What socio-demographic and self-identified factors impact the sense of belonging among immigrants to Hamilton?
Project description:
The Hamilton Immigration Partnership Council (HIPC) conducted a survey of immigrants in Hamilton in June 2023. About 700 immigrants responded to the survey, including permanent residents, refugees, refugee claimants, temporary foreign workers, international students, and Ukrainian temporary residents. The survey was aimed at understanding the diverse experiences of immigrants across a wide range of topics including education, employment, income, housing, service use, settlement supports, challenges and supports, belonging/isolation, discrimination, contributions, and more. HIPC has analyzed the data, drafted a report, and shared some preliminary findings with its partners. One of the findings from this data that our partners would like to further explore is around sense of belonging. Our data shows a large proportion of immigrants report a strong sense of belonging despite reporting high levels of feelings of isolation, experiences of discrimination, and challenges around housing, cost of living, income, and employment.
There is an opportunity to unpack this by exploring/analyzing the existing immigrant survey data that HIPC has at its disposal and by collecting more qualitative data through interviews with immigrants in Hamilton. We are interested in understanding the facilitators and barriers to a sense of belonging among immigrants in Hamilton, how immigrants define a sense of belonging, and what other socio-demographic factors are associated with a stronger or weaker sense of belonging. HIPC’s strategic plan (2021-2025) collective impact goal is to ensure that more newcomers in Hamilton feel a sense of belonging, and we hope that this project will aid us in measuring and achieving this goal.
Deliverables:
Primary Research (analyzing survey data and collecting qualitative data)
Secondary Research
A Report
A presentation to the HIPC Council
City Staff: Sarah Wayland, Senior Project Manager, HIPC
Additional Staff: Mohammad Araf, Program Officer, and Natasha Martinez, Community Relations Coordinator