadians" (compared to just over 41 percent for making friends with non-Ukrainian Canadians).

Nevertheless, the new arrivals by and large are interested in Ukrainian matters. A full 92.3 percent indicated that they feel it is important to pass on a sense of Ukrainian culture to their children, 50 percent send their children to a Ukrainian school, and 24 percent send their children to dance lessons. Almost 82 percent read Ukrainian Canadian newspapers often or from time to time, while 66.8 maintain a strong interest in Ukrainian politics.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 12, 2003, No. 2, Vol. LXXI

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