RECENT IMMIGRANTS AND UNDERCLASS
POPULATION IN CANADIAN CITIES

Introduction

Underclass population is a group of persons belonging to the lowest and least privileged social stratum. In most cases, the causes and effects of underclass interact. So what makes people underclass also creates conditions that keep them underclass. Underclass population are defined as adults who: (1) have not completed high school; (2) receive public assistance; (3) are single parents or long-term unemployed; and (4) are unable to meet high standards of living and costs of living (O'Hare, 1992).

This study uses data from the Canada Census' 1996 and 2001 Current Population Survey to examine characteristics of the underclass population in relation to  recent immigration in three Canadian cites namely; Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto (MVT). The analysis assesses changes of metropolitan underclass population between 1996 and 2001, with special attention to location, income and geospatial distribution. While current literature have identified strong correlation between poverty of Census Tract (CT) and the proportion of its population who are immigrants, this study will examine the extent of this relationship and verify whether the overall index does provide information on whether or not the observed trend is applicable to all recent immigrants.

The project will apply analytical methods, particularly spatial multivariate techniques at evaluating the extent, direction and strength of association between factors that affect underclass population in relation to recent immigrants in Canada. While it is impossible for this analysis to embrace all variables that characterize underclass population, an attempt will be made to provide relevant factors that emphasize the influence of immigration on underclass population and their spatial concentration at CT level in these three cities.
      

Study Objectives

        The purposes of this project are as follows:

• To determine relevant factors contributing to underclass upsurge in MVT.

• Investigate recent immigrant socio-economic attributes so as to assess the influence of recent immigrants on general underclass population.

• Identify and establish the relative spatial concentration of recent immigrants and underclass concentration.

• Investigate the Modifiable Area Unit Problem (MAUP) in census data aggregation at CT level with Enumeration Area (EA) and Dissemination Area (DA) levels for 1996 and 2001 census data respectively.