working paper series -...
TRANSCRIPT
Working Paper Series
Series editor: Linda Sheldon, SFU;Krishna Pendakur, SFU and Daniel Hiebert, UBC, Co-directors
No. 10 - 12
November 2010
Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver: Settlement Among Acehnese Refugees Five
Years On
Lisa Ruth Brunner, Jennifer Hyndman, and Chris Friesen
Metropolis British Columbia
Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Diversity
MBC is supported as part of the Metropolis Project, a national strategic initiative funded by SSHRC and the following organizations of the federal government:
• AtlanticCanadaOpportunitiesAgency(ACOA) • CanadaBorderServicesAgency • CanadaEconomicDevelopmentfortheRegionsofQuebec(CED-Q) • CanadaMortgageandHousingCorporation(CMHC) • CanadianHeritage(PCH) • CitizenshipandImmigrationCanada(CIC) • FederalEconomicDevelopmentInitiativeforNorthernOntario(FedNor) • HumanResourcesandSocialDevelopmentCanada(HRSD) • DepartmentofJusticeCanada • PublicHealthAgencyofCanada(PHAC) • PublicSafetyandCanada(PSC) • RoyalCanadianMountedPolice(RCMP) • TheRuralSecretariatofAgricultureandAgri-FoodCanada(RuralSec’t) • StatisticsCanada(StatsCan)
MetropolisBCalsoreceivesfundingfromtheMinistryofAdvancedEducationandLabourMarketDevelopment(ALMD)oftheGovernmentofBritishCo-lumbia.GrantsfromSimonFraserUniversity,theUniversityofBritishColum-bia and the University of Victoria provide additional support to the Centre.
Viewsexpressedinthismanuscriptarethoseoftheauthor(s)alone.Formore information, contact the Co-directors of the Centre, Krishna Pendakur, DepartmentofEconomics,SFU([email protected])andDanielHiebert,De-partmentofGeography,UBC([email protected]).
3
Table of ConTenTs
absTraCT 5
InTroduCTIon 6
TheFirst365Days• 6
Research Methodology • 9
TheNext1,460Days 1• 2
The Work/language dIlemma 14
Englishclassesinthefirst365days 1• 6
(Un)employmentamongMen 2• 1
Women’sPerspectivesonWork 2• 4
TheRoleoftheState 2• 7
seCondary mIgraTIon To surrey and Calgary 29
repaTrIaTIon and CanadIan CITIzenshIp 33
polICy ImplICaTIons 42
DisseminationEvent 4• 4
ConClusIon 45
referenCes 47
appendIx 1: survey QuesTIons 51
appendIx 2: InTervIeW QuesTIons 53
Working Paper Series
4
Aceh-MAlAysiA-VAncouVer: settleMent AMong Acehnese refugees fiVe yeArs on
Lisa Ruth Brunner
DepartmentofGeography,SimonFraserUniversity
Jennifer Hyndman
Centre for Refugee Studies, York University
Chris Friesen
ImmigrantServicesSocietyofBritishColumbia
Acknowledgements:Wewould like to thankMetropolisBC for its fundingsupport. OurgratitudeisalsoextendedtoSamsidarHalimandFredyTanumihardjafortheirinterpretationservicesand tirelessassistancescheduling interviews. TheImmigrantServicesSocietyofBritishColumbiahasbeenawonderfulpartnerinthisresearch,especiallyHelenAquaandVitoCerovina.Aboveall,weareindebtedtotheAcehneseCanadianCommunitySocietyfortheirwillingnesstoparticipateinourstudy.Anyerrorsremainoursalone.
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver5
absTraCT
Ideally, the Canadian government, researchers, and/or service providers
would trace the settlement outcomes of government assisted refugees
(GARs) from various countries over time, but such data is expensive
tocollectandchallengingatthenationalscale.Inamodestefforttofillthis
gap,researchwithGARsfromAceh,Indonesiawasconductedin2005(one
yearaftermostarrived)andagainin2009toascertainsettlementoutcomes
intheareasofhousing,officiallanguageacquisition,employment,andpar-
ticipationinCanadiansociety.Whilethe2009findingsarebutasnapshotof
socialandeconomicrelationsamongtheAcehneseatthetime,theyofferthe
fullestavailablepictureofhowtheseGARsaredoing;whattheirconcerns,
priorities, and challenges are; and what Canadian policies do to facilitate or
hindertheiraimsasnewCanadiansandpermanentresidents.Morethanfive
yearsafter theirarrival,anumberofofficial languageandemployment is-
sues persist. Spousal sponsorship has proven a salient goal for the majority
of men who are still single. Working towards, saving for, and waiting for such
relationships to materialize may well be impeding integration aims in Canada.
Recommendations to address these situations are offered.
6 MBC:Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
InTroduCTIon
Between 2004 and 2006, a group of 154 government assisted refu-
gees(GARs)originallyfromAceh,IndonesiawereresettledentirelyinMetro
Vancouver,BritishColumbia(ISSofBC2007).Asanearlyexampleofthein-
creasingly“newandfew”Canadian-selectedGARgroupresettlements—that
is, a relatively small number of individuals forming a “new” ethnic group pre-
viouslyunrepresentedinCanada—theirinitialsettlementwasunique.Here,
wefollowuponresearchwithAcehneseconductedin2005,rememberingthat
“despite full legal status and access to employment sanctioned by the host
state, there is no guarantee that refugees will have an easier time creating
livelihoodsunderdramaticallynewconditions”(HyndmanandMcLean2006,
345).Inwhatfollows,weshowhow,fiveyearsafterarrival,lowlevelsofem-
ploymentandofficiallanguageskillsimpactotheraspectsofsettlementinthe
contextoftwoadditionaluniquefacetsofAcehneseresettlement:theinitial
concentrationinoneurbanareaandthepossibilityofrepatriation.Although
many are now Canadian citizens, struggles persist.
The First 365 Days
ToescapedangerintheprovinceofAcehresultingfromdecadesofbitter
conflictbetweentheIndonesiangovernmentandtheFreeAcehrebelmove-
ment known as Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (GAM), between 1999 and 2005,
over three hundred thousand Acehnese were displaced within and beyond
the region’s borders (Drexler 2008; Hyndman andMcLean 2006). Forced
migrationwasparticularlywidespread followingMay2003,when Indonesia
began its largestmilitary offensive since the 1975 invasion of East Timor
(HumanRightsWatch2004).ThousandsofyoungAcehnesemeninparticular
fled to Malaysia, where a similar language and culture provided a second
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver 7
hometomanyundocumentedAcehnese(NahandBunnell2005).However,
as Malaysia is not a signatory to the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees(UNHCR)1951ConventionRelatingtotheStatusofRefugeesorits
1967Protocol,AcehneserefugeesinMalaysiaweredetainedindefinitelyand
occasionallydeportedbacktoAceh,wheretheyfaceddeath(UNHCRMalaysia
2010). In 2003, the UNHCR office inMalaysia estimated the presence of
betweeneightthousandandninethousandAcehneseofconcerninMalaysia
(UNHCRMalaysia2003),althoughotherestimatesarehigher.
In accordancewith Canada’s commitment to resettle refugees deemed
by the UNHCR as “most in need of protection” since the 2002 implementation
oftheImmigrationandRefugeeProtectionAct(IRPA)(PresseandThomson
2007),104Acehneseindividuals—mostlymen—wereselectedbyCanadaas
GARsand resettled toCanadabetweenFebruaryandSeptemberof2004.1
Although this resettlement flow was expected to continue, the December
2004IndianOceantsunamiandthesubsequentsigningofaMemorandum
ofUnderstanding(MoU)betweentheGAMandtheIndonesiangovernmentin
August2005changedtheAcehnese landscapedramatically,bothphysically
andpolitically.WiththearrivalofrelativepeacetoAceh,GARresettlementto
Canadaendedandthepossibilityofrepatriationbecameareality.Intotal,
afterallapplicants’wivesandchildrenarrived,154Acehneseindividualswere
resettledtoMetroVancouverbetween2004and2006,forming5percentofall
GARsresettledtoBCbetween2003and2006(ISSofBC2007).
GARsarrivinginCanadaaretypically“destined,”awordemployedinthe
settlement sector, to thirty-six different cities across Canada including the
ProvinceofQuebec.Anequalnumberofimmigrantandrefugeeservingagen-
ciesprovideinitialsettlementtoGARsthroughtheGovernmentofCanada’s
1 All but one principal Acehnese applicants interviewed were men.
8 MBC:Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
ResettlementAssistanceProgram(RAP).AstheAcehnesewerethefirstgroup
ofGARsfromIndonesiaeversettledinCanada,auniquedecisionwasmade
byCitizenshipand ImmigrationCanada(CIC), inconsultationwith theBC-
basedimmigrantandrefugeeservingagencyImmigrantServicesSocietyof
BritishColumbia(ISSofBC),toresettlethemallinMetroVancouverinorder
to keep the community together.2TheAcehnesewhoarrivedhadscantother
“co-ethnic”AcehneseinCanada,andtheirtrustofnon-AcehneseIndonesians
was low. Both the main settlement counsellor and most of the interpreters
hiredwereCanadiansofChinese-Indonesiandescent.
Thepost-IRPApolicyshiftawayfromresettlingrefugeeswithan“ability
toestablish”inCanadatowardsthosemostinneedofprotectionsignificantly
alteredCanada’sresettledrefugeepopulationto includemore“highneeds”
individualswithincreasedsettlementrequirements,andtheGARsfromAceh
fitthisprofiletotheextentthattheyspentmanyyearsinhidingandinde-
tentioninMalaysiabeforecomingtoCanada.Post-IRPAGARsfacebarriers
insecuringandmaintainingadequateemployment,housing,education,and
language(see,forexample,Yu,Ouellet,andWarmington2007;Sherrelland
ISSofBC2009;HiebertandSherrell2009).
CIC “recognizes that current resettlement programmingmay not ade-
quatelymeettheuniqueandchangingneedsofrefugees”(PresseandThomson
2007).However,thelong-termimplicationsofthese“higherneeds”onsettle-
mentarenotwellunderstood.Dolevelsofgreaterneedexistempirically?If
so, will they continue in perpetuity or will these newcomers eventually catch
uponhealthandeducationaldeficits,forexample?Longitudinalresearchon
2 We use “community” to describe the cohort of Acehnese who came to Vancouver between 2004 and 2006 and in-clude their immediate family members in Vancouver—some Canadian citizens and some not, some refugees and some not—but mark it as problematic in terms of whom it may include and exclude. For further thoughts on how “community” may be defined differently by members themselves and outsiders, see Cohen (1985).
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver 9
post-IRPArefugeesettlementmayyethappen,butatpresent,itexceedsthe
shorterfundingcyclesofMetropolisBCandothernationalfundingbodies.The
LongitudinalSurveyofImmigrantstoCanada(LSIC),with itsnationalcov-
erage and successive waves of data, is a rich data source, but one in which
refugees—whocompriseabout10percentoftheimmigrantpopulation—are
not well represented.
In an effort to fill this gap in refugee-specific research, a study with
AcehneseGARswasconductedin2005—oneyearafterthearrivalofthefirst
104 adults—and planned again for 2009 to ascertain settlement outcomes
intheareasofhousing,officiallanguageacquisition,employment,andpar-
ticipationinCanadiansociety.Researchin2005foundthatthedecisionto
keepallAcehneseGARsgeographicallytogetherwasunanimously favoured
bytheAcehnesesurveyedandlaidthegroundworkfortheconsolidationof
anAcehnesecommunity(McLeanetal.2006).Despite“challengesposedby
officiallanguagedeficitsandpooremploymentprospects,”(McLean,Friesen,
andHyndman2006,20),theformationoftheAcehneseCanadianCommunity
Society (ACCS),competitivesports teamswithin localMuslim leagues,and
participation in localmosquesshowed“smallbut importantsignsofsettle-
ment”(HyndmanandMcLean2006,358).
Research Methodology
Ourqualitativecasestudytakesplacefouryearsafterthe2005research
and analyzes many of the same issues covered in that study. We aim to as-
certain changes in housing, employment, and official language ability. Our
methodsconsistofseventy-fivesurveys(fifty-onemen,twenty-fourwomen)
andfiftysemi-structuredinterviews(twenty-eightmen,twenty-twowomen)
conductedbetweenMay2009andNovember2009(seeAppendices1and2),
10 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
followed by a dissemination and feedback event with participants and other
communitymembersonJuly3,2010.
OliverBakewell(2008)observesabiasinrefugeeresearchconcerningthe
“danger of falling into the trap of assuming that a certain set of problems or
experiencesaretheexclusivedomainofrefugees”(445).Toavoidrefugee-
centrismandtoincludeallsocialnetworksaffectedbyGARresettlement,our
studybroadlyincludedanyadultMetroVancouverresidentoriginallyfromAceh
whoarrivedtoCanadaafter2004;allcameeitherdirectlythroughtheGAR
resettlementprogramorweresponsoredasfamilymembers.Estimatingthe
size of an ethnic, and particularly refugee, community often posits a problem
whendesigningsurvey-basedstudies(Bloch1999).However,atthetimeof
study,theadultAcehnesecommunityinCanadaconsistedofonlyninety-eight
adults,approximately,basedondatafromtheAcehneseCanadianCommunity
Society(ACCS)andISSofBC,theprimaryserviceproviderforthisgroupupon
arrival.Thus,wewereabletosurveyapproximately75percentandinterview
approximately50percentofthepopulation.
Therecruitmentofparticipants initially reliedononeofseveral leaders
of theAcehneseCanadianCommunitySociety(ACCS), introducedtousby
ISSofBC.Thisrelationshipwiththegroup’scommunityleaderwasvitaltothe
trust-buildingprocessandrequired“constantnegotiations”commontosurvey
researchwithrefugeepopulations(Bloch1999,378).Nonetheless,wealso
recruitedmoregenerallybyhangingrecruitmentflyersatISSofBC’sofficeand
incorporating snowball sampling to make contacts with other potential partici-
pants.AsBloch(1999)pointsout,asnowballsamplingapproachcan“isolate
members of the communities who [are] not in touch with any social, cultural,
religious or community group or contact point and excludes them from the
research” (381). Tocounter this issue,we followedBloch’s suggestionsof
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver 11
using multiple gatekeepers and a purposive sampling approach. We insisted
upon a minimum of at least 30 percent women for both the surveys and the
interviews despite the lower actual percentage of women in the community.
Intheend,32percentofsurveyedparticipantsand44percentofinterviewees
werewomen.Twointerpreterswhowereknowntothecommunityfromthe
settlement period served as additional gatekeepers; they actively recruited
participantswhowerenotasinvolvedintheACCS.
Aftersurveysandinterviewswerepilotedwithcommunity leaders,sur-
veys were administered in the living room of a private home adjacent to the
ACCScommunitycentrefrequentedweeklybymostmembers,women,men,
andchildren.Intervieweeschosewheretheypreferredtobeinterviewed,and
these were administered in either the private homes of participants or in the
ACCScommunitycentre.ThedisseminationeventtookplaceatSimonFraser
University’s downtown campus. Interview participantswere given grocery
storegiftcardsinexchangefortheirparticipation,andtheACCSwasgiven
payment in the form of rent for using the community centre throughout the
project.Allthreestagesofthestudy(surveys,interviews,anddissemination
event)wereconductedinthepresenceofoneofthetwoBahasa Indonesia
interpretersmentionedabove.AlthoughAcehneseisthefirstlanguageofthe
participants,themajorityarefluentinBahasa Indonesia and have drawn on
the services of both translators for previous interpretation.
Responses to surveys and the discussion at the dissemination event were
recorded by hand while the interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed
with permission. Finally, the survey data was tabulated manually and the in-
terviews were transcribed; the data was then coded by the following themes:
detention, marriage, employment, language study, comparisons between
CanadaandScandinaviancountries(wheremanyrespondents’friendswere
12 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
resettled), comparisons betweenMetroVancouver andAlberta/Calgary, re-
patriation,theAcehnesecommunityinVancouver,transnationaltiestoAceh,
and gender issues.
The Next 1,460 Days
According to our main community informant, seventy-three male and
twenty-fivefemaleAcehneseadults(notincludingchildren)arecurrentlyliving
in Metro Vancouver and appear to be a closely knit if not homogenous group
of newcomers.3
Source:CommunityInformant,2009
Amongthoseinterviewed,feelingstowardslifeinCanadaaremixedfiveyears
afterarrival.AllfiftyrespondentsexpressedtheirgratitudetotheCanadian
government, particularly for the safety that permanent residence in Canada
provides.Theypraiseaccesstohighquality,low-costpubliceducation,med-
icalservices,andtransportation.Onemanexpressedhisappreciation:
IwanttosaythankyouverymuchtotheCanadiangovernmentbecause
theysupportedus...I’mreallyhappy.It’s[allowedmeto]makeanewlife
here.Everythingischanging.
3 Some Acehnese have moved to Alberta for better work opportunities, but the majority remain in Metro Vancouver.
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver 13
(Interview#48,Man,November1,2009,p.3)
However,echoingtheinitialresearchconductedin2005(HyndmanandMcLean
2006;McLean, Friesen, andHyndman2006), unemployment remains high
amongrespondents,official languageskillsremainquite low,andadequate
housing in Metro Vancouver (and particularly Vancouver) remains prohibi-
tivelyexpensive.Asanothermanexplains,thesechallengeshaveincreased
over time, especially in light of the late-2000s recession:
ThefirsttwoweeksIfeltveryhappyandveryproudbecausewearemostly
fromthelowerclass[inAceh]andIneverimaginedthatIcouldcrossthe
oceanandliveonanothercontinent.SoIwashappyatthattime.But...
nowit’sgettingmoredifficultbecausewedon’tknowhowtofindajob.[In
Canada]youhavetospeakEnglish.
(Interview#30,Man,August11,2009)
AlthoughtheAcehnesecommunity inCanada issmall, thediversityamong
individuals is noteworthy. Our interviews revealed varying Acehnese and
Indonesian languageskills,aswellasage,maritalstatus,rural/urban,and
educational differences, each affecting settlement differently. For example,
the significant gender imbalance among Acehnese Canadians represents a
major challenge for the young, single men who want to start families of their
own.Intheabsenceofsingle,AcehnesewomeninCanada,manyexperience
long waiting times associated with marriages organized across international
borders(hereafter,“transnationalmarriages”).Theyenduretensionsbetween
state(andsometimespersonal)goalsfortheirparticipationinCanadianso-
cietyandtheiraspirationstokeepAcehculturealive,givenitsminoritystatus
inIndonesiaandinCanada.Acompanionworkingpapertothisoneexplores
thespecificsettlementimplicationsandtransnationalmarriagepracticesthat
14 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
resultfromaskewedgenderratioamongtheAcehneseuponarrival(Brunner,
forthcoming).
Inthefollowingdiscussion,wefocusbroadlyonthreeprominentissues
common to all respondents: the work/language dilemma; secondary migra-
tiontoSurrey,BCandCalgary,AB;andtherelationshipbetweenrepatriation
andCanadiancitizenship.Indoingso,ouraimistoavoidthe“tendencyto
definerefugeesthemselvesastheproblem,andtheresettlementsystemas
the solution,” instead recognizing how “this system operates within a prob-
lematicsocialcontext”(Simich2003,577).WeagreewithSimichthat“too
little analytic attention has been given to contextual factors such as the social
conditions in which refugees are expected to adapt and policies designed to
controlrefugeesettlementpatternsinreceivingcountries”(577).Although
refugee settlement is often compared to the economic objectives of other im-
migrantclasses(suchastemporaryforeignworkersorskilledworkers),we
stressthattheResettlementAssistanceProgram(RAP)isfirstandforemosta
refugee protection and humanitarian program.
The Work/language dIlemma: “We sTIll feel lIke sTrangers To The CounTry”
Foruptooneyearaftertheirarrivaloruntileconomicself-sufficiencyis
achieved,GARsareeligibleforfederalassistancethroughRAP.Inadditionto
initialorientationservicessuchastemporaryhousingforfifteennightsanda
one-time basic household goods and furniture package, monetary assistance
isavailablebasedonfamilysizeandtheageofhouseholdmembers.In2006,
forexample,anindividuallivinginBritishColumbiawaseligibleforupto$635
CADmonthly,mirroringprovincialincomesupportrates(ISSofBC2007).In
principle,thisinitialyearoffersGARsanopportunitytoconcentratefullyon
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver15
settlementandespeciallyonofficiallanguageacquisitionasprovidedinBritish
Columbia byBC’s English LanguageService for Adults program (ELSA). In
practice, several factors pose challenges to full-time language study during this
initialperiod;arecentstudyamongpost-IRPAGARsinToronto,forexample,
foundhighdrop-outrates,lowgraduationrates,andincreasedoveralldiffi-
cultyinlanguageclassescomparedtootherclassesofimmigrants(Debeljacki
2007).
Although low official language ability hinders several aspects of GARs’
lives—suchastheirabilitytoaccessservicesandmoregenerallyparticipatein
Canadiansociety—itparticularlyaffectstheiraccesstoemployment(McLean,
Friesen,andHyndman2006).ResearchersandAcehneseparticipantsalike
stressedastronglinkbetweenlanguageandemploymentinthe2005study
(McLean,Friesen,andHyndman2006)ashavestudieselsewhere(Hyndman
andWalton-Roberts1999;HeninandBennet2002).Acehnese“participants
repeatedlycalledformoreESLavailability,aswellasmoreinnovativeESL/
pre-employment job placement pilot programs,” leading McLean, Friesen, and
Hyndman to conclude that “extant federal and provincial employment as-
sistancemodels[were]notworkingwellfornon-Englishspeakingrefugees”
(2006,15).AftermorethanayearinCanada,“allmembersoftheAcehnese
communitywereexperiencingdifficultyfindingstableemployment,andcon-
tinued to cite lack of English skills and ‘Canadian’work experience as the
reason for their failure” (15). The2005 studyalso revealed languageas-
sessmentwait-listsandseatshortages,delayingaccesstoELSAduringthis
crucialfirst-yearperiod(McLean,Friesen,andHyndman2006).Althoughnew
moneyfromfederalsourceslargelyeliminatedthesewaitsforGARsarriving
after2008,otherbarrierstoELSAduringparticipationinRAPpersist.Starting
fromthecriticalfirst-yearRAPsupportperiod,wetraceAcehneseexperiences
16 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
with the “work/language dilemma” by highlighting additional challenges re-
vealedfiveyearslater.
English classes in the first 365 days: “I was broken that year . . .”
Facing the highest housing prices in Canada, one initial challenge for
AcehneseinVancouverwasthattheassistanceprovidedbyRAPwassimply
notenough(SherrellandISSofBC2009).Asonemanexplains,rentwasso
highthatRAPpaymentsprovidedforlittleelse:
WhenIfirstlandedinCanada,Igot573dollarseverymonth[fromRAP].
Thatisnotreallyenough,becauseafteryoupayrentandbuyabuspass,
you have no more money.
(Interview#48,Man,November1,2009,p.8).
ThealreadyinadequateRAPallowanceleftlittleroomfortheadditionalcost
ofthetransportationloanGARsarerequiredtopayback,withinterest,tothe
Canadiangovernment. In2006, forexample,an individualGARarrivedto
Canadawitha$1,534CADdebt(ISSofBC2007).Althoughrepaymentcanbe
delayedforuptotwelvemonthsafterarrival,allfiftyofourrespondentssaid
theypaidtheirtransportationloansasquicklyaspossible;forsome,thiswas
partially to avoid paying riba,thetermforinterestforbiddeninIslamiceco-
nomic jurisprudence fiqh.
ThepressuresonAcehneseGARstosendhomeremittancescreatedan
additionalfinancialburdenearlyon.InthecontextofresettledSudaneserefu-
gees,Akuei(2005)notesthatremittancesareasourceofdignityandpridefor
those who send them, often contributing towards a dowry or allowing younger
siblings to attend school. However, remittances vary by country of origin;
in a study with Kosovar refugees living in BC in 2002–03, for example, only
threefamiliesoutoftwenty-foursentsemi-regularremittances(Sherrelland
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver 17
Hyndman2004).FortheAcehnese,thewidespreaddevastationofthe2004
tsunami created an unexpected pressure to send remittances months after
arrival(or,dependingontheirarrival,immediatelyuponarriving)inCanada.
Respondents described their support of those affected by the tsunami:
[IsendremittancestoAcehbecause]mymomandmyfamilyneedhelp.
Before,myhusband’sbrotherlosthishomebecauseofthetsunami,and
they needed help [too]. So we helped them.
(Interview#4,Woman,July12,2009,p.5)
IhaverelativesinAcehwho,becauseofthetsunami,areorphans.SoIstill
have to send some money to support them.
(Interview#6,Woman,July18,2009,p.6)
Before [the peace agreement] we had to [send] donations for orphans, be-
causeinAcehtherearealot.
(Interview#40,Man,August20,2009,p.10)
Basedonourinterviews,allrespondents—eventhoseunemployed—arecur-
rentlysendingremittancesbacktoAcehtosupporttheiragingparentsand/
or the education of their younger relatives such as siblings and cousins, while
unmarried men are also saving up for additional costs associated with future
transnationalmarriages. Orphaned relatives continue to add pressure not
only to send remittances but also to save towards the costly sponsorship pro-
cess, as another woman describes:
Mynephews’parentswerekilledinthetsunami,soIwouldliketobring
them[toCanada]...[whenI]call[mynephews],theyaskwhetherthey
cancome[liveinCanada]withme.Iwouldliketosponsorthem.Evenjust
onekidisokay…Itreatthemjustlikesons.
(Interview#28,Woman,August8,2009,p.6)
18 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
AfinalchallengeduringtheRAPperiodwasthesheerdifficultyinadjusting
to life in Canada. Unfamiliarity with Canadian teaching styles and limited pre-
viousexposure toEnglishcreatedchallengesadjusting toELSAclasses,as
one woman remarked:
ThefirsttimeIwasputintoanELSAclassatlevel1,Ilearneduptolevel2,
butIwasnotinterestedatthattimebecauseIcouldn’tunderstandwhatthe
teacherwastryingtoexplain.ButnowIfeelIcouldlearnmorebecauseI
understandalittlebit[more],soIwanttogoback.
(Interview#13,Woman,July19,2009,p.2)
ThiswomanneededtimeinCanadabeforefeelingconfidentenoughtoprogress
further through Canadian language classes. Unfortunately, like all immigrants,
GARsareonlyallowedlimitedELSAinstruction;thus,individualsenteringat
a lower level—asmost Acehnese did—are not offered sufficient support to
reachfullfluency.Inaddition,onceapermanentresidentobtainscitizenship,
theyarenolongereligibleforgovernment-subsidizedclasses.Thesebarriers
significantlylimitthelevelofofficiallanguageproficiencypost-IRPAGARsare
abletoobtainevenfiveyearsafterarrival.
Forothers, yearsof conflict, separation,anddetentionpresented chal-
lenges, particularly in light of the tsunami:
ThefirstyearIstayedinCanada,thegovernmentgavemypeopleoneyear
togo[tolanguage]school[andeverything]wasfree.ButatthattimeIwas
crazy;somethingwaswrongbecauseIthoughtaboutmycountry,andthen
Ididn’tgo[to]school.Iwasbrokenthatyear...butnow[byworkingand
sendingmoneybacktoAceh]Icanhelpsomanypeopleinmyfamily.
(Interview#43,Man,September6,2009,p.1)
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver 19
Astheabovequoteexemplifies,initialadjustmentdifficultiescombinedwith
the pressures to afford life in Vancouver, pay back the transportation loan,
sendhome remittances, andachieve self-sufficiency createda serious dis-
tractionfromtakinglanguagecoursesduringthefirstyearafterarrival.This
resultedinquickpart-timeentryintothelabourmarket,withmanybeginning
workbeforetheRAPperiodwasup.Onceintheworkforce,however,respon-
dentsfaceddifficultyjugglingemploymentandotherhouseholdresponsibili-
tieswithlanguageclasses.Asthefollowingtwoquotesshow,thedemandsof
both paid and unpaid labour compete with language classes:
Goingtoschoolafterworkwasverydifficult.Itwasjustgoingthroughone
earandoutthroughanotherear.Therewasnothingleft.Nothingstuck.
(Interview#23,Man,August4,2009,p.1)
Istopped[ELSA]duringtheRamadanpreparations.Ididn’thaveenough
timeforcooking[and]preparing[Iftar]dinner...sofarIhaven’t[gone
back]becauseIhave[to]takecareofotherthingsfirst.
(Interview#27,Woman,August8,2009,p.1)
Amongwomen,childcarewasthesinglegreatestbarriertoELSA.Thismirrors
findingsfrompreviousstudies(forexample,Sherrell,Hyndman,andPreniqi
2004;Wasik2006;Wayland2006).
For men in particular, the “low-skilled” nature of employment found re-
sultedinanadditionalfactorhinderingofficiallanguageacquisition.Uponar-
rival,mostoftheyoungerAcehnesemenquicklyfoundjobsinconstruction,
finishingcarpentry,andpainting,whileoldermentendedtoworklower-paying
positions such as janitors, halal butchers or prep cooks in restaurants, or in a
boxfactory.Althoughthelatterwererelativelyhigh-paying(morethan$20
perhour),manyjobswereoutsidethecity(suchasworkontheSea-to-Sky
20 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
Highwayinadvanceofthe2010winterOlympics)andrequiredirregular,con-
tract, or overtime hours.4Itquicklybecameimpossibletomeettherequire-
mentsforbothworkandEnglishclasses,asonemanworkinginconstruction
pointed out:
Ihavenotime[forELSA]rightnowbecausesometimesI’mworkinglatebut
sometimesI’mnot.Ireallywanttostudybut[ifIdo]Iwouldhavetotell
mybossIhavetostopajobat4or5[pm].ButsometimesIhavetowork
until6or7[pm].
(Interview#30,Man,August11,2009,p.1)
However,afterstoppingELSAclasses,itwasvirtuallyimpossibletoreenroll.
InadditiontothepreviouslylistedbarrierstoELSAbasedonallottedtimein
ELSAandcitizenshipstatus,thecomplexlogisticsofreenrollmentareafur-
therhurdle.Inourstudy,twomenmentionedattemptstoreenrollinELSAbut
facedlongwaittimes;othersmentionedthedifficultybalancingthecommit-
ment to classes with the search for part-time work and the need to be avail-
able for work anytime.
If official language skills are not obtained during the RAP period, they
can remain elusive indefinitely. In 2009, English-speaking abilities among
Acehnesemenandwomenwerevariedbut lowoverall. Amongthosesur-
veyed,theaverageELSAlevelobtainedisbetween2and3amongmenand2
amongwomenoutof6possiblelevels(literacylevel,beginnerlevels1-3,and
intermediatelevels4and5).Amongthefiftymenandwomeninterviewed
inthepresenceofaninterpreter,thirty-twospokeentirelyinIndonesian,ten
spokeamixtureofEnglishandIndonesian,andeightspokeprimarilyinEnglish
withclarificationsfromtheinterpreter.Noonehassuccessfullyreturnedto
4 The average wage of men was reported to be $18.30 per hour, although only roughly two-thirds of those employed were willing to give an exact number.
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver 21
ELSAafterstopping,anddespiteadesiretodoso,nooneisactivelystudying
English.
(Un)employment among Men: “My future is very dark for me right now”
ForAcehnesemen,quickentryintothelabourmarketdespitelowEnglish
proficiency levels proved disastrous when employment conditions changed
duringtherecessionTheconstructionindustry,particularlyinconjunctionwith
the2010Olympics,washithard;asaresult,manymenwereforcedtoaccept
short-term,sporadiccontractworkorlosttheirjobsentirely.Withfewsignifi-
canttiesbeyondtheircommunity,theAcehnesewereparticularlyaffected.Out
of twenty-six men interviewed, twenty-four found all their jobs through other
Acehnesemen.5BecausetheentireAcehnesecommunityworkedingroups
for a small number of employers, when one company laid off employees, mul-
tiplemenfromthecommunitylostworkoptions.Ourresearchwasconducted
inthemidstofthesechanges.Thefollowingquoteisrepresentativeofthe
experiencesofvirtuallyallAcehnesemeninourrespondentpool:
Myfirstjobwasinconstruction.IheardaboutitfromanAcehneseperson.
Iworkedforoneyearandtwomonths,butthesalarydidnotmatchthe
workload.AnotherAcehnesefriend[helpedmegetajobin]tilegrinding,
soIworkedthereforoneyearandtwomonths...[but]Iwasalwaysat
thebottom...IquitandwenttoworkfortheKiewitconstructioncom-
pany[throughanotherAcehnesefriend]forninemonthsbutIgotlaidoff.
IcalledthepreviousgrindingcompanyandgotworkbutaftertwoweeksI
got laid off again because the economy was slowing down . . . [Finding a job
inCanada]isveryhardbecauseIdon’tknowanybodyhere...Istilldon’t
knowwhattodo.Myfutureisverydarkformerightnow.Ihavenoexpe-
rience and no stable job.
(Interview#47,Man,September27,2009,p.2).
5 Two men said they found their jobs through acquaintances in ELSA classes.
22 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
Facingashortageof“low-skill”jobopportunities,thosewithlimitedEnglish
skillswerehavinggreatdifficultyfindingworkandmakingendsmeet.One
sentimentfrequentlyexpressedagainechoedresponsesofthe2005survey:
Acehnesemenwanttoworkbutsimplycannotfindit.Atthetimeofthe2009
survey,nineteenofthefifty-twomenwereunemployed,althoughanecdotally
welearnedthatthisproportiongrewsignificantlyas2009progressed;atthe
time of writing, community informants estimate that “most” are out of work.
Twomen—bothwith jobsand relativelyhighEnglishskills—describedwhat
other respondents were hesitant to admit:
My friends [without a job] have nothing. No money. No job. Some of them
have no money to pay the rent. Some of them have no money to buy food.
Ifillouttheirforms[like]employmentinsuranceforms.Ifeelsympathyfor
[them].
(Interview#44,Man,September13,2009,p.8).
SomeAcehnesehavejustenoughtosurvive.
(Interview#18,Man,July28,2009,p.8).
Attemptstobettertheirsituationhavelargelyfailed.Manyoftheskillsthat
Acehnesehavewerenotalignedwithlocallabourmarketneeds,similartothe
KosovarssettledintheBCinteriorin1999(Sherrell,Hyndman,andPreniqi
2004).Thosewhohaveparticipatedinemploymentprograms,however,still
struggletofindwork.Atleastfourmendescribedattemptstoworkastruck
driversorelectriciansbutnotedtheyfacedcertificationchallengesthathin-
deredtheseefforts.Newfundingin2008providedmoreemployment-related
supportprogramssuchasISSofBC’sEmploymentOutreachServicesandthe
MOSAIC-ledStepAheadprogram;thesettlementservicessectorhasdeliv-
eredtargetedtrainingprogramsthatincludedanESLandjobplacement/work
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver 23
experiencecomponent.Thesehaveincludedhomesupportwork,paintingand
decorating, long-term care aide, and automotive mechanics.
Onewomandescribedtheplightofherfamilyafterherhusband,whohad
workedasatruckdriverinMalaysiafortwentyyears,failedtheBCdriver’s
test for the thirtieth time:
I’mashamedbecausewhenIgotothewelfareoffice,itseemslikeI’ma
beggar asking for money, and the person there just keeps rejecting, re-
jecting. With four kids you have to pay bills, have to pay the rent – the
moneyisnotenough.ThemoneyIhadinsavingsisalreadyusedup.[My
husband]hasbeenunemployedsinceSeptemberlastyear,soit’s[been]
aboutayearalready.Thewelfarepeople...sayif[he]doesn’tfindajobby
September then [our] welfare will be cut.
(Interview#20,Woman,July29,2009,p.1)
AfterfinishingwithRAPandtransferringtoprovincialwelfare,thesethreats
happen and at times refugees are pushed out of language classes in order to
findemploymentandgetoffofwelfare.Findingemploymentremainsdifficult,
butanadditionalsourceoffrustrationamongrespondents isthatafterfive
years in Canada, the low-skilled work available to them does not match their
expectations.OnemanrecallshisexpectationsofemploymentinCanadabe-
fore his arrival:
InAcehwedon’tgetpaidbythehour.Wegetamonthlysalary.Sowhen
we had to work eight hours [a day in Canada], we were really surprised be-
causeeighthourshereisreallyeighthours.It’snotlikeAceh.Ifyouwork
eighthours,maybeonlyfourhoursare[spent]directlyworking...That
wasahardadjustmentandIwishtheCanadianofficerhadtoldme[more]
about employment in Canada . . . [Some of us thought] working in Canada
wasjustsittingandusingacomputer,likeanofficejob.
(Interview#33,Man,August12,2009,p.6)
24 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
Expectationsandlivedrealitiesaretwoveryseparatethings.Althoughsome
respondentsremainhopeful,thedifficultytheyfaceinimprovingtheirEnglish
leaves bleak prospects for many respondents to achieve their goals:
Idon’tlikemy[construction]jobrightnow.Idon’twanttobedirty.It’sa
[manual]labourjob.MyfirsttargetwillbestudyingEnglish.Afterthat,I
want to be a politician.
(Interview#18,Man,July28,2009,p.2)
Iwanttofindajob.Idon’tcareaboutthesalary...becauseIhavenojob
now...but my dream job is to be a paramedic.
(Interview#48,Man,November1,2009,p.1–2)
Previous research revealed frustration among refugees with generally high
education obtainment who experience downward mobility in the Canadian la-
bourmarket(forexampleKrahnetal.2000).Despitelowereducationallevels
overall,thesepost-IRPAGARsalsofacefrustration.
Women’s Perspectives on Work: “We have our own pride”
Women had different observations and analyses of the settlement process.
Ingeneral,Acehnesesocietyprescribesdifferentgenderrolesthanthosein
Canada, and older women in particular encountered tensions upon entering
theCanadianlabourforce.Onewomanwithfourchildrendescribedherdif-
ficultdecisiontoquitherjobeventhoughherhusbandhadbeenunemployed
for almost a year:
InCanada,it’sverynormalforboththehusbandandthewifetowork,but
backinmyhometown,it’scommonthatthehusbandworksoutsideandthe
wifetakescareofthehouse,thekids,andthehusband.[When]Ihadajob,
Igotoffworkatmidnight.Iwenttosleepat1o’clock.Inthemorningsat
5:30,Iwasalreadyawaketocookformyhusband.Thenat7:30,Iwoke
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver25
upthekidstogotoschoolandthenat9o’clock,Itookthemtoschooland
thenpickedthemupagain,andthen,youknow,[Ihadto]cleanandevery-
thing,andthenIwentwork.[Afteroneyear]Icouldnotdoit.Itwastoo
hard for me [especially] at my [older] age. From the perspective of a wife,
the government of Canada [can help by] preparing a job for the husband so
we [wives] can take care of children at home.
(Interview#20,Woman,July29,2009,p.15)
Despite her struggle to balance employment and household obligations, her
unemployedhusband’sassistancewithhouseholdworkwasnotarealisticop-
tion in her opinion:
IfIamtheonewhohastogotowork,it’sbetternottohaveahusband...
Ijustdon’tfeelitisrightforamantostayathome.
(Interview#20,Woman,July29,2009)
Some younger women, however, described positive experiences working in
Canada(someasthesolebreadwinnerintheirfamily)orexpressedastrong
desiretowork.Atthetimeofoursurvey,sixoutoftwenty-fourwomenwere
employed with an average hourly wage of $10 per hour as part-time prep
cooks, grocery cashiers, or labourers in a commercial bakery. More women
want to work but face multiple barriers related to their household obligations
andlowEnglishlevels.Asoneyoungmotherexpressed:
Thegovernmenthastodosomethingforyoungmoms,becauseafterweget
pregnantwewouldstillliketofindajob,butweknowthatourEnglishisnot
sufficientenoughtofindone.ButifwewouldliketoimproveourEnglish,
thereisnodaycareprovidedandwecannotgo.Theincomeofourhus-
bandscannotcoveralltheexpenses.That’stheconflictwe[face]butwedo
notknowhowtosolveit.Ifeelembarrassedto[dependon]welfareassis-
tance.Iwouldliketofindjob,butwhataboutmykids?Whowilltakecare
ofthem?That’stheconflictinourhearts.Wedonotwanttoaddtothe
burden of the government. We have our own pride.
26 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
(Interview#6,Woman,July18,2009,p.7)
Theunpaidbutvitalworkofchildcarecompeteswiththeneedforincomeand
paidwork.AlthoughsomeELSAclassesofferfreechildcare,thereare“not
manyspaces”andwaittimesarelong(ELSANet2010).
Still, in addition to the competing demands of household work, the available
paid work options are poor. Like their male counterparts, women expressed
frustrationregardingthetypeofworkprospects.Asonewomanexplained,
some positions are under-the-table and render employees vulnerable:
IfIworkinafactory,Ifeelmoresecurebecauseeverythingisarranged
[formally].ButifIwork[underthetable]inarestaurant,thereisnocom-
mitment, there is no certain schedule or shift . . . the [business] is small
andtheyhavetopaycash...I’mforcedtotakethejobintherestaurant
becausemyhusbandisunemployednow.Ifinthefuturemyhusbandgets
ajob,Iwillnolongerstayintherestaurant.Iwillfindanotherjob[which]
providesbenefits.
(Interview#13,Woman,July19,2009,p.3)
OthersrecalledtheirpreviousexperiencesinAceh:
[WhenIchangemyjobinthefuture]Idon’twantittoinvolvetoomuch
physicallabour.WhatIwasdoinginacommercialbakery[hereinCanada]
was[adifficultjobphysically].BeforecomingtoCanada,Inevereven
workedbefore.I’mstillyoung.Iwasdoingmyuniversity[inAceh].
(Interview#36,Woman,August16,2009,p.3)
It’sshameful.Backhome[inAceh]Ihadacomfortableposition.Iwas
workingforagovernmentinstitution,not[manuallabour].ButhereIhave
to work in a factory
(Interview#28,Woman,August8,2009,p.2)
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver 27
Idreamtobeanurseagain,like[Iwas]inmycountry.OfcourseIcando
that here [someday] because the government will loan me money for an
education.Thegovernmentprovidessuchkindsofopportunities,right?
(Interview#29,Woman,August9,2009,p.9)
These women are experiencing downward social mobility on a local scale
through their employment, while men experience a similar downward mobility
through unemployment. As onewoman remarked, things are different in
Aceh:
[InAceh]ifyouarejobless,yourconditionisstillokay.Buthere[inCanada]
you are forced to face that unemployment is not a good thing here . . . if
youareunemployed[inCanada],itseemsthatit’snotgoodforthiscountry.
ButinIndonesiathereisalotofunemployment.
(Interview#28,Woman,August8,2009,p.8)
While not unusual for immigrants of any class, their struggle with limited op-
tionsandaspirationstofindbetterjobsisreal.
The Role of the State: “The government does not pay enough attention to us”
Frustrated, both men and women respondents see this as an unmet obli-
gation on the part of the Canadian government in terms of basic survival and
self-determination,asthefollowingrepresentativequotesreveal:
Incomingrefugeesshouldbegivenaskilltopreparethemselvesbe-
fore coming [to Canada] or maybe during their resettlement so they
have a [way] to survive in Canada rather than depending on employment
assistance.
(Interview#24,Man,August7,2009,p.6)
28 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
Thegovernmentdoesnotpayenoughattentiontous,tohelpusfindjobs.
We do not regret coming to Canada, oh no, no, no. We are happy to come
to Canada. But the thing is, [having a] job is very important to survive.
(Interview#20,Woman,July29,2009,p.4)
Thinkingofthefuture,respondentsalsoexpressedfearsthattheavailability
of manual labour is not only affected by the economy but also by individual
age and ability, as an older man says:
AfterELSA,maybethegovernmentcanprovideatrainingcourseforem-
ployment...tolearnabouttherefugees’skillandwhattheydidintheir
countrybefore.Forexample,Ihadaconveniencestorebusiness[inAceh]
soIwanttoknowhowto[manage]aconveniencestorehere[inCanada]
also...Idon’tlikeworkinginconstruction.Ifyouworkinconstruction
andyouarestrong,youareyoung,okay.Butaround55or60you’llbetoo
weak, right?
(Interview#40,Man,August20,2009)
Finally,asthefollowingquoteshows,thesignificanceofemploymentexceeds
its monetary value and affects notions of self and participation in Canadian
society:
TheCanadiangovernmentshouldpaymoreattentiontoemployment,be-
cause for other things, we can do it by ourselves to improve. But for em-
ployment we still feel like strangers to the country.
(Interview#7,Woman,July19,2009,p.6)
For some participants, employment offers one of the few opportunities to in-
teractwithnon-Acehnesepeople.Astheremainderofthepaperwillshow,
long-termunemploymentcoupledwithlowEnglishabilitiesleavesmanyfami-
lieswithdifficultdecisionstomake.
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver 29
seCondary mIgraTIon To surrey and Calgary: “our fuTure Is unCerTaIn”
Asnoted,theAcehnesewerethefirstgroupofGARstoberesettleden-
tirely in one Canadian urban centre, and the Acehnese surveyed in 2005
unanimouslyfavouredthisdecision.Thecommunityremainsverytight;at
thestartofthe2009study,theAcehneseCanadianCommunitySocietycon-
vertedacollectivelyrentedstorefrontinVancouverintoamosqueandused
itasacommunitycentre. Althoughallseventy-fiverespondentssaid they
attended at least once a month, the vast majority attended every Saturday.
Respondents expressed the importance of this space as a place to pray, so-
cialize,teachtheirchildrenAcehneseandreligiousclasses,exchange infor-
mation about jobs, and support community members during celebratory or
grieving periods following major events such as births and deaths. During the
study, however, the community centre was moved to a storefront with cheaper
rent; at the time of writing, the community is only able to afford a basement
space and its future remains up in the air.
Attheapproximatetimeofthe2005survey,eighty-fiveindividuals(in-
cludingadultsandchildren)livedinVancouver,forty-fivelivedinBurnaby,and
twenty-threelivedinSurrey(ISSofBC2007).Our2009surveyofseventy-five
individuals surveyed the housing location of adults only, revealing forty-one
adults living in Vancouver, twenty-three in Surrey, nine in Burnaby, and two in
Richmond.Themapbelowshowsthesettlementofsixty-twoadultsforwhich
accurate postal codes were available. During our research, however, several
additional families moved or planned to move to Surrey.
30 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
BecauseVancouver’shighrentalcostswerenegotiated“throughstrategiesof
doubling and tripling up in order to spread rental costs among more people,”
in2005,81percentofsurveyparticipantslivedwithfourormoreotherpeople
intheirapartment,26percent livedwithsixormore,and22percent lived
withthreeormorepeopleperroom(McLean,Friesen,andHyndman2006,
11).Our2009studyrevealsthatsinglemenwithnospouseinCanada(69
percentofsurveyrespondentsin2009)aremorelikelytodouble/tripleupand
thus afford housing in Vancouver, while married couples with children largely
do not have this housing option and tend to live in Burnaby or Surrey.
However,a(third)migrationtootherpartsofCanadahasemergedasa
survivalstrategybytheAcehnese.Singlemenandfamiliesalikeundertook
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver 31
searchestofindemploymentspecificallyinAlberta,threateningthecontinuity
of a geographically centralized community. Research participants spoke of the
relationshipbetweentheAcehnesecommunity inMetroVancouverandtwo
AcehnesemenwhoimmigratedtoCanadaseveraldecadesagothroughtheir
workintheoilindustry.ThesemeninitiallyassistedAcehnesefindemploy-
mentinrestaurantsandfactoriesthroughoutAlberta,includingworkinmore
ruralareassuchastheColumbiaIcefields intheRockyMountainsandFort
McMurray,Alberta.
Anecdotally,atthetimeofourstudy,respondentsestimatedthatthere
wereaboutthirtyAcehneselivingintheCalgaryarea.Theirmovesare,how-
ever, often temporary; many return, citing cold weather, poor public transpor-
tation,andalackofAsianand/orAcehnesepeopleandfoodastheirreasons
for returning to Metro Vancouver, as the following respondents explain:
IwenttoCalgarybecausesomeAcehneselivethereand[myAcehnese
friend] said come here, we have a good job here, [you can] work in a res-
taurant[neartheColumbiaIcefield],therearealotof[Acehnese]people[in
Calgary]...butwhenIgotthere,Isawthattheweatherisnotreallygood
forme.SoIcameback.Vancouverhastheverybestweather...[and]
more[peoplefrom]differentnationsliveheresoIloveit.
(Interview#44,Man,September13,2009,p.2–3)
InCalgary,fromoneplacetoanotherplaceisquitefarandofcoursethe
weatheriscold.TherearealsonotsomanyAcehnesepeoplethere.In
Vancouver, there are a lot of places we can go, for example the beach,
andwehavemanyfriendshere.ThatiswhyIdecidedtomovebackto
Vancouver.
(Interview#24,Man,August7,2009,p.2)
Thesepassagesonlyscratchthesurfaceoflocationaldecision-makingamong
theAcehneseweinterviewed.DespitenegativeaspectsoflifeinAlbertafor
32 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
respondents, it remains an option for the future. Since the end of our research
in 2009, at least two families we interviewed have moved to the Calgary area.
VeryfewAcehnesemen,however,andnowomenwithwhomwespokewere
willingtomovetoanareawithnootherAcehnesenearby. Onemantried
working in Vernon, BC but stayed for only two weeks due to feelings of alien-
ationandhousingdifficulties.
IwenttobuysomethinginaCanadianfoodstore,butI[wastheonly]
Asianguy.Theotherguysweretoodifferent.That’swhyIdon’tlikeit[in
Vernon]...Itwasdifficulttogethousingtheretoo.
(Interview#22,Man,August4,2009,p.2–3)
Yet, as the poor economic climate continues, even less desirable locations for
work may cease to be an option, as one man pointed out:
InCalgaryit’salsodifficulttofindajob.IfthereisajobinCalgary,I
wanttomove[back]there.ButevensomeAcehneseinCalgaryareal-
ready coming back to Vancouver now because they lost their jobs there.
Everybody’sgettinglaidoff.
(Interview#38,Man,August18,2009,p.4)
Moving between apartments, cities, and metro areas was a persistent theme
throughout the interviews. In five years, almost all respondents reported
movingatleastfivetimes,addingtopersonalhistoriesofdisplacement.Two
families were successful in jointly purchasing a home in Surrey, BC. Since the
recession, however, the looming possibility of unemployment is omnipresent,
andrespondentsnotedinadequatelivingconditions,unresponsivelandlords,
and long waiting lists for subsidized housing though BC Housing. These
housing conditions closely resemble those recently described by Sherrell and
ISSofBC(2009).Theresultinginstabilitycausedbymovingtoseekingbetter
opportunities is, as one woman describes, disruptive:
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver 33
[IwastoldbyAcehnesefriendsinCalgary]thatit’seasytofindemploy-
ment[inCalgary]andthepayrateismuchhigher,soit’sgoodtobethere.
MyhusbandtooktheopportunitytogothereandafterthreemonthsI
joinedmyhusband,butIfounditdifficulttosocializeandthereisnotmuch
[Acehnese]communitythere...so[ourfamily]decidedtomove[back
to Vancouver] . . . For the time being, we can maintain our situation [in
Vancouver]becausemyhusbandisstillhasajob.Butifinthefutureit’s
hard for my husband to be employed, we will have to consider moving to an-
other city or country. We are not sure yet because our future is uncertain.
(Interview#3,Woman,July12,2009,p.2–3)
Inthe2005study,onerespondentwasquotedassaying“wewouldnevergo
backtoAcehforgood”(McLean,Friesen,andHyndman2006,20).Yetasthe
precedingquotesuggests,relocationpossibilitiesarenotlimitedtoCanada.
Still,MetroVancouverisretainingmanyoftheGARsfromAceh,evenafter
theyhavetriedotherCanadiandestinationsandreturned.Inthefinalsection,
weexplorethewaysinwhichsettlementdifficultiesarerelatedtocross-border,
or transnational, linkages and strategies employed by those we interviewed.
repaTrIaTIon and CanadIan CITIzenshIp: “I am a CanadIan buT I Was born In aCeh”
For those struggling to survive, an uncertain future might focus less on
living inMetro Vancouver or Calgary andmore on the benefits of Canada
versusMalaysiaorevenAceh.Thelasttwoquestionsweaskedduringeach
interview were, “what has been your biggest challenge in Canada so far?”
and“whichachievementinCanadaareyoumostproudof?”Thisattempted
torevealthesignificanceoflivinginCanadafortheAcehneseinourstudy.
Interestingly,thetwomostcommonanswerstobothquestionswereidentical:
Englishskillsandeconomicself-sufficiency.EvenverylimitedEnglishskillsor
formeremploymentexperienceswereviewedassourcesofpride.Thethird
34 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
mostcommonanswertothequestionconcerningachievement,however,was
physicallybeinginCanada.Asthefollowingrespondentsexplain,theupward
social mobility on a global scale gained by simply “making it” to Canada is
great:
People usually say that someone who can go abroad is wealthy. But we
came here from nothing, from a poor situation. But we still can be here.
That’sreallyaverygoodblessing.It’sluckyforustobehere.Beforewe
just dreamed . . .
(Interview#29,Woman,August9,2009,p.9)
People[inAceh]thinkgoingabroadisdifficult,especiallytoCanada,butI
madeit.SoI’mproudofit.Thatismybiggestachievement.Imadeit.
(Interview#33,Man,August12,2009,p.9)
ThesenseofbeingamongthefirstAcehneseevertoarriveinCanadamade
this feat particularly rewarding, as one man describes:
I’mproudbecauseI’mthefirstAcehnesetocometoCanada.Before[me]
therewerenoAcehnese.InCanadatherearelotsofpeoplefromaround
theworld,likeChinese,Japanese;everycountryishereinCanada.But
Acehnesenevercameherebefore.
(Interview#38,Man,August18,2009,p.13)
For some, however, it was their only source of pride in Canada, as one woman
says:
[Respondent]:IamproudthatIcanbehere[inCanada].Icanbehereat
theotherendoftheworldbecauseofthe[Canadian]government’shelp.
Evenifpeoplehavealotofmoney,theycannotstayinCanada.
[Interpreter]:Whataboutyourachievementsforyourself?Perhapsstudying
Englishorworkingorhavingadriver’slicense?
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver35
[Respondent]: No, not so much. [My achievement] is the existence of being
here [in Canada]
(Interview#42,Woman,September6,2009,p.7)
OnlyonemandiscussedthesignificanceofCanadiancitizenshipaboveand
beyondthesocialmobilitygainedbysimplybeing inCanada.Althoughhe
was unemployed at the time of the interview, his Canadian citizenship carries
a huge weight in Malaysia:
[Canadiancitizenshipgivesme]morerespect.ThefirsttimeIlandedin
Malaysia[afterbecomingCanadian],Igave[theofficer]mypassport.He
looked at my passport and then he looked at my face. He looked at my
passportandthenhelookedatmyface.Isaid,issomethingwrong?[He
said,]no,no,no,areyouCanadian?AndthenIspokeinMalaysian.Yes,I
amaCanadian,butIwasborninAceh.[Theofficersaid,]oh,that’sgreat,
howlonghaveyoubeeninCanada?[Isaid,]I’vestayedtherefiveyears.
[Theofficersaid,]areyouworkingthere?[Isaid,]yes,I’mworking.Asa
CanadianImustwork.[Theofficersaid,]oh!Andthenhegavemeavisa
forthreemonths.Istayedtherefortwodays.WhenIgavethepassport
again[toleaveforAceh,theofficersaid,]what?JusttwodaysinMalaysia?
[Isaid,]yes,becauseIneedtotraveltoAceh.Iwanttoseemyfamily.
[Theofficersaid,]well,youhaveavisaforeighteendays.Youshouldstay
hereforlikeoneortwomorevisitsinMalaysia?IsaidIhavenotime.
[Laughing.]Iftheydidn’tknowI’mCanadian,theywouldaskformypass-
portandeverything.ButbecauseIfeelI’mCanadian,Idon’thavetoworry
whenIgoanywhere.Idon’tcareaboutthepolicebecausewedon’tmake
anymistakes.Wehaveatruedocument...Itchangesalot[abouthowI
thinkaboutmyself].BeforewhenIdidn’thaveadocumentinMalaysia,
whenIwanttobuysomethingIfeltverynervous.Arethepoliceoutside
or not? We have to look very carefully, make sure there are no police on
the street, make sure there are no operations to [arrest undocumented mi-
grants].IwasinMalaysiaforthreeyears.Istayedinthecityforoneyear,
but[thefirsttwoyears]Istayedintheforest.
36 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
(Interview#48,Man,November1,2009,p.7)
Canadian citizenship provides enhanced status, though ironically it belies a
lifeofunemploymentorunderemployment.Itsrelativevaluealsochanges
dependingonone’slocation.RecentchangestotheCitizenshipActthatfocus
onEnglishorFrenchlanguagerequirementsmaywellmakeitmoredifficult
forpost-IRPArefugeestoobtainCanadiancitizenship.
Amajorironyforthemajorityofrespondentswhospentyearsworking
undocumented in Malaysia is that formal Canadian documentation does not
guaranteeajob(McLeanetal.2006).Despiteverynegativeexperiencesas
undocumentedmigrantsandsubsequentdetaineesinMalaysia,threerespon-
dentsexpressedapreferenceforlifeinMalaysiaoverCanada.Thismaypar-
tially be true because Malaysian language and culture, including religion, are
muchmoresimilartothoseinAcehthanthoseinCanada.However,asthe
following passages show, negative employment experiences in the Canadian
labourmarketinfluencethesepreferences:
Themostdifficult[thingaboutlivinginCanadais]thelanguageandalso
[thefactthatthereare]toomanyregulationsinCanada.Inordertoenter
atrade[inCanada]youhavetohaveacertainticket.Therearetoomany
regulationsthatblockthewaytoearnmoney.It’sdifferentinMalaysia.As
long as you can work, you get a job.
(Interview#34,Man,August14,2009,p.6)
Theminimumwage[of$8perhourinBritishColumbia]istoolow.Itisstill
the same as the Malaysian rate, [but] here in Canada, everything is expen-
sive [such as] rent and food. Compared to Malaysia, when we work, a single
day’swagecanbeusedforeatinginarestaurantforoneweek.Butgoing
backtoMalaysiareallydependsonthegovernmentpolicybecauseit’snot
easy for [undocumented migrants] there.
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver 37
(Interview#27,Man,August8,2009,p.8)
InMalaysia,respondentscouldwork,communicate,pray,eat,andsoforth,in
afamiliarcontext;theywerejustnotallowedtostaylegally.InCanada,the
oppositeistrue.Thisparadoxfrustratedrespondents,andtheallusionstothe
difficultplightofundocumentedworkersinMalaysiaintheprecedingquote
revealtheimpracticalityoflivingwithoutstatusinMalaysia.Amoreplausible
hopeistoreturntoAceh.
Allrespondents—singlemen,marriedmen,andwomen—notedtheirde-
siretotraveltemporarilybacktoAcehinthefuture,citingcostasthemainob-
stacle.Technically,theIndonesianconsulatehastheauthoritytoissueeither
atraveldocumentoranIndonesianpassportforthoseAcehnesewhoarenot
yetCanadiancitizens.OnewomanrespondenttravelledbacktoAcehonan
Indonesianpassportwhileonemarriedcouplereturnedontraveldocuments
issuedbytheIndonesianconsulate;allthreedidsoinresponsetoemergency
medicalsituationsconcerningtheirrelativesinAceh.Theremainingrespon-
dentsexpresseddistrustoftheIndonesiangovernmentandchosenottobe
involved with the consulate, opting instead for Canadian citizenship and pass-
ports, as one man explained:
Ican’ttrustIndonesia...NobodycantrustIndonesia,especiallyAcehnese.
(Interview#1,Man,June26,2009,p.6)
TheLongitudinalSurveyofImmigrantstoCanada(LSIC)“showsthatref-
ugees(GARsandPrivatelySponsoredRefugees)showthehighestpercentage
(97to99percent)ofhavingobtained,appliedfor,orintendingtoapplyfor
naturalization” by the fourth year of arrival as compared to economic and
familyclassimmigrants(Yu,Ouellet,andWarmington2007,21).Thisisnot
asurprise,sincerefugeesnormallydonotbenefitfromtheprotectionoftheir
38 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
owngovernment.FormostAcehnese,however,Canadiancitizenshiphasan
additionalpurpose:tomoresafelyfacilitateareturnvisittoAceh.
However, a gender disparity exists in the rates of citizenship between
menandwomen:atthetimeofoursurvey,Acehnesemenwere3.5times
morelikelytohavecitizenshipthanAcehnesewomen,withthirty-oneoffifty-
one men holding Canadian citizenship compared to only four of twenty-four
women.6Weinitiallyhypothesizedthatthisdifferencemayberelatedtothe
increaseddesireoftheoverwhelminglysinglementoreturntoAcehtoget
married(seeBrunner, forthcoming).Acommunity informant,however, told
us that many women and men alike have failed the citizenship test more than
oncebecauseofpoorEnglishabilities.
Source: Survey data 2009
6TheearliestthatGARsarepermittedtoapplyforCanadiancitizenshipisapproximatelythirty-sixmonthsaf-ter arrival, and the total processing time for a routine application for Canadian citizenship is approximately thirteentosixteenadditionalmonths(CIC2009).Thus,itisreasonabletoassumethatcitizenshipcouldbeobtainedinfifty-twomonths.Basedonoursurveyofseventy-fiveparticipantsin2009,theaveragelengthoftimeinCanadaatthetimeofthesurveydifferedonlyslightlyformen(fifty-ninemonths)comparedtowomen(fifty-sixmonths)withforty-sixoutoffifty-oneinCanadaforfifty-twomonthsascomparedtotwenty out of twenty-four women.
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver 39
While citizenship is an important indicator of social inclusion, one is techni-
cally no longer eligible for settlement services once citizenship is obtained.
Likewise,accesstoofficiallanguageacquisitionisrestricted.Moreresearchon
theimplicationsofthenewcitizenshipactonpost-IRPArefugeesisneeded.
AnotherfactormaybethefeelingthatCanadiancitizenshipcomesata
cost.SincethenationalitylawsofneitherIndonesiannorMalaysia—thecoun-
trieswheremostAcehnesespentsignificantamountsoftime—recognizedual
citizenship,onceanAcehnesebecomesaCanadiancitizen,avisaisrequired
toreturntoAceh.Althoughshort-termvisas(30daysorless)areavailable
toCanadiancitizensattheIndonesianborder,respondentstypicallyobtaina
single-entry60-dayvisitorvisainMalaysiaorSingaporeandmayextendita
maximumoffourtimes,orto180daystotal.7Onewomanexpressedregret
overlosingherIndonesiancitizenshipinordertobecomeCanadiansinceit
lessenedthechanceshewouldeverreturntoAcehpermanently:
Iffromthebeginningweknewthatwecouldtravel[backtoAceh]witha
traveldocument,perhapsmyhusbandwouldn’thaveappliedfor[Canadian]
citizenship. Perhaps we would just hold permanent residency. We tried for
[Canadian]citizenshipandmyhusbandpassedbutIfailed.Thendueto
the tragedy of my sister passing away, my mom asked me to come back [to
Aceh]foravisitsowetriedanotherwaybyvisitingthe[Indonesian]con-
sulate.TheconsulategavemeatraveldocumentsoIcouldgobacktovisit
Aceh.Butnow[since]myhusbandisalreadya[Canadian]citizen,Ihaveto
[try to pass the Canadian citizenship test] again to join [my husband].
(Interview#26,Woman,August8,2009,p.8).
OftheUNHCR’sthree“durablesolutions”(voluntaryrepatriation,local inte-
gration,orresettlementtoathirdcountry),resettlementisreservedfor“situ-
ations where it is impossible for a person to go back home or remain in the
7 Indonesiamakesanexception forchildrenundereighteen;however,at theageofeighteen, theymustchoose citizenship to one country.
40 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
hostcountry”(UNHCR2010).Indeed,asCastlesaptlyremindsus,“theover-
whelmingmajorityoftheworld’sdisplacedpeoplewouldprefertoreturnto
theirhomesinsafetyanddignity.Itisonlythosewhohavenohopeofreturn
whogetresettledintheWest”(2005,ix).Yetsincethesigningofthepeace
agreement,Acehnesedohavetheoptionofreturning.Onewomanmadethe
following remark:
ThereisanIndonesianproverb[whichsays]it’sstillbettertoliveinourown
countrythangoabroad.IfGodpermitsandgivesmealonglife,Ipreferto
go back home for my retirement.
(Interview#28,Woman,August8,2009,p.5)
Offiftyinterviewees,ninesaytheyplantoreturntoAcehinthefutureand
fivesayitisapossibility.Ofthethirty-sixrespondentswhoplantoremainin
Canadapermanently,eightsaidAcehisnotyetsafeenoughtoreturn;nine
mentionedthelackofjobsinAceh;andsixsaideducationfortheirchildren
is prohibitivelyexpensive inAceh. The remaining thirteenmentionedonly
positive attributes of Canada and nothing about Aceh. Although twomen
mentionedtheincompatibilitybetweenCanadianworkschedulesandIslamic
prayer and five parentsmentioned hopes to send their children to Islamic
schools abroad, most cited the Canadian labour market as the primary reason
behind their consideration of whether or not to leave Canada.
Notably, however, no respondent had a concrete plan to return permanently,
althoughsomeimpliedthatmoneywastheonlylimitingfactor:Iwantto
movetoanothercountry.MaybeMalaysiaorSaudiArabia.Ormaybego
backtoIndonesia,I’mnotsureyet.IamthinkingaboutitbutifIdon’t
havemoney,howcanIopenabusinessthere?...IfIhaveenoughcapital,
maybeIwillgobacktoIndonesiaorMalaysia.
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver41
(Interview#50,Man,November3,2009,p.2)
Ihavenointentionto[returnto]AcehbecauseIhavenocapitaltostarta
business[but]ifIhaveenoughmoney,ImightwanttostayinAceh...I’m
planningtorunasmallbusinesslikeaconveniencestoreinAceh.
(Interview#37,Man,August18,2009,p.5–6).
This is anoption for the significant number ofAcehnese refugees living in
Denmark,whereimmigrantsareofferedfinancialincentivesinexchangefor
theirrighttoDanishresidencythroughthe“RepatriationAct”(DanishRefugee
Council2002).Yetonemanrecountshisdisapprovalofafriends’acceptance
of the offer:
Afterthetsunami,theDanishgovernmentoffered[myAcehnesefriends
livinginDenmark]aboutCAD$25,000[tomovebacktoAceh]andsignthat
theyarenotallowedtoreturntoDenmark.Onceyoutakethatmoney,you
candobusinessinAceh,butyoucan’treturntoDenmarkanymore.Only
one [of my friends] did that, but [in my opinion] he made the wrong [deci-
sion]...it’sveryhardtogotoanothercountry!Youneedlotsofmoney.If
you [immigrate] by yourself you have to spend lots of money, like $200,000.
[IfCanadaofferedthesameoption]I’dstayhere[inCanada.]
(Interview#38,Man,August18,2009,p.9)
Theserepatriationschemesarecontroversialandnotapathwesupportfor
policyandpracticeinCanada.Instead,weshouldaskwhatCanadiancitizen-
ship means in the context of refugee resettlement. Citizenship is commonly
definedbytwocomponentfeatures:membershipinapolityanda“reciprocal
setofdutiesandrights”(KivistoandFaist2010,227).Aswehaveshown,
asurvivalincome(ironicallyequivalenttoapproximatelyhalfoftheStatCan
low incomecut-off)maybearight inCanadathroughtheprovisionofso-
cialassistance,butemploymentandacquisitionofofficiallanguageskillsare
not.Withoutthese,activecitizenshipinCanadiansociety—theideathatnew-
42 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
comersparticipateinthiscountry’sinstitutions,publiclife,andcommunities
beyondsimplemembershipinapolity—remainselusive.
polICy ImplICaTIons
Our research points to possible policy recommendations for both the
DepartmentofCitizenshipandImmigrationCanada(CIC)andtheProvinceof
British Columbia. What follows are recommendations to enhance settlement
outcomes,socialinclusion,andeconomicsurvivalbasedontheAcehneseex-
perienceoverthepastfiveyears.
CIC should develop, and where possible deliver, pre-departure English1.
language training for refugees selected for resettlement.
CIC and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) should2.
review theexistingpre-departureorientationprogram (COA) toensure
that informationprovided is realisticandactually reflects the inevitable
experiencesfacedbyrefugeesduringtheirfirstfewyearsinCanada.For
example, they should be briefed on the low level of income support they
will receive and the likelihood of unemployment.
CIC and provincial bilateral agreements on immigration should extend3.
the eligibility for language classes to include naturalized citizens to
better respond to the need for greater social inclusion and labour market
attachment.
The BC Government should review the current daycare inventory and4.
expand spaces in various locations to improve access to language programs
for refugee women.
CICshouldfundresearchorundertakeinternalanalysistoascertainhow5.
the new citizenship act will impact refugees.
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver43
TheBCGovernmentshouldreinvest intailored,project-based language6.
training programs to support the retraining and greater labour market
attachment opportunities for resettled refugees.
CICshouldundertakeareviewoftheirdestiningpolicytodetermineits7.
effectivenessinmeetinggoalsofintegration.Itshouldalsoobtaingreater
clarityfordestiningsmallerethno-specificrefugeepopulations,considering
in particular whether there is a minimal optimal number that should be
considered as part of the destining policy.
Governmentassistedrefugees, liketheAcehnese,wouldgreatlybenefit8.
frommoreearly intervention support servicesduring their first year in
Canada.CICshouldincreasethefundingtoRAPsothatitcouldbeexpanded
toincludeadditionalservices,particularlythoserequiredtoaddressthe
changingneedsandcharacteristicsofrefugeespost-IRPA.
For several years CIC Refugee Affairs Branch has had a RAP National9.
WorkingGroupconsistingofCICNationalHeadquarters(NHQ)andRegional
representativesaswellas foursettlementsectorreps.CICNHQshould
consider expanding the permanent membership to include a representative
from the BC and Manitoba governments.
RAP service agencies, such as ISSofBC, would greatly benefit from an10.
opportunity to share and learn from good practices happening across
Canada. CIC, BC, and the Manitoba government should jointly fund a
national conference on RAPwith the goal of collectively enhancing the
settlementoutcomesidentifiedthroughtheAcehneseexperience
44 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
Dissemination Event
OnJuly3,2010,wetookthepolicyimplicationsnotedabovebacktoin-
vitedstakeholdersfromCIC,theProvinceofBC,anduniversities,aswellas
membersoftheAcehnesecommunityatadisseminationeventinVancouver.
Thefollowingadditionalpolicyimplicationscameaboutasaresult:
CIC shouldmake every effort to amend sponsorship policy and reduce11.
processing time once for the sponsorship of a spouse, even if the
engagement/marriageoccursafterarrivinginCanada.Thisisparticularly
importantfornewcomersfromAcehfortworeasons:1)therewasnorefugee
community fromAcehalready inplaceupon theirarrival inVancouver;
and2)theinitialgroupcamefromMalaysia,wheremostspentthreeto
fiveyearsindetentionbeforetheirresettlementtoCanada.Theyhadlittle
to no opportunity to foster such relationships in these conditions.
The provision of space for community gatherings and network/support12.
buildingwould be very beneficial forGARs, particularly during thefirst
yearafterarrivalforthosewhoare“newandfew.”Thisspacecouldbe
usedbymultipleGARgroupsduringdifferenttimesandwouldalsoserve
asacontactpointforISSofBCandotherserviceproviders.
AccesstocreditprovedtobedifficultformanyAcehneseentrepreneurs13.
who were committed to opening new businesses. Collateral for loans
was an obstacle, as was lack of schools to create a solid business plan.
Thegreatesthurdle,however,wasthe interestexpectedbyall lenders.
As strictly observant Muslims,many are not permitted to pay interest
and do not know how to negotiate their faith with market values here in
Canada. Further research to probe possible partnerships or options would
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver45
be a prudent move toward better labour force attachment and business
activity.
Linguistic/ethno-specificofficiallanguagetrainingshouldbeconsideredfor14.
post-IRPAGARs,particularlythosewhoare“newandfew”and/orcome
from protracted refugee situations. Pre-departure delivery of such services
infirstcountriesofasylumwouldbeefficient,bothintermsofcostandin
hastening labour force attachment once in Canada.
ConClusIon
In2003,Simicharguedagainst theCanadiangovernment’sdecision to
“destine,”ordistribute,othergroupsofGARsoutacrossmultipleurbancen-
tres. Her main concern was that “while refugees are agents of their adapta-
tion, the resettlement bureaucracy may operate at cross-purposes and con-
strain their resettlement” (2003,588). In thecaseof theGARswhocame
toMetroVancouverfromAcehviaMalaysia,thedecisiontoconcentratethe
community and settle its members together has proven popular with them
and is perhaps a factor in retention. Further research should examine the suc-
cessesofCanada’sdestiningpolicy.Overall,theAcehnesegenerallyviewtheir
movetoCanadaasapositiveone.LocatingallAcehneserefugeesinMetro
Vancouverin2004hasworked,andthecommunityiscloseandactive.While
some have left for jobs in Calgary, others have returned for the weather and
forAcehnesefriends.
Yet,thisisqualifiedbythebarrierstheyfaceinacquiringEnglishandgetting
goodjobs,and,aswehaveshown,thetwoareintrinsicallylinked.Adequate
jobshavebeenhard tofind in lightof the recession,andstrong language
skills have been neglected in order to pursue other goals. Unemployment
andlowEnglishskillsultimatelyaffectmanyaspectsofsettlement,including
46 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
the ability to come together in a community centre, the continued geographic
concentration in Vancouver, and ultimately, a sense that everyone will stay
inCanada.Familyreunificationpoliciesareprovingdifficulttonegotiate,as
shown in an analysis of efforts to arrange marriages across borders despite
very low incomes in Canada upon arrival and transportation loans to be repaid
(seeBrunner,forthcoming).Moreover,RAPratesofincomeassistancearelow
acrossthecountry,meaningthatallGARsfaceameagrestartinCanada.
InoutliningthestrugglesfacedbytheAcehnese,weaimtostressrefugee
resilienceratherthanpathology(Simich2003).Ourinterviewsincludedmo-
ments of joy and stories of success as well as those of struggle and hardship.
Yet although these former refugees, now citizens and permanent residents,
mayberesilient,theystillrequiresomeongoingsettlementsupport,accessto
employment,andEnglishlanguageclasses,muchofwhichisnolongeravail-
able to many of them in Metro Vancouver due to their new citizenship status.
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver47
referenCes
Akuei, S. R. 2005. Remittances as unforeseen burdens: The livelihoods
and social obligations of Sudanese refugees. Global Commission on
InternationalMigration:GlobalMigrationPerspectives18:1–16.
Bakewell,O.2008.Researchbeyondthecategories:Theimportanceofpolicy
irrelevant research into forced migration. Journal of Refugee Studies
21(4):432–53.
Bloch, A. 1999. Carrying out a survey of refugees: Somemethodological
considerations and guidelines. Journal of Refugee Studies 12(4): 367–
83.
Brunner,L.R.Forthcoming.Waiting forawife:Asymmetricalgenderratios
amongAcehneserefugeesandthechallengeof ‘integration.’Metropolis
British Columbia Working Paper Series. Vancouver, BC, Metropolis British
Columbia.
Castles,S.2005.Foreword.InHomelandwanted:Interdisciplinaryperspectives
on refugee resettlement in the West, ed. P. Wazman and V. Colic-Peisker,
ix–x. New York: Nova Science Publishers.
Cohen, A. P. 1985. The symbolic construction of community. London:
Tavistock.
Danish Refugee Council. 2002. Repatriation country survey: Denmark.
EuropeanReintegrationNetworkingwebsite.http://www.reintegration.
net/denmark/index.htm(June3,2010).
Debeljacki, D. M. 2007. Government-Assisted Refugees in Toronto’s LINC
Classes: An exploration of perceived needs and barriers. MA thesis,
48 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
Ryerson University. http://digitalcommons.ryerson.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cg
i?article=1111&context=Dissertations(June4,2010).
Drexler,E.2008.Aceh,Indonesia:Securingtheinsecurestate.Philadelphia:
University of Pennsylvania Press.
EnglishLanguageService forAdults (ELSA)Net. 2010.ProvinceofBritish
ColumbiaandWelcomeBC. In“ELSANetFrequentlyAskedQuestions.”
http://www.elsanet.org/elsa.html#child(June17,2010).
Kivisto,P.andT.Faist.2010.Beyondaborder:Thecausesandconsequences
ofcontemporaryimmigration.ThousandOaks:SAGEPublications.
Henin,B.andM.R.Bennet.2002.ImmigrationtoCanada’smid-sizedcities:A
studyofLatinAmericansandAfricansinVictoria,B.C.RIIMWorkingPaper
No.02-22.Vancouver,BC,VancouverCentreforExcellence.
Hiebert,D.,andK.Sherrell.2009.Theintegrationandinclusionofnewcomers
in British Columbia. RIIM Working Paper No. 08-01. Vancouver, BC,
Metropolis British Columbia.
Human Rights Watch. 2004. Aceh under martial law: Problems faced by
Acehnese refugees in Malaysia. 16(5) (C): 1–27. http://www.hrw.org/
sites/default/files/reports/malaysia0404.pdf(July4,2010).
Hyndman,J.,andJ.McLean.2006.Settlinglikeastate:Acehneserefugeesin
Vancouver.JournalofRefugeeStudies19(3):345–60.
Hyndman, J. and M. Walton-Roberts. 1999. Transnational migration and
nation:BurmeserefugeesinVancouver.RIIMWorkingPaperNo.99-07.
Vancouver,BC,VancouverCentreforExcellence.
Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia (ISSofBC). 2007. Faces of
refugees:SettlementpatternsintheGreaterVancouverRegionalDistrict
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver49
(GVRD) January 2003 – December 2006. http://www.issbc.org/sites/
default/files/publications/faces_of_refugees_6.pdf(May24,2010).
Krahn, H., T. Derwing, M. Mulder, and L. Wilkinson. 2000. Educated and
underemployed: Refugee integration into the Canadian labour market.
JournalofInternationalMigrationandIntegration1(1):59–84.
McLean,J.,C.Friesen,andJ.Hyndman.2006.Thefirst365days:Acehnese
refugeesinVancouver,BritishColumbia.RIIMWorkingPaperNo.06-07.
Vancouver, BC, Metropolis British Columbia.
Nah,A.andT.Bunnell.2005.Ripplesofhope:Acehneserefugees inpost-
tsunamiMalaysia.SingaporeJournalofTropicalGeography26(2):249–
56.
Presse,D.,andJ.Thomson.2007.Theresettlementchallenge:Integrationof
refugeesfromprotractedrefugeesituations.Refuge25(1):48–53.
Sherrell,K.,andImmigrantServicesSocietyofBC(ISSofBC).2009.Athome
in Surrey? The housing experiences of refugees in Surrey, B.C. Final
report. Vancouver. http://www.issbc.org/sites/default/files/publications/
At_Home_in_Surrey_04-2009.pdf(April17,2010).
Sherrell, K. and J. Hyndman. 2004. Global minds, local bodies: Kosovar
transnationalconnectionsbeyondBritishColumbia.RIIMWorkingPaper
No.04-10.Vancouver,BC,VancouverCentreforExcellence.
Sherrell,K.,J.Hyndman,andF.Preniqi.2004.Sharingthewealth,spreading
the “burden”? The settlement of Kosovar refugees in small B.C. cities.
RIIM Working Paper No. 04-06. Vancouver, BC, Vancouver Centre for
Excellence.
50 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
Simich,L.2003.Negotiatingboundariesofrefugeeresettlement:Astudyof
settlement patterns and social support. Canadian Review of Sociology and
Anthropology40(5):575–91.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). 2010. Durable
solutions.InUNHCR‘WhatWeDo.’http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646cf8.
html(March27,2010).
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Malaysia. 2003.
MalaysiadeportsasylumseekerstoAcehdespiteUNHCRappeal.InUNHCR
MalaysiaNewsandEvents.September1.http://www.unhcr.org.my/cms/
news-and-events/news-050903(March27,2010).
———.2010.UNHCRinMalaysia.InUNHCRMalaysiaBasicFacts.June1.
http://www.unhcr.org.my/cms/basic-facts/unhcr-in-malaysia (March 27,
2010).
Wasik, A. 2006. Economic insecurity and isolation: Post-migration traumas
among Black African refugee women in the Greater Vancouver area.
RIIM Working Paper No. 06-17. Vancouver, BC, Vancouver Centre for
Excellence.
Wayland,S.V.2006.Unsettled:Legalandpolicybarriersfornewcomersto
Canada:Ajoint initiativeofCommunityFoundationsofCanadaandthe
LawCommissionofCanada.Ottawa:CommunityFoundationsofCanada
and the Law Commission of Canada. http://canada.metropolis.net/
publications/pf_9_ENG_Immigration.pdf(June4,2010).
Yu,S.,E.Ouellet,andA.Warmington.2007.RefugeeintegrationinCanada:A
surveyofempiricalevidenceandexistingservices.Refuge24(2):17–34.
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver51
appendIx 1: survey QuesTIons
1.Whatisyourage?(Alsorecordsex.)
2. Where do you live? What is the postal code and city?
3.When(monthandyear)didyoufirstarriveinCanada?
4. What is your current status in Canada (Permanent Resident? Citizen?
Other?)?
5.DidyoucometoCanadaasarefugee?
a.Ifso,wereyoupreviouslyinMalaysia?Ifso,forhowlong?Whenwasthe
lasttimeyouwereinAcehbeforelandinginCanada?
b.Ifno,didyoucometoCanadathroughthefamilyreunificationprocess?(If
so,whatisyourrelationtothepersonwhosponsoredyou?)
6.Doyouhope tobringanyonehere through family reunification? (If so,
who?)
7.Howdoyougetnewsabouttheworld?(Newspapers,TV,internet,friends?
Whichone(s)?Andinwhichlanguages?)
8.Doyouattendmosque?Ifso,inSurreyorVancouver?
9.DoyouvisittheAcehneseCommunityCentreonaregularbasis?
10.Doyouparticipateinanycommunityorsocialactivitiesotherthanmosque
ortheAcehneseCommunityCentrewithothersfromAceh(sports,shop-
ping,cooking,etc.)?
11.Doyouparticipateinanycommunityorsocialactivitiesotherthanmosque
or theAcehneseCommunityCentrewithothersnot fromAceh? (If so,
who?Howdidyoumeetthem?)
52 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
12.Doyouhaveanychildren?(Ifso,doyouattendparent-teachermeetings
atyourchildren’sschoolfromtimetotime?Haveyoumetanyotherpar-
entswithwhomyoutalkatschool?Afterschool?)
11.Doyouhaveapaidjob?(Ifso,whatpositionandwhoisyouremployer?
Howmanyhoursperweekandatwhatrateofpay?)
12.Whatlanguagedoyouspeakathome?(elaborate)
13.WhatlevelofELSAtraininghaveyoufinished,ifany?
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver53
appendIx 2: InTervIeW QuesTIons
Preamble:In2005weconductedastudywithISSaboutthearrivalofthe
AcehnesecommunityinCanada,yourhousingsituationatthetime,andyour
educationandlanguageprograms.Thesequestionsfollowupfromthose;we
wanttoknowwhathaschangedsince2005andhowyouarefaring.
1. Employment/training/language
a.Didyouparticipateinourfocusgroupdiscussionin2005?Eitherway,
what were you were doing (for work or school) in 2005? How have
things changed since you arrived in Canada?
b.DescribeyourexperienceswithELSAclassesandlearningEnglish—for
example,ifyouarenolongertakingELSAclasses,whynot?
c.Describeyourexperiencesfindingemployment.Ifyouareemployed,
do you enjoy your job? Do you plan to look for a new job in the future?
Have you been affected by the global recession?
d.Areyoustillpayingthetransportationloan?
2. Prior to arrival in Canada
a.DidyouspendtimeindetentioninMalaysia?Areyoucomfortablean-
sweringafewquestionsaboutthattime?[ifno,skiptolasttwoques-
tions in this section]
b.Ifyes,wherewereyoudetainedandforhowlong?
c.Whatdidyouwhileyouwereindetention?(work?)
d.Howwereyoutreated?(probetreatmentbyauthorities,availabilityof
food,livingconditions)
54 MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver
e. Did you have any communicaton with family members while in
detention?
f.Didanyhealthissuesarise?(Whatkind?InAcehorMalaysia?)
g. Did you have medical care?
h. Did your time in Malaysia affect your health?
i. When did you learn that you would travel to Canada? What, if any in-
formation did you learn about Canada before leaving? Do you have any
advice for the Canadian government to change the pre-departure orien-
tation program?
j.Howwouldyourateyourcurrentstateofhealth:1.Excellent;2.Good;
3.Okay;4.Poor;5.ExtremelyBad
3. Housing
a. Can you describe your arrival in Canada? How did you feel upon arriving?
Whatdidyoudoduringthosefirstweeksafterarriving?Comparedto
your feelings then, how do you feel now?
b. How many times have you moved residency since you arrived in
Canada?
c.Whereareyoulivingnow(cityandpostalcode)?
d. Why did you choose this place?
e.Doyourentorownthishome?Ifrenting,whatrentdoyoupayper
month?
f.ArethereotherAcehnesenearby?
g.Withwhomareyouliving?(notenumberoffamilymembersandrela-
tionofeachtorespondent)
MBC: Aceh-Malaysia-Vancouver55
4. Family
a.Oneoftheissuesraisedin2005wasthedifferenceinthenumberof
Acehnesemenversusthemuchsmallernumberofwomen.Whathave
Acehnesemendonetosolvethisissue?(Hasanyonebeenabletomarry
womenfromAcehandsponsorthem?)
b.Areyoumarried/divorced/single?
c.Whereandwhendidyougetmarried?(Canada/Aceh/Malaysia)
d.HaveyoubeenbacktoAcehsinceyoucametoCanada?(Ifso,when,
forhowlong)?Ifso,whatdidyoudowhileyouwerethere?
e.Doyouhavefamilymembers inothercountries,other thanAcehor
Canada?
f.Doyousendmoneytofamily?Tofamily inAceh?Howoftendoyou
send money?
5. Thefuture
a.NowthatpeacehascometoAceh,doyouwanttoreturn?Willyou?To
visit?Tolive?Whyorwhynot?
b. What has been your biggest challenge in Canada so far?
c. Which achievement in Canada are you most proud of?
d. What would you change about the Canadian government assisted ref-
ugee resettlement process for future groups?