Sojourner Mentality

Although Chinese communities flourished, many people had the “sojourner mentality” which meant they thought they were going to live in Canada temporarily, and ultimately move back to their birthplace. Patterns of close links to native villages through remittances and recurrent trips back are telling of the sojourner mentality, as is the supplementary expectation of many migrants that would withdraw from work and retire to China. Although there were countless emigrant Chinese who went overseas looking for adventure and entirely expecting to reside everlastingly in their host country, if given decent opportunities and reasonable treatment, all Chinese were certain to be swayed by certain Chinese cultural norms. In China, the sense of native

The Chinese thought that they would lose their identity and individualism if they were away from their host country for a long period of time. Nationality was vital for international migration. The notion of belonging to state, having bonds to it by birth, or having strong rights and responsibilities, was very important to the people living in China back then. A powerful way of describing China was by their culture, such as religion, philosophy, arts and language. Culture, nationality and identity were facets that kept China composed, and were motives for why people wanted to return home. Although people were pushed away from China due to trade, limited farmland, and unstable politics, many people were pulled back to China because they wanted to retire in their homeland. Retirement migration involved people from Hong Kong and Taiwan. The magnetisms of retiring in China were that pensions from external areas of China go further in China, there was low-cost private healthcare accessible, and their extended families delivered company and

Although Chinese migration to Canada was a positive experience, many people had a “sojourner mentality,” believing that they would eventually return to China. This varied due to the generations that resided in Canada. Orientals immigrated to Canada because of employment, the gold rush and a better sense of politics. Although Chinese people did have a difficult time adjusting to Canadian customs and ideals, the move was overall a positive decision. Communities that the Chinese formed helped them create a sense of family and allowed them to relate to other people in their position. Chinatown, which is located in Toronto, started off poorly, but eventually began to thrive and became a community that they were proud of. This community is still very successful to this day, and is viewed as a tourist attraction. Although this was the case, many overseas Chinese had a “sojourner mentality” which meant they wanted to return home after residing in Canada for quite some time. As the future generations progressed, people decided to stay in Canada because they had a stronger sense of education, and adjusting to new societal norms was not as difficult. Overall, Chinese-Canadians constitute a large group in Canada, and Chinese communities in Canada comprise of one of the largest overseas communities in North