From: The Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples/Trinidadians/Subhas Ramcharan
Although the majority of Trinidadian immigrants in the 1970s and 1980s at first experienced downward occupational mobility, most eventually regained their original status, and some attained upward occupational mobility. Since there is a direct correlation between an improvement in one’s status and satisfaction with the migratory experience, the majority of Trinidadian immigrants rate their adaptation to Canada as successful. The Canadian experience has also been positive for those whose expectations of the educational system have been fulfilled.
In addition, Trinidadians view their socio-economic status and standard of living in Canada positively in comparison to life in the home country. Variables that contribute to this positive assessment include better health, education, social services, and pension benefits. Status dislocations and discrimination, while discouraging, are seen as obstacles that can be overcome. The key variables in successful adaptation to life in Canada would appear to be length of residence in Canada and occupational status. Professional, technical, and skilled workers are more likely to express satisfaction with their migration experience, to suffer less from discrimination, and to be pleased with their new lifestyle.
Trinidadian immigrants generally become Canadian citizens and see their migration as permanent. As members of a unique cultural group, they have adapted well to multicultural Canada. Their community is large enough to be institutionally complete in the cultural sphere, and yet at the same time it is part of the wider Caribbean community. It is this broader Caribbean community that acts as an umbrella group for cultural events such as Caribana, as well as in social and political lobbying in the wider Canadian society.
One of the issues facing the Trinidadian community in Canada is the creation and nurturing of a Trinidadian identity, over and above their African or South Asian ancestral origins. On a superficial level, at work and in membership in associations such as sports clubs, the two groups interact as a common entity. In terms of friendship networks and associational ties, however, ethnic background often takes precedence over national origin. While community leaders understand that ethnic insularity has a negative impact on the creation of a Trinidadian-Canadian identity, the task of developing this group identity remains daunting.
Asian Indians from Trinidad seem to have developed close associational and religious ties with other Asian Indians from Guyana and the Indian subcontinent, while African Trinidadians have close personal and associational ties with other immigrants from the British Caribbean who are of African descent. This schismatic structure is the dilemma of all multicultural societies, and Trinidad itself presents a classic example of this problem.
A Trinidadian identity is being passed on to second-generation Trinidadian Canadians who are born in Canada, but it is a selective identity, reinforcing those parts of the national culture with which the parents identify. The clear exceptions to this trend are in the areas of music and cuisine, where a national consensus and acceptance have overcome the racial divide.
The Trinidadian-Canadian community has made positive strides in integrating with and adapting to their host society. Given the multicultural structure of Canadian society, and the similar culturally pluralistic background that Trinidadians bring with them to Canada, becoming part of the Canadian mosaic, while challenging, would appear to be an attainable goal.
