Th e Men tal Health of Visible Ethnic Minorities in Canada

Canada's humanitarian response to the world refugee crisis and to the immigration of people from non-western countries has gathered momentum in the last two decades. Canada has become pluralistic in every sense: linguistic, religious, cultural, and racial. Given current population trends, this diversity will continue to be a salient feature of Canadian society. New demands have arisen regarding the well-being of visible ethnic minority Canadians, the prevention of emotional disorders, and the guarantee that people of all cultural origins needing help have access to it. Data reflecting changes in Canadian immigration policy toward immigrants/ refugees from non-western countries since the 1950s are highlighted. The protection of minority rights in the 1982 Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and the 1988 Multiculturalism Act are identified. The 1986-88 mandate and findings of a Federal Government Task Force studying the mental health of immigrants/refugees, are outlined. Selected data focusing on visible ethnic minorities deriving from this study, and a pertinent literature review are presented as follows: cultural factors in mental health, changing public racial attitudes, and employment related stress. Attention is given to the problems of high risk visible minority women, particularly women of South Asian origins. The paper closes on the optimistic note of the potential rich resource of ethnic visible minorities to their newly adopted Canadian home.