Laotian Canadians
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (22,090 (2011)[1]) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Ontario |
9,435 (42.7%)[1] |
 Quebec |
6,765 (30.6%)[1] |
 British Columbia |
2,010 (9.1%)[1] |
 Alberta |
1,855 (8.4%)[1] |
 Manitoba |
1,325 (6.0%)[1] |
 Saskatchewan |
675 (3.1%)[1] |
| Languages | |
| Lao, Canadian French, Canadian English[2] | |
| Religion | |
| Buddhism[3] | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Lao people, Asian Canadians | |
Laotian Canadians are Canadian citizens of Laotian origin or descent. In the 2011 Census, 22,090 people indicated Laotian ancestry.[1]
Contents
Migration history[edit]
Mass migration from Laos to Cambodia peaked in the late 1970s and early 1980s, consisting of both government-sponsored and privately sponsored refugees from camps in Thailand, where they had fled due to the Laotian Civil War and the final victory of the Pathet Lao.[4] However, by the 1990s, most refugees in the camps were instead being repatriated to Laos. In total, Canada took in 12,793 Laotian refugees.[5]
Demography[edit]
Most migrants consisted of young families; there were very few elderly among them. A significant proportion were drawn from among the community of ethnic Chinese in Laos.[2]
There is a community of Laotian people in Kitchener, Ontario, where 1,530 Laotian Canadians live (0.7% of its population).[6]
Religion[edit]
Laotian migrants in Canada mostly follow Theravada Buddhism, though Mahayana Buddhists are also found among those of Chinese ethnicity.[3] There are also a small number of Christians, perhaps 500 people, most of whom converted while living in refugee camps.[7] In 1990, British Columbia had no Laotian Buddhist temple; the nearest one was a Laotian American temple in Seattle.[3] Within Canada, Laotian Buddhist temples have also been opened in Montreal, Toronto, and Winnipeg.[7]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h [1] Canada Census, 2011
- ^ a b Richardson 1990, p. 16
- ^ a b c Richardson 1990, p. 17
- ^ Van Esterik 1999, pp. 902–903
- ^ Van Esterik 1999, p. 903
- ^ NHS Profile, Kitchener, CY, Ontario, 2011, Statistics Canada
- ^ a b Van Esterik 1999
Sources[edit]
- Richardson, Elizabeth (1990), "The Cambodians and Laotians", Cross-cultural caring: a handbook for health professionals, University of British Columbia Press, pp. 11–35, ISBN 978-0-7748-0343-4
- Van Esterik, Penny (1999), "Laotians", in Magocsi, Paul R., Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples, University of Toronto Press, pp. 902–909, ISBN 0-8020-2938-8
- "Ethnic origins, 2006 counts, for Canada, provinces and territories - 20% sample data", Ethnocultural Portrait of Canada, Census 2006, Statistics Canada, retrieved 2010-01-27
Further reading[edit]
- Lerthirungwong-Diong, Mulai (1989), Problems of adjustment and attitudes of Indochinese refugees towards their language maintenance: a case study of the Lao community in Toronto, Ph.D. dissertation, University of Toronto, OCLC 224288222
- Dorais, Louis-Jacques (2000), The Cambodians, Laotians and Vietnamese in Canada, Canada's ethnic groups 28, Canadian Historical Association, ISBN 978-0-88798-226-2
- Nontapattamadul, Kitipat (2000), The integration of Laotian refugees in Calgary, Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Social Work, University of Calgary, retrieved 2009-09-01
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