When talking about settlement and integration, we often focus on helping immigrants get jobs, but what about their needs for love and companionship? Forming a satisfying intimate relationship benefitsimmigrants’ mental and physical health, sense of belonging, and social integration in the host society. As digital technologies penetrate people’s lives, online dating has become a primary way couples meet. This project will collect original data from a large-scale national survey to investigate the use and implications of online dating in Canada, with a focus on the immigrant-native born comparison.
Research Questions
Has online dating precipitated a “dating apocalypse” characterized by diminished relationship quality, as feared by the public?
Has online dating become more popular, compared with pre-pandemic?
As online dating is particularly effective in bringing same-sex couples together, is this benefit of dating technologies reaped by both foreign-born and Canadian-born sexual minorities?
Methods
Statistical Analysis
Surveys
Collaborators
UBC Centre for Migration Studies
Principal Investigator: Yue Qian (Associate Professor, Sociology)
Cai M, Qian Y, Hu Y. The efficiency paradox: A temporal lens into online dating among Chinese immigrants in Canada. J Soc Pers Relat. 2025 Aug;42(8):2167-2187. doi: 10.1177/02654075251339257. Epub 2025 Apr 28. PMID: 40538890; PMCID: PMC12176279.
Chinese Canadians, comprising 5% of Canada’s population, are a diverse and influential group, with many recent first-generation immigrants. Before migrating, most relied on Chinese platforms like WeChat and Weibo due to China’s Great Firewall, which blocks global social media platforms. Upon arrival in Canada, they gain access to new media ecosystems that often contrast with Chinese narratives, creating a unique dynamic as they navigate competing information landscapes. This dual exposure influences their identity, societal integration, and perceptions amidst growing Canada-China geopolitical tensions, highlighting the critical role of digital tools in shaping integration and social cohesion.
This study will investigate the impact of digital communication tools, particularly the continued use of Chineseorigin platforms like WeChat and the adoption of mainstream Canadian platforms, on the integration of Chinese immigrants into Canadian society.
Research Questions
How does the use of Chinese-origin platforms like WeChat influence Chinese Canadians’ perceptions of their identity, societal belonging, and domestic and global politics, including Canada-China relations?
How do Chinese immigrants react to exposure to Canadian digital platforms?
To what extent do the findings from Chinese Canadians apply to similar immigrant groups in other countrieswhich shares comparable demographic and geopolitical contexts?
Methods
The project uses statistical analysis and surveys.
Collaborators
UBC Centre for Migration Studies
Principal Investigator: Xiaojun Li (Associate Professor, Political Science)
“Between Worlds: Digital Media, Identity, and Belonging Among Chinese Canadians”, presented by Xiaojun Li at the “International Workshop on Chinese Diaspora and World Politics”, Xiamen University, China, November 1-3, 2025
Crossing the Great Firewall: Digital Communication Tools and the Chinese Diaspora in Canada, presented by Li, X., Cheng, A., Political Membership research group, Centre for Migration Studies, UBC, 15 October, 2025
Digital Platforms, Identity, and Integration Among Chinese Canadians, presented by Li, X., Cheng, A., American Political Science Association, 13 September, 2025
Digital Platforms, Identity, and Integration among Chinese Canadians, presented by Li, X., American Political Science Association Annual Convention, 11 September, 2025
Project Status
This project is currently in the Data Collection and Writing phase.
Keywords
Chinese immigrants; digital platforms; social integration; identity; Canada-China relations
Immigrant professionals in Canada face significant barriers, including credential recognition, lack of Canadian work experience, and discrimination, often resulting in underemployment and “brain waste.” The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the development of digital tools to address these challenges, with the settlement sector increasingly adopting remote platforms for job search assistance, language training, and professional networking. This research investigates the effectiveness of advanced digital technologies (ADT) in supporting the labour market integration of immigrant professionals in Canada, focusing on two case studies of digital tools—one powered by AI and one one not powered by AI.
Research Questions
How effective are advanced digital technologies, including AI-powered and non-AI-powered tools, in supporting the labor market integration of immigrant professionals in Canada?
Research Design and Methodology
The research design for this project includes in-depth Interviews.
Collaborators
UBC Centre for Migration Studies
Principal Investigator: Anusha Kassan (Associate Professor, Educational Studies)
Centre for Immigrant Research at The Immigrant Education Society (TIES)
Fischer, O., Cox, D. W., Kassan, A., & Tomfohr-Madsen, L. M. (2025). Cultural humility, knowledge, and identity salience when working with sexual and gender minority clients. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000860
Oberle, E., Ji, X. R., Molyneux, T., Guhn, M., Forer, B., Thomson, K., Alkawaja, M., Kassan, A., & Gadermann, A. (2025). Mental well-being trends and school-based protective factors among adolescents in British Columbia (2015-2022): A population-based study. Social science & medicine (1982), 380, 118201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118201
"AI and beyond: Advanced digital technologies supporting immigrant professionals’ labour market integration in Canada," Palova, K., Hilario, K., Kassan, A., & Kazemi, F., Artificial Intelligence & Data Science Conference, Dubai, UAE, February 12–13, 2026
"Immigration, Work and New Technologies - Access to the Labour Market & Workforce Dynamics," Pathways to Prosperity Partnership (P2P), Halifax, Canada, November 24, 2025
CPA Award for Public, Community Service and Human Rights and Social Justice in Psychology, awarded to Anusha Kassan from the Canadian Psychological Association, June 24, 2025
Project Status
This project is currently in the Writing phase.
Keywords
Immigrant professionals; labour market integration; credential recognition; AI; digital tools; settlement sector
This research addresses the challenges immigrants in Canada face regarding digital skill development and employability within the context of economic digital transformation. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes integral to economic activities, digital literacy among immigrant populations is crucial for equitable workforce integration and national competitiveness.
Research Questions
How can tailored AI literacy and skills training for immigrants enhance their employability within Canadian SMEs and nonprofits, and contribute to Canada’s digital transformation?
Research Design and Methodology
Focus groups, in-depth interviews, surveys.
Collaborators
UBC Centre for Migration Studies
Principal Investigator: Annamma Joy (Associate Dean, Research and Professor, Management, UBCO)
Mirroring global trends, a growing share of immigrants to Canada are renting, but the evidence landscape on immigrant renting is patchy at best. In general, rental markets present unique research challenges, making it difficult to get an accurate reading of rental housing activity. Recent studies have leveraged online rental listings for new insights, but the vast majority consider dominant-language platforms only. In places with substantial immigrant communities, such as many Canadian cities, this narrow focus is highly problematic. To address this gap, Harten will examine Vancouver’s rental market using online listings from two platforms: one English, and one Chinese.
Research Questions
Does information supply differ across platforms, and to the extent that it does, how do differences online compare to actual settlement patterns?
Do listings on the Chinese language platform cater to recent immigrants to Canada?
Methods
Computational Methods (Deep Learning)
Qualitative Content Analysis
Quantitative Text Analysis
Statistical Analysis
Geospatial Analysis
Collaborators
UBC Centre for Migration Studies
Principal Investigator: Julia Harten (Assistant Professor, School of Community and Regional Planning)
Outputs
Work in progress.
Project Status
This project is currently in the Data Analysis phase.
The American public is not as polarized or as rigid in its attitudes towards immigration as we might think.
The U.S. presidential election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris has once again brought immigration, and the sharp partisan divide over immigration, to the fore. Research by CMS affiliate Dr. Matthew Wright examines whether the American public is really as divided as U.S. political rhetoric would suggest.
“Republicans are probably pushing too hard on the immigration issue; most Americans don’t like this, don’t want it, and don’t believe it.”
Matthew Wright
Associate Professor, UBC Political Science
Key Findings
Despite what the extremist positions of many political leaders and pundits might suggest, the American public is not so polarized on immigration issues. Most Americans’ attitudes toward immigration are centrist. On the aggregate, most Americans have slightly positive views of immigration and immigrants.
People’s preferences on immigration policy are motivated largely by civic values, which are widely-shared moral beliefs about what is desirable in the public realm, and their perception of how well a given policy aligns with civic values – not by feelings of economic or ethnocultural threat.
Americans’ stances on immigration issues can change. Immigration attitudes change over time, and rhetorical framing strategies can increase support for specific policies.
Recommendations
Politicians should adopt more pragmatic, centrist immigration policy positions. Few U.S. citizens support extremist policy measures. Political elites are often out-of-step with the majority of voters, even within their own party, on immigration.
Advocates of immigration reform should emphasize how their proposed policies align with core American values. Value-based arguments are effective in shifting people’s attitudes on immigration. It can help to dive into policy details.
Implications for Current Events
Republican candidate Trump has made immigration and the allegedly deviant behaviours of immigrants the central issue of his campaign; Democratic candidate Harris has largely avoided discussing immigration. While the far-right outlook on immigration dominates the news cycle, research shows that it is far less popular among the American public.
Dr. Wright and his colleagues argue that centrist proposals for immigration reform that speak to core American values can win support from large majorities of voters. His research shows that a majority of Americans support legalizing some undocumented immigrants through the Dream Act and even admitting more immigrants, if selected for their ability to meet labour market needs, without necessarily sacrificing family-based immigration. Such proposals are likely to be more popular if framed as strengthening the U.S. economy and providing equal opportunity to law-abiding, hardworking people who are ready to integrate into American society.
About the Authors
Matthew Wright is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on political psychology and explores how political identities and values shape views on immigration, policy, and diversity. His recent books on these topics include Immigration in the Court of Public Opinion (with J. Citrin and M. Levy) and Immigration and the American Ethos (with M. Levy). He earned his BA from McGill University and his PhD from UC Berkeley. Before joining UBC, he was an Associate Professor of Government at American University in Washington, DC.
Nadia Almasalkhi is a doctoral candidate in Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. She is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. She holds bachelor’s degrees in International Studies and Modern Languages (Arabic and French) from the University of Kentucky. Her current research studies the political integration and political transnationalism of Middle Eastern immigrants and diasporas.
Copyright: UBC Centre for Migration Studies
Availability: Web & Print
Publication date: November 4, 2024
Pages: 3
This publication is part of the CMS Migration Insights Series. The research briefs synthesize peer-reviewed, published academic research by CMS affiliates.
It is important to understand how workers, and immigrant workers in particular, are represented within discourses on the platform economy, given their potentially marginalized position in Canadian society and gig work more broadly.
This project examines discourses on gig work and investigates the experiences of immigrants engaged in different facets of the platform economy, as well as those employed in remote work.
The focus is on the everyday occupational experiences of immigrant platform workers, exploring how they perceive and navigate non-traditional forms of employment and daily routines, and situating these experiences within broader contemporary discourses on gig work.
Research Questions
What discourses are shaping the platform economy?
What contextual factors shape the occupational experiences of immigrant workers within the platform economy?
How does engaging in platform and/or remote work reconfigure traditional borders and boundaries in immigrants’ lives?
In what ways do platform and/or remote workers nagivate “occupational balance” among the different revenue-generating occupations they engage in?
Methods
This project will conduct a critical discourse analysis to identify dominant themes and subjectivities constructed through relevant texts. Next, a series of interviews will be conducted with immigrant platform/remote workers from across Canada.
Collaborators
UBC Centre for Migration Studies
Principal Investigator: Suzanne Huot (Assistant Professor, Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy)
Jackson, S., & Huot, S. (2025). Working from (a New) Home: Tensions Faced by Remote Working Immigrants in Canada. Societies, 15(10), 271. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15100271
Baril, Émile, & Vultur, M. (2025). Navigating Streets, Restaurants, and Algorithms: A Study of Young Immigrant Food Delivery Couriers in Montréal and Toronto. Labour Le Travail, 95, 121–144. https://doi.org/10.52975/llt.2025v95.007
Cervantes-Macías, M. E. 2025. “ The Production of Credentialized Aspirations: Familial Strategies in Mexican Upper-Middle-Class International Mobility.” Population, Space and Place 31: 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/psp.70142
Cervantes-Macías, M. E. Uneven development in the platform economy: Stratified immigration policies and uneven access to transnational social protections in North America, Digital Geography and Society, 2026, 100164, ISSN 2666-3783. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diggeo.2026.100164
"Comics and Knowledge Mobilization in Migration Studies," presented by María Cervantes, UBC Comics Cluster, November 27, 2025.
"Immigration, Work and New Technologies: Access to the Labour Market & Workforce Dynamics," presented at the 13th Annual Pathways to Prosperity National Conference: Investing in Canada’s Shared Future, November 24, 2025
"Immigrant Workers and the Digital Transformation of Work: Spatial Precarity and Urban Labour in Toronto and Vancouver," presented by María Cervantes and Suzanne Huot, 13th Annual Pathways to Prosperity National Conference: Investing in Canada’s Shared Future, November 24, 2025
"Comparison of Migrant Food Delivery Riders in France and Canada", presented by Émile Baril, On the Move: Migrant Workers and Food-Delivery Platforms in Italy and Canada, IRMS, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, November 7, 2025
"Digital Platforms and Transnational Social Protections: Uneven Territorialization in the Digital Economy," presented by María Cervantes, Cartographies of Platform Labour in the Digital City, Madrid, Spain, November 6, 2025
"Digital Platforms and Transnational Social Protections: Uneven Territorialization in the Digital Economy," presented by María Cervantes, Digital Geographies Conference, Lisbon, Portugal, November 3, 2025
"Workers’ Workshops on Migrant Experiences in Platform and Remote Work", Vancouver, Canada, October 25 & October 27, 2025
"Digital Platforms and Transnational Social Protections: Uneven Territorialization in the Digital Economy," presented by María Cervantes, Royal Geographical Society Annual Conference, Birmingham, UK, August 28, 2025
“Immigrants’ engagement in remote and gig work occupations: Critically examining the spatial transformation of the ‘workplace’ through a mobilities lens”, presented by Suzanne Huot, María Cervantes, and Samantha Jackson, Occupational Science Europe Conference, Essex, United Kingdom, August 15, 2025
“Immigrants’ occupational experiences of remote and hybrid work in Canada”, presented by K. Kiaulakyte, K. Krywulak, S. Soreal, S. Jackson, and S. Huot, Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists Conference, Edmonton, Canada, May 7, 2025
“Uneven development in the digital economy: The new landscape of transnational social protections”, presented by María Cervantes, American Association of Geographers Conference, Detroit, United States, March 27, 2025
"Adjustment, Balance and Belonging Among Newcomers Engaged in Remote Work in Canada”, presented by Samantha Jackson and Suzanne Huot, 27th Canadian Ethnic Studies Association Biennial Conference, Edmonton, Canada, November 15, 2024
"Addressing remote work challenges faced by newcomers to Canada” poster, presented by Samantha Jackson and Suzanne Huot, Pathways to Prosperity Annual Conference, Vancouver, Canada, November 14, 2024
"Migration Disrupted: How Technological Transformation is Reshaping Human Mobility", Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada, May 7, 2024
Naturalization ceremonies signal the integration of new citizens into the national community as they pledge allegiance to their adopted country. These ceremonies also serve as both formal and informal educational platforms, transmitting the narratives and values attached to national identity. However, national identity itself is dynamic—constantly contested and evolving. This project examines how naturalization ceremonies, including those incorporating Advanced Digital Technologies (ADT), influence new citizens’ perceptions of national identity. The study involves:
Analyzing discourse surrounding virtual ceremonies in Canadian news media and policy documents;
Administering a survey to naturalizing individuals, differentiating between ceremony types (in-person, remote, enhanced ceremonies, and those involving Indigenous elders);
Conducting elite interviews with citizenship judges and key actors responsible for ceremony development;
Exploring potential collaborations with organizations involved in naturalization ceremonies in Canada and comparator countries.
Research Questions
How do naturalization ceremonies shape new citizens’ understanding of citizenship and national identity?
What is the affective impact of naturalization ceremonies? Do they foster strong feelings of belonging among new citizens? Is there a differential impact based on the ceremony’s format (e.g., in-person, virtual, enriched)?
Does the inclusion of Indigenous elders influence the experience?
Methods
Discourse Analysis
In-Depth Interviews
Surveys
Media Analysis
Collaborators
UBC Centre for Migration Studies
Principal Investigator: Antje Ellermann (Professor, Political Science)
Irene Bloemraad (Professor, Political Science and Sociology)
Vince Hopkins (Assistant Professor, Political Science)
Sandra Schinnerl (Postdoctoral Research Fellow, UBC Centre for Migration Studies)
Lisa Brunner (Postdoctoral Research Fellow, UBC Centre for Migration Studies)
Laura Rivera Sanchez (Doctoral Student, Political Science, University of Toronto)
Nadezhda Zezyulina, (Master’s student, Political Science, Concordia University)
Outputs
Presentations
“Competing problematizations of virtual naturalization ceremonies,” presented by Lisa Brunner, Carolina Reyes Marquez, and Nadezhda Zezyulina, CMS Research Conference 2025, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, May 1-2, 2025.
Work-in-Progress
“Competing problematizations of virtual naturalization ceremonies,” written by Lisa Brunner, Carolina Reyes Marquez, and Nadezhda Zezyulina (journal article in preparation).
Project Status
This project is currently in the Data Collection, Data Analysis and Writing phases.
Today, most international migrants settle in cities, leading to a condition known as “super-diversity.” This concept captures the complex and evolving layers of nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, and other traits that define urban populations. As new migrants arrive, they often settle in areas already shaped by earlier waves of migration, creating a dynamic and intricate social fabric.
The project involves developing a website that enables users to interact with sophisticated data about social complexity in Canada’s 6 largest metropolitan areas: Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa-Gatineau. Data are drawn from the administrative records of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada and the 2021 census. This is primarily a public communication effort.
Research Questions
How do immigrants integrate into large Canadian cities?
How can people be encouraged to ‘see’ social complexity?
Methods
Geospatial Analysis
Statistical Analysis
Collaborators
UBC Centre for Migration Studies
Principal Investigator: Dan Hiebert (Emeritus, Geography)
Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity
This project investigates how friendships and relationships form through participation in social infrastructure, including physical spaces such as parks, markets, cafes, libraries, and churches where people interact. These spaces encourage shared activities, leading to the formation of lasting connections. Social infrastructure fosters mutual support and collaboration, with its roots in studies of public spaces, “third places,” and community organizations. Strong social infrastructure promotes cross-boundary integration, especially when it attracts diverse groups and fosters civility.
Research shows that community organizations act as hubs for boundary-crossing friendships by drawing in a variety of participants. Understanding how relationships form in these settings enhances our knowledge of social integration. A key focus is on “mediated social infrastructure,” which refers to the formal structuring of interactions, often seen in community organizations. This concept builds on the idea of organizational embeddedness in sociology.
Mediated social infrastructure can be exemplified by organized activities like a mothers’ group at a park or a quiz night at a bar. These structured, repeated interactions, guided by the goals of community organizations, help foster meaningful connections, similar to situational mechanisms for friendship formation in psychology. Studying these dynamics provides insights into segregation and integration in social spaces.
Research Questions
How do mediated processes within social infrastructures contribute to friendship formation and integration?
When do mediated processes contribute to friendships that cross boundaries of language, ethnicity, immigration status, religious differences, age and gender?
Research Design and Methodology
The research design adopts a comparative case study approach informed by community-engaged research practices. It employs mixed methods, including in-depth interviews, digital storytelling, and longitudinal qualitative research.
Collaborators
UBC Centre for Migration Studies
Principal Investigator: Sean Lauer (Professor, Sociology
Project Co-Leader: Yue Qian (Associate Professor, Sociology)
Suzanne Huot (Assistant Professor, Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy)
Cai, M., Qian, Y., & Hu, Y. (2025). The efficiency paradox: A temporal lens into online dating among Chinese immigrants in Canada. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 42(8), 2167–2187. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075251339257
"Making Friends in Community Organizations," presented by Sean Lauer, BC Neighbourhood Houses Conference, Victoria, Canada, October 22, 2025
"Intersections of belonging: Friendship dynamics among Chinese LGBTQ+ migrants," presented by Yang, T., & Lauer, S., Canadian Sociological Association Annual Conference, Chicago, United States, August 11, 2025
"Roots: Here, There, or Nowhere? Transmitting Diaspora Identity in Hong Konger Families," presented by Capri Kong, Canadian Sociological Association, Toronto, Canada, June 9 2025
"Cosmopolitan Organizations: A place-based approach to integration," presented by Abando, G., Cabahug, F., Lauer, S., Canadian Sociological Association, Toronto, Canada, June 9, 2025
"Spaces, Social Capital, Culture and Community Building: The Case of Filipinos in British Columbia," presented by Abanda, G, Place and Power: BC Studies Conference, Vancouver, Canada, April 1, 2025
"Immigrant Settlement Services in Cosmopolitan Organizations: Service Provider Experiences," presented by Lauer, S., Canadian Ethnic Studies, Edmonton, Canada, November 11, 2024
“Immigrant experiences in cosmopolitan organizations: A scoping review,” presented by Cabahug, F. and Lauer, S., Canadian Association of Social Work Educators Annual Conference, Montreal, June 21, 2024.
“Intersections of belonging: Friendship dynamics among Chinese LGBTQ+ migrants in Canada and the US,” presented by Yang, T., and Lauer, S., Canadian Sociological Association Annual Conference, Montreal, June 21, 2024
“Immigrant friendships and social integration: A study of friendship networks and sense of belonging,” presented by Kong, C., and Lauer, S., Immigrant Social Networks Conference, Montreal, June 18, 2024
“Tao Po!: An exploration of the role of Filipino-Canadian neighbourhoods in the anchoring and cultivating Filipino-Canadian community,” presented by Abando, G. I., Canadian Sociological Association Annual Conference, Montreal, June 10, 2024
"Differences that Matter: Friendship Dynamics Among Chinese LGBTQ+ Migrants in North America," presented by Yang, T., and Lauer, S., CMS Annual Research Conference, Vancouver, Canada, May 6, 2024
