DeVoretz may be reached at(604) 291 4660 or devoretz@sfu.ca
I am honored today to comment on the successful application of the Joint SFU/UBC Centre of Excellence on Immigration and Integration. First, some background on the motivation and aims of this centre. My co-director, Dr. David Ley from UBC, and I have chosen to focus on four primary areas of research which we believe reflect the challenges and strengths of Vancouver's past immigration experience and which we hope will guide immigration policy for Vancouver into the 21st Century. When David and I constructed our plan we were fortunate since immigration research is one of the few areas of academic research which walks in concert with public sentiment. Thus, as we formulated the research questions in our four chosen research domains -- economic, social, education and the physical infrastructure -- we were directed by both the academic literature and the questions facing government policy makers, radio talk show guests and editors of either Ming Pao or the Vancouver Sun.
At the outset, it is important to note that our research plan is literally inclusive since it covers the Lower Mainland -- Abbotsford to Point Grey and Victoria over a six year study period.
In the economic domain our research team will both describe and analyze the impact of immigrants on greater Vancouver's wages, taxes, services, employment, tourism, trade, and changing demand patterns. Some of the questions to be explored are: 'Do immigrants raise or lower wages in Vancouver? If so for whom? Do immigrants create jobs? If so, at what skill level? Where, precisely, does this impact occur in Vancouver? Moreover, how are immigrant taxes dispersed across the various levels of government? In addition, which level of government supplies the bulk of services to Vancouver's immigrants? All these questions will be put in context by comparing Vancouver's experience with the work of collaborators in Chicago, Munich and Toronto over the six year research horizon.
Education is also on the forefront of all who engage in the immigration debate. Vancouver again has a unique set of educational questions surrounding the challenges and rewards which arise from the impact of immigrants on the school system. School curriculum policy, school financing, use of heritage languages, English training on the job site especially for females and ethnic role models in education are just a few of the research projects that will be explored in the Lower Mainland over the next six years. The study of five individual neighborhoods from Richmond to Coquitlam will form the basic unit of analysis in the social domain. Concerns about health care, social underclass and the dynamics of immigrant family structure will dominate the research topics in this area.
Finally, the geographer's territory -- physical infrastructure -- will comprise the last section of our research efforts. The impact of immigration on transportation, housing, hydro, water and sewer systems as well as the existence of enclave patterns of settlement and enclave economies will be some of the topics explored under the physical infrastructure domain.
In sum, though this research is superficially divided into separate domains, collaborative efforts abound with economists researching educational questions and geographers investigating topics in the social domain. This theme of collaboration among researchers and with partners in the community at the municipal and provincial levels of government and with NGO groups will allow us to focus our efforts on meaningful questions. The overall set of goals for this research is straightforward. We hope to better understand the Vancouver immigration process and settlement patterns, to raise the level of debate in the community and to provide information to formulate progressive and productive immigration policies.
Even before we start the six year journey, thanks are due. The efforts of Citizenship and Immigration, SSHRC, Secretary of State and other federal government ministries which made this funding possible in these parsimonious times are noted with deep appreciation. Next, the extraordinary co-operative efforts of David Ley made the joint submission possible and can serve as a model for future endeavors between SFU and UBC beyond the Shrum Bowl, especially under changing economic circumstances. The financial and logistic support of all three universities -- SFU, UBC and UVIC with supplemental funds under dire financial times points to their collective will. Of course the research team whom I briefly note in the audience, and the legion of past graduate students who provided the true foundation to this work must be singled out for special praise. Finally, to the Canadian taxpayer and private partners who will provide the financial resources we will thank you properly over the years with an efficient program with excellence as its byword.
Thank you for your attention.