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??

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??

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?