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The Canadian immigration experiences of Pakistani women: Dreams confront

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 Counselling Psychology Quarterly,
December 2005; 18(4): 307–317

The Canadian immigration experiences of Pakistani

women: Dreams confront reality

SALAHA KHAN & JEANNE C. WATSON

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University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Abstract
This paper presents an account of the experience of South Asian women of Pakistani
descent who have immigrated to Canada within the last year. The purpose of the study
was to explore the quality of life and personal stresses and strains that follow immigration
to a different culture. Seven immigrant women from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
were interviewed about their experiences of immigrating with their families to Toronto.
The interviews were then subjected to a qualitative analysis based on the principles of
grounded theory. The findings outline the goals and expectations these immigrants
hoped to achieve and highlight the losses, pains and hardships they went through in
the pursuit of these goals. A four-stage model of the women’s experience of immigration
to Canada is presented.
Keywords: immigration, loss, grief, adaptation, Pakistani women

Introduction
Canada is a country of culturally and racially diverse populations. Each year
thousands of immigrants come to Canada hoping for a better quality of life and
a prosperous future. These expectations, however, don’t always come true.
Although immigration brings opportunities there are also several risks
(Choudhry, 2001). Al-Issa and Tousignant (1997) mention a number of factors
that contribute to stress among immigrants. These factors are goal striving, loss of
occupational status and cultural shock. Maraj’s (1996) research identifies that
occupational dislocation has a greater affective than economic impact on foreign
educated professional immigrants.

Correspondence: Jeanne C. Watson, PhD, Department of Adult Education, Community

Development and Counselling Psychology, OISE/UT, 252 Bloor Street West, 7th floor,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 1V6. Tel: þ1 416 923 6641 ext. 2555. Fax: þ1 416 923 4749.
E-mail: jewatson@oise.utoronto.ca

ISSN 0951-5070 print/ISSN 1469-3674 online ß 2005 Taylor & Francis

DOI: 10.1080/09515070500386026
 308 S. Khan & J. Watson

A large number of highly qualified people immigrate annually to Canada from

Pakistan with their families. These immigrants face a number of challenges as a
result of immigration. Many women from this group experience pain and
hardship as a result of immigrating to a different culture. The experience of
Pakistani women who have immigrated to Canada with their families and who
have been residents for less than one year has received little attention in the
literature. The objective in the present research was to explore the resettlement
experience of Pakistani women based on their personal narratives and stories.

Method
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A qualitative research paradigm was selected as appropriate for conducting

culturally sensitive research. A process of inductive reasoning was used to reach
an understanding based on unstructured interviews of the target group. This
process is consistent with grounded theory as defined by Glaser and Strauss (1967).

Selection of participants
Seven recent immigrant women of Pakistani origin between the ages of 28 and 44
participated in the study. Participants had to have been resident in Canada for less
than one year, married with children and have obtained immigration on points
based on their, and/or their husbands’ education and skills. Participants were
recruited from a major metropolitan area.
Five out of seven women who participated were practicing professionals
in Pakistan. The other two were homemakers. After immigration, only one
participant was working whereas the others were homemakers. Six of the seven
husbands were working after immigration but were underemployed.

Procedure
Two measures were used for data collection. The first was a self-report demo-
graphic questionnaire. The second measure was an open-ended interview. The
purpose of this interview was to invite Pakistani women’s own reflections and
to explore their circumstances, goals of immigration and compare it with their
post migration experiences. Potential participants were required to participate
in one interview session of 50–70 minutes. Interviews were conducted in either
of two languages based on participants’ preference (Urdu or Punjabi).
Interview transcripts were analyzed qualitatively using the method of grounded
theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Each response unit was divided into meaning
units. The descriptive categories describe participants’ feelings, thoughts, and
emotions as a result of immigration to Canada. The categories were checked
with the second author.
 Canadian immigration experiences of Pakistani women 309

Canadian Immigration Experience:

Dreams confront reality

Stage I Stage II Stage III Stage IV

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Seeking a better Confronting Grieving and Gains, remains

future reality mourning and coping

Losses Anger, Cultural Gains and

Goals Hopes and pains Hardships Uprooting Coping
frustration shock remains
and blaming

Figure 1. Canadian immigration experience.

Results
The core category ‘Canadian Immigration Experience: Dreams Confront Reality’ was
conceptualized to represent the resettlement experiences of Pakistani immigrant
women in Canada. The four categories subsumed under the core category
include: Dreams of flourishing, Confronting reality, Grieving and mourning,
and Gains, remains and coping (see Figure 1).

Dreams of flourishing
The women came to Canada with dreams, hopes, expectations and goals. The
goals included increased prosperity, Canadian citizenship, a better future for
their children, and a desire to benefit from the Canadian social system. These
dreams and hopes were reinforced by Canada’s claim to be the ‘‘land of opportu-
nity’’. One participant expressed it in these words:
A. We had very high hopes about our migration to Canada and were under the impression that
Canada would be a ‘‘land of opportunity’’ for us.

Confronting reality
These women’s high hopes for a better life were dashed after they confronted
the reality of life in the new country. This category captures the sharp
contrast between the participants’ pre-immigration hopes and their post
migration experiences.
 310 S. Khan & J. Watson

Losses and pains. The respondents expressed disappointment about the fulfill-
ment of their hopes and blamed Canada for giving them false hopes and mislead-
ing them with promises of an improved quality of life that provided an impetus to
their decision to immigrate. As one person said:
S. Why they (Canada) uproot us by giving false hopes?

The most painful loss expressed was the ‘‘loss of prosperity, the good life,
and professional status’’. These feelings of loss were further intensified by their
current job situation in the new land. The immigrants felt that they were
unable to compete fairly for professional jobs because their foreign qualifications
were not recognized. They were thus obliged to do low-paying occasional work.
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The loss of financial resources, underemployment and the cost of living in

Canada caused great financial hardships in the lives of these immigrants.
One woman described it in these words:
F. Canada left us without any money. We lost everything.

Participants felt frustrated as they felt potential employers discriminated against

them and that they were overlooked as candidates for more highly qualified
and better paying positions.
S. Better jobs are for Caucasians only not for people like us.

Besides financial losses, these immigrants also experienced ‘‘emotional, cultural

and social losses’’. Participants said that they had lost their confidence and felt
like ‘‘losers’’, inadequate and worthless. Z said ‘‘I feel myself a loser’’. The eco-
nomic survival of the families was a challenge for the new immigrants and they
felt they had to do whatever work was available to make a living. This eroded
their sense of identity, self-respect, esteem, and confidence.
All the participants noted that the ‘‘loss of a social safety net’’ was a significant
emotional loss. The loss of a social safety net was further aggravated by a sense of
loss and difficulty forming new ‘‘community ties in the new land’’. Participants
mentioned that they came to Canada with high hopes, and after meeting
people from their own community, felt discouraged, instead of welcomed.
Participants expressed feelings of deep pain with regard to losing what they had
before immigration. Their apprehensions and uncertainties about their future in
Canada intensified these feelings of pain and they felt that their dreams of a
rewarding future in Canada would never come true. They labour under a sense
that they are failing their children, as their standard of living does not allow
them to provide the same quality of life that they had in Pakistan.

Hardships. Pakistani immigrant women mentioned a number of problems and

hardships, which made their immigration experience a nightmare. Joblessness
and underemployment is at the top of the list of hardships they face. Some
participants reported that their husbands had no work while others were doing
odd jobs.
 Canadian immigration experiences of Pakistani women 311

Participants were disappointed about the immigration process including the

point system, which is used to screen people to determine their eligibility for
Canadian immigration. Participants felt cheated by the point system, which
gave them false hopes. They noted that there were huge inconsistencies between
the hiring policies and immigration criteria.
F. They mislead people by ranking them high on the points during the immigration process.
Once you arrive here, you find no acknowledgement of those points. The job hiring criteria
does not acknowledge your qualifications even for an interview.

Participants further mentioned that employers look for Canadian experience,

which they felt unable to obtain as they were precluded from certain
jobs. They noted that they had difficulty finding volunteer work, as well as paid
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positions.
Another hardship experienced by immigrant women was their inability to work
due to the ‘‘unavailability of reliable and affordable childcare facilities’’. This
made it hard for them to go out and look for work while their husbands were
employed.
A difficulty faced by the new immigrants is the language barrier. The women
mentioned communication problems related to their accent and the fluency
with which they speak English.

Uprooting. The Pakistani women felt uprooted and dislocated from their place of
origin due to migration.
S. I feel I am standing in the air without any support and would fall down any moment.

The losses, hardships, pains and resulting fears cause great emotional insecurity
in the lives of these immigrant women. Some of them saw their straitened finan-
cial situations due to underemployment of their husbands as the root of their
emotional insecurities.

Grieving and mourning

This category describes participants’ expressions of anger, frustration and blame
to the losses, pains and hardships they endured after immigration. The women
expressed their frustration about the lack of information and guidance for
newcomers to Canada.
Furthermore they expressed their dissatisfaction about the absence of a ‘‘sub
community’’, that might have provided support during times of stress. They
did not feel adequately served by community centers, which represent South
Asian communities in Canada.
The participants expressed anger and frustration at the delays they face
in obtaining health cards and social insurance cards. New immigrants
consider this as time consuming, complicated, and costly as it is hard to
get access to basic necessities such as housing, work, and health without these
documents.
 312 S. Khan & J. Watson

The women experienced deep feelings of homesickness. They talked of missing

their homeland and feeling uprooted. They reported feelings of depression and
felt that their immigration was responsible for their current state of mind.
S. I feel terribly homesick. That makes me feel so depress, I never experienced such feelings in
Pakistan.

Immigration also had a negative impact on their family lives. Five women
immigrants noted that their spousal relationships deteriorated after they
immigrated and that they argued and blamed each other for the immigration
decision. Their bad financial circumstances were blamed for difficulties in their
relationships. A majority of the immigrant women noted that their health had
been negatively affected due to constant stress.
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The women also experienced cultural shock after immigration. They were
fearful and apprehensive about the differences between their values and
Canadian culture and their children’s exposure to this culture. The women
mentioned their dislike of what they perceived to be a more open sexual
environment, indecent behavior, and obliviousness towards older parents. They
expressed distress at increased parental responsibilities as they attempted to
shield their children from the new culture.
F. This culture scares me that our new generation might lose their values because of the
influence this culture would have on them. Our parental responsibilities have increased due
to immigration.

Gains, remains and coping

The experience of immigration was not entirely negative as there were aspects of
Canadian life that they appreciated. They valued access to free schooling and
healthcare facilities, which were very expensive in Pakistan. The women also
expressed admiration for Canada’s commitment to maintaining equal access to
social services and the law.
As they try to salvage their dreams the women spoke about different coping
strategies they used to help them deal with the feelings of depression. In particular
participants mentioned either their husbands or both of them had plans to
upgrade their education in Canada. They felt that this would provide them
with a sense of achievement.
A. We want to upgrade our education so we go back with something.

Some participants noted that thoughts of going back to Pakistan, once they get
a Canadian passport, are motivating. They noted that this way they would have
the security to return to Canada if the conditions in Pakistan worsened due to
political and/or economic instability.
Participants mentioned a number of coping strategies they used to feel better
when they were sad and depressed. Social support was very important. In
addition their religion provided them with invaluable support. They noted that
 Canadian immigration experiences of Pakistani women 313

praying and reciting the Quran gave them peace of mind and helped them relieve
their depression.
R. Whenever I am depressed, I pray and feel very peaceful and relaxed.

They mentioned that seeing others going through tougher periods in their lives
made them less dissatisfied.

Discussion
A four-stage model was developed on the basis of the findings. These stages iden-
tify the process of adjustment that these women described in the first year of
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immigration.

Stage I. Seeking a better future

Other research has shown that a primary motivation for immigrants is to fulfil
their dreams of growth and prosperity and desire to provide a better future for
their families (Maraj, 1996). Canada is seen as a land of opportunity. The reasons
for such hopes can be attributed to pre-immigration perceptions about Canada
and poor socio-economic conditions in Pakistan. Pakistan is a developing country
with limited resources to offer a decent quality of life to its residents. Canada, on
the other hand, has a well-developed governmental and social system that
attempts to cater to the basic needs of its people.

Stage II. Confronting reality – experiencing loss and pain

In contrast to the high pre-immigration hopes, the post migration experience of
Pakistani immigrant women in Canada was socially, economically and emotion-
ally traumatic. Previous researchers have addressed the phenomenon of loss as
a result of migration to a new land (Arredondo-Dowd, 1981; Aroian, 1990;
Romero Martha, 1981; Ward & Styles, 2003). The participants in this study
emphasized their sense of loss. They were disappointed as their excitement,
hopes and dreams about Canada were dashed after facing the reality of immigra-
tion. They felt that they had given up a better quality of life, higher occupational
status, and a rewarding career in Pakistan and that they had suffered a loss of
identity due to a loss of occupational status. Like the participants in this study
Maraj (1996) found that immigrants experience a loss of identity and self
worth as a result of underemployment and the under-valuing of their skills in
Canada. Expensive childcare is another barrier to immigrant women’s personal
growth and development in Canada (Whittebrood & Robertson, 1991). Non-
recognition of their foreign qualifications conveys a message of racial discrimina-
tion to these recent immigrants. A research report noted that racial discrimination
is present in the labour force and racial minorities continue to experience social
and economic discrimination with regards to employment and other aspects
 314 S. Khan & J. Watson

of their social lives (Canadian Council on Social Development: Unequal Access,

2000). Maraj (1996) also observed that immigrants in the Canadian workforce
experienced discrimination.
Immigrants feel the system is unjust as it grants them immigration by acknowl-
edging their education and skills but on the other hand once here their education
is disregarded during the hiring process. The report prepared by Canadian
Task Force criticizes this discrepancy between immigration policy and the hiring
process and calls it a ‘‘disservice to immigrants and to national interests’’
(CTFMHI, 1988). The feelings of disappointment and non-acknowledgement
of their skills are further worsened by immigrants’ inability to get local experience
in their respective areas. A number of studies have observed that the most critical
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obstacle for new immigrants’ entry into the work force is a lack of Canadian job
experience and transferability of their foreign qualifications or experience
(CTFMHI, 1988; Maraj, 1996; Statistics Canada, 2003).
Legislation designed to address inequities in the work force is unable to address
the job needs of recent immigrants for two reasons. First it applies to only five
percent of the Canadian workforce, and secondly it does not mention recent
immigrants specifically with regards to their access to the job market, making
this group even more marginalized. It has been recognized by the Minister
of Immigration that the treasure trove of skills and experience brought by new
immigrants is wasted in factories and other low-paying jobs. ‘‘Canadian com-
panies are wasting a valuable resource the country has worked hard to build up
by not recognizing the skills and work experience of recent immigrants’’ (reported
by Laidlaw: Joe Volpe’s speech. Toronto Star, 9 February 2005). However there
is no way of remedying this situation in the foreseeable future.
Communication in the English language is not seen as a big problem for
participants, although they did acknowledge difficulties with their accents and
with fluency. Proficiency in the English language is an important factor for
success in searching for work (Statistics Canada, 2003). It is possible that an
insufficient command of either of the official languages is one of the barriers to
finding better jobs.
Due to their low income, the immigrants felt unable to provide the same quality
of life to their children that they had in Pakistan. These findings support those of
Maraj (1996) who found that immigrants feel that they are failing their families
due to working at low-paying jobs.

Uprooting. Immigrants feel uprooted and dislocated from their place of origin.
These feelings of uprooting are associated with certain emotional insecurities.
They left strong supportive family networks and well-established careers for the
sake of a better future, which now seems uncertain. The participants reported
sadness, depression, feelings of low self-esteem, problems in their family life
accompanied with certain health problems as a result of immigration. Beiser and
Hyman’s (1997) study points to the importance of community networks for
new-comers to lessen the negative effects of migration. Participants in the present
study felt disappointed in people of their community, which seemed to add to
 Canadian immigration experiences of Pakistani women 315

their feelings of loneliness and homesickness in the new land. A number of studies
have highlighted that immigration is a stressful process that uproots people from
their familiar surroundings and supportive networks which could have detrimental
impacts on the health and well being of immigrants (Ward & Styles 2003; Ng et al.,
2005).

Stage III. Grieving and mourning

The transition to stage III is manifested through a number of grieving reactions to
the losses and pains that the women endured. The women described becoming
angry, depressed, fearful, homesick and suffering from health problems and
cultural shock. Participants blamed the lack of pre-immigration information for
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their job situation, which resulted in deep disappointment. This finding supports
that of Maraj’s (1996) who found that immigrants were misinformed and under-
informed by the Canadian embassies in their home countries. The participants
further stressed the need to provide detailed information on housing, work,
educational opportunities, and certain areas with relevant work demands.
The complicated procedures for new immigrants such as obtaining health cards
add to the already stressed conditions. The law requires new residents to reside
for a period of three months in Ontario prior to obtaining Ontario’s Health
Insurance (OHIP), and three weeks before receiving a social insurance number.
Participants expressed deep feelings of homesickness due to moving far away
from their country of origin. The perceived loss of a homeland (that is often
described as home-sickness) may result in people displaying the same type of
grief reaction as people who have lost a loved one (Arredondo-Dowd, 1981;
Fisher, 1989; Garza-Guerrero, 1974; Lee, 1994; Ward & Styles, 2003). The feel-
ings of homesickness contributed to feelings of depression in the lives of these
immigrant women. Maraj (1996) found that immigration negatively affects
family life. The reasons for the strain can be attributed to the immigrants’
discouraging circumstances and post migration stress, which takes a toll on
their health.

Cultural shock. Cultural shock in the present study was observed in the fears and
insecurities Pakistani women experienced with regards to their children’s
exposure to Canadian culture. The participants face parenting challenges in
Canadian society where they must teach their children their own core values
which was not required in Pakistan to the same extent as the communication of
core values was shared by the community at large.

Stage IV. Adjusting

This stage describes immigrant women’s attempts to adjust after immigration.
They were appreciative of a number of facilities, acknowledged some gains, and
hoped that these would multiply in the future. Participants mentioned their
plans and expressed a desire to upgrade their education in Canada. Among the
 316 S. Khan & J. Watson

gains they reported was Canada’s social system that offers free schooling, health-
care and other facilities. Although feeling discriminated against for job opportu-
nities, they all believed that the best thing about Canada is equality before the
law and within the social system.

Coping. Most participants mentioned social networking is helpful in making

them feel better. Whittebrood and Robertson (1991) point to the need of suppor-
tive networking that emphasizes ethnic identity, for the adaptation process of
immigrant women. Some participants mentioned that thoughts of being able to
go back to Pakistan after obtaining Canadian citizenship keep them motivated
and hopeful. All the participants of this study are practicing Muslims so prayer
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was another way that these women coped with their post immigration stress.
None of the participants ever tried to seek help from counselling. Belonging to
a culture where negative stereotypes are associated with mental health issues
may be the reason for their hesitance. Whittebrood and Robertson (1991)
observed that cultural factors partly account for ethnic minority immigrants’
under-utilization of mental health services in Canada.

Conclusions
The process of immigration as a major life transition seems to have a number of
emotional, social and cultural consequences for Pakistani immigrant women.
Experiences of dislocation seem to prevail over almost all aspects of the lives of
these immigrants in Canada. The participants identify socio-economic class,
status, occupational, social, and cultural dislocation, which adds to their feelings
of loss, pain and uprootedness. The higher educational and professional profile of
participants and their husbands may have contributed to the intensity of their
feelings of loss, pain and uprootedness. The women in this study seemed
confused and sometimes contradicted their own statements during the course
of their interviews, however the contradictions reflected the rays of hope that
they retained after confronting the reality of their immigration.
The study highlights the need for culturally sensitive supportive counselling,
improved job related and community support services, social networking oppor-
tunities, and availability of religious support groups in order to make the resettle-
ment experience less stressful. It might be beneficial for people to receive
counselling prior to migrating. Mentally confronting some of the hardships
prior to immigrating may assist them with problem solving after they arrive.

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