This is just one of the questions a recently approved data linkage project hopes to answer. The project will link administrative data to explain the academic achievement and well-being of adolescent immigrants, refugees, and non-immigrants in Canada.
According to BC Statistics the province documented an influx of 70,000 international immigrants in 2011 alone. Despite such numbers Canadian newcomers in their adolescent years receive relatively little research attention and little is known about how we can best foster the positive adaptation of this growing and diverse population.
“Existing research on adolescents who immigrate suggests that while there seems to be an upside to immigration, there can also be a downside. This study aims to untangle these findings to gain an understanding of what leads to both positive and negative adaptation outcomes for adolescent newcomers, both immigrants and refugees, in comparison to non-immigrants. To accomplish this, the project aims to identify the unique risks and assets, as well as specific protective and vulnerability factors associated with migration that contribute to positive academic as well as social and emotional outcomes for young newcomers.”
Population Data BC will link data from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the BC Ministry of Health and the BC Ministry of Education for the project.
