Kids of immigrants: Are you better off than your parents?

[Rehan]

There are a couple of stories in the Toronto Star today about the growing level of "poverty" in Toronto, particularly in areas where the immigrant population is increasing. "Poverty" is defined as individual earning more than 20% below the city average. Here's one of the articles: http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/584204 ... Not surprisingly, many of the comments are from people complaining about the immigration policy.

My observation about immigrants has been that the adults that immigrate often get stuck with lower-paying jobs (especially the women, if they are even working at all), for a variety of reasons. But their kids that grow up here in Canada tend to be considerably better off as they grow up and establish their own careers. So despite the initial economic effect is on the demographics of where the immigrants settle, in the long term that effect is minimal.

But let's have a poll here to see whether that's true of the kids of immigrants RFD community... Please vote only if you have grown up in Canada/US and have started working, but your parents immigrated to Canada as adults.

[V A N Q U I S H]

Parents came to Canada in the early 80's, both were in low paying jobs until recently (<5 years). My Father has a well paying job and my Mother is working part time making $13/hour.

I am still in university and I make $17-18/hour part time, and if I go into the career of my choice I will eventually be doing better than my parents are right now.

[AmberMoon]

My oldest is just at the age that she can start working part time, so we shall see. I hope she has a much better career then I ever had.

I think the problem is that those of us who come over from another country tend to have problems using their schooling credits transferred to be recognized in Canada. Thus leaving people to start over from scratch to get their schooling acknowledged, resulting in people having to take jobs that are beneath their skill levels.

[Jucius Maximus]

I'm a lot better off than my parents when they were my age.

[deltone]

I didn't vote on this thread but would like to make a couple of points. I was born and raised in Canada, as were both of my parents, BUT:

My husband was born in Italy and he came here when he was around 6 or 7. His parents had nothing when they arrived but they ended up becoming very well off as property owners and owners of a small business. They raised 6 very successful children who all are doing extremely well.

One of my daughter-in-laws arrived here with her single mom and 4 siblings from central America around 17 or so years ago and she and her siblings are all doing rather well for themselves and at least the 3 girls are doing better than their mother did so yes, they have improved lives, for sure.

My daughter's boyfriend was born in Canada but his parents and his one sister arrived here in Canada as "boat people" from Viet Nam. They were sponsored by a church group and obviously came with nothing. From that beginning they became very successful business owners in a city just north of Toronto and they own 20 plus rental properties, and a successful variety store/restaurant.

They sent their daughter to school in Scotland and she is now a doctor in Ottawa and their son is presently going to university in Australia and the plan is that when he finishes there (in another year or so) he will return to Canada with the goal of becoming a lawyer. So in this case, they too ended up with a much better and easier lives.

[Jay Hova]

Intergenerational occupational mobility: Process of reaching occupation location higher or lower than location held by parents

OCCUPATIONAL MOBILITY IN CANADA

Globally, one of highest rates of upward mobility

More upward than downward intergenerational mobility

Relatively open stratification system (especially during 1970s and 1980s)

Yet intergenerational transfer of advantage persists*

Chapter 6 Social Stratification
by Harvey Krahn - New Society

[Kommander_KornFlakes]

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My parents did not earned six-figure salaries in dollars back in China in the 1980's, enough said.

[AudiDude]

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My parents did not earned six-figure salaries in dollars back in China in the 1980's, enough said.

You might want to correct this sentence before someone quotes you and all will see it...

[gretzky99]

Never mind just the immigrant kids, I think in general kids today are waaaaaaaaaay better off than their parents were at their age.

[Bskll]

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My parents did not earned six-figure salaries in dollars back in China in the 1980's, enough said.

too late, you wish KK.

[Takami]

Wow, who dares to 1 star Rehan's thread?? :confused:

One thing I felt unfair about these research is that these people concentrated their studies strictly on income, and they often ignored personal savings which would be impossible to collect data for, as well as indirect sources of income.

for example: Someone could have no job, no income, no savings, except this brother brought him a house on Post Rd/Lawrence Park, lend him his Ferrari during the day and gave him 3 platinum credit card to use for personal spending. So, this is person below the poverty line because he have no income and cannot make ends meet by himself? Sure, maybe... It is hard to measure what "better off" is anyways.

[Bskll]

Wow, who dares to 1 star Rehan's thread?? :confused:

One thing I felt unfair about these research is that these people concentrated their studies strictly on income, and they often ignored personal savings which would be impossible to collect data for, as well as indirect sources of income.

for example: Someone could have no job, no income, no savings, except this brother brought him a house on Post Rd/Lawrence Park, lend him his Ferrari during the day and gave him 3 platinum credit card to use for personal spending. So, this is person below the poverty line because he have no income and cannot make ends meet by himself? Sure, maybe... It is hard to measure what "better off" is anyways.

how many of these people do you know, lol?

[Takami]

how many of these people do you know, lol?

A lot.

I know of people who have never worked in their life, yet they spend more money in a week, than I could in a month. I do not admire those people one bit.

[Bskll]

A lot.

I know of people who have never worked in their life, yet they spend more money in a week, than I could in a month. I do not admire those people one bit.

everybody can "know of". I'm talking about knowing personally.

[Hunter316]

I would say that I am better off than my parents but that is not to say that they did not do well themselves. Both had well paying jobs and then my dad started his own buisness. They owned the houses we lived in while we grew up but I own my own house now and even taking inflation into account my wife and I make much more than they would have made at our age. I think that the hard work that my parents put into raising me has certainly paid of for me and I thank them for that.

Why is KK always so quick to advertise that he makes six figures. Is it supposed to impress people?

[HSK]

Rehan, I see where you're going with this but I'm not sure the survey is clear enough. Are we talking about earning more money than our parents? And compared to when? Before they came to Canada or once they arrived in Canada? Not every immigrant that came to Canada came to be "better off".

My parents left a CA and MD job in the Middle East (earning 125,000USD+ taxfree each) and now work as a financial controller and ultrasound tech (earning far less). I will likely never earn what they earned in the ME but will soon make more than they make in Canada.

[just_For_ipod]

Both my parents are immigrants, and I was born here. I'm worse off than my parents. My parents have jobs while I'm unemployed. They also have no debts, while I owe a couple of thousand.......... I'm a student:lol:

[Jay Hova]

Rehan, I see where you're going with this but I'm not sure the survey is clear enough. Are we talking about earning more money than our parents? And compared to when? Before they came to Canada or once they arrived in Canada? Not every immigrant that came to Canada came to be "better off".

My parents left a CA and MD job in the Middle East (earning 125,000USD+ taxfree each) and now work as a financial controller and ultrasound tech (earning far less). I will likely never earn what they earned in the ME but will soon make more than they make in Canada.

I think not necessarily money, but socioeconomic status. And I think he also means after they came to Canada.

[Rehan]

I think not necessarily money, but socioeconomic status. And I think he also means after they came to Canada. Yes, exactly. Sorry for not being clear in the first post.

[Jay Hova]

Up.

I've always wanted to examine the students of programs such as Law, MBA, MD, etc. It would be interesting to know the demographics of these students.

[ZenOps]

Much, much worse off.

Its really hard to beat my parentage. Having two Chinese grandfathers who both paid the $500 head tax (equivalent of 10 quarter sections of land or more than a few million dollars nowadays) just to stay in Canada.

My immediate parents both were successful in self-employment.

Whats even more interesting - is that we knew many white (for lack of a more appropriate designation) people who immigrated to Canada at the same time at the turn of last century who got a plot of land - And even so - their children seem to be much much worse off then their parentage as well. Many a toothless farmer here in Alberta, although noone seems to talk about it. I imagine its why Saskatoon is #1 for crime in Canada now, its degenerating fast.

But yes, both my Grandparents did mention they did not come to Canada for economic gain in the early 1900's. It was mainly to avoid the mother country - and for lack of a better term - they were tired of it. The primary goal was not to make a better economic situation - but "a place to run to", much like anyone who immigrated during first and second world war.

However, since I'm still alive (albeit somewhat questionable with MP's like Rob Anders) - mission accomplished.

[heymikey]

I'm not sure if I'm better off than my parents considering they're completely debt-free while I have a mortgage to pay off. But I have to admit, at the age of 27, I am way better off than when my parents were at my age and I hope when I eventually have kids, they would be way better off than me at my age.

[Sepiraph]

My income is currently more than 2x my parents combined.

[shocker]

I say a little better for now. But once my experiance picks up, and I get some more education, I will be alot better off. I gotta hand it to my parents though, they worked much harder back in the day came to Canada with just one brief case with my brother then starting at a dish washing place for $5/hour.

[yucksta]

my dad came here in the 70s with pretty much nothing, just his "professional" skills as a mainframe systems analyst. his father was an illiterate goat herder, so it was quite jump but he could never make it in the home country due to lack of connections...

my mom didn't have any formal schooling in the home country and never worked outside of the home.

they came here on a whim, and made a decent life for themselves while supporting their brother and sisters, and other relatives in the home pind.

i have more money than my parents did at my age and i am probably more materially comfortable but they had things that money can't buy, like connections to family, a community, linguistic and cultural continuity that i just don't have...

if i could go back i would have told them not to come. overall, it wasn't worth it from my perspective.