Pakistani Canadians

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Canadians of Pakistani origin
Total population

75,145[1]
0.20% of the Canadian population
Regions with significant populations
Greater Toronto Area, Montreal, Vancouver
Languages
English, French, Urdu, Languages of Pakistan
Religions
Islam, Christianity, others
Related ethnic groups
Asian Canadians, South Asian Canadians

refers to someone born in Canada of Pakistani descent or to someone who has immigrated to Canada from Pakistan. Most Pakistani Canadians are Muslims by religion, but there are also sizable number of Christians as well. Most Pakistani Canadians are Muslims by religion, but there are also sizable number of Christians as well.

Contents

[edit] History in Canada

Pakistan only came into existence in 1947, so documentation of the life of Pakistani Canadians can technically only start from that year. However, it should be noted that Muslim immigrants from India and the region that is now Pakistan entered Canada as early as the eighteenth century, working alongside their Hindu or Sikh brethren in agriculture, logging, and mining in the western province of British Columbia.

Prior to 1976, there was very little Pakistani immigration to Canada however this changed when the point system was introduced by Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau in the Immigration Act, 1976. Since then the number of Pakistani immigrants increased dramatically, with thousands of Pakistanis entering the Canada each year since that time. Pakistani Canadians tended to be urban, well-educated, and professional; many of them had come from cities like Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Peshawar, and were familiar with Western culture and ways of living. However, the dependents and relatives that they have since sponsored for permanent residence in and citizenship to Canada in the years after 1976 have tended to be characterized by lower levels of education. Still most of the Pakistanis immigrating to the Canada are mainly students, professionals and economic migrants who do tend to have some sort of education.

Almost 58% of the "Pakistani Canadian" population live in the Greater Toronto Area; other cities in Canada with an increasing population include Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary. Recently Canada's western provinces, specifically British Columbia and Alberta, have seen a dramatic increase in Pakistanis due to new job opportunities.

[edit] Integrating into Canadian society

Pakistanis have integrated well into Canadian society, party due to the Canadian Government and the assistance it gives to all immigrants which settle in Canada. Generally speaking, they are known to assimilate into Canadian culture more easily than many other immigrant groups in Canada because they have fewer language barriers; English is widely spoken in Pakistan among professional classes and is the official language of all state institutions. As well they usually have more educational credentials, and come from a similar diverse and tolerant society.

[edit] Demographics

Figures from the 2001 Canadian Census indicate that there are about 75,000 Canadians who claim Pakistani ancestry but since then the size of the Pakistani community in Canada has dramatically increased. According to Statistics Canada in the 2001 census,[2] the top 10 cities in which Pakistani-Canadians reside in are:

Toronto

Toronto has one of the largest Pakistani communities in North America, and has been increasing since the point system was introduced to allow immigrants into Canada. Most Pakistanis who live in actual city of Toronto reside in areas such as Rexdale, Etobicoke, East York and Scarborough. However, the vast majority live in Suburban Toronto, also known as the Greater Toronto Area. These areas include places like Markham, Richmond Hill, Brampton, Mississauga, Oakville and Hamilton. There is also a sizable population in Malton close to Lester B. Pearson International Airport.

The center of Toronto's Pakistani community can be found on Gerrard Street East, in East York. Although it is called "South Asian Bazaar" the vast majority of stores, restaurants and shops belong to Pakistanis. The most famous restaurant on Gerrard Street is "Lahore Tikka House", which was also ranked as one of the best restaurants to eat in Toronto. Here there are many other shops with Pakistani and other South Asian related items for sale such as Pakistani clothing and entertainment. It is home to the largest South Asian marketplace in North America.

Toronto's Pakistani Canadian community is fairly diverse and includes people primarily of Punjabi, Sindhi and Pathan ethnic backgrounds.

[edit] Languages

Most Pakistani Canadians speak English and/or French, however they usually do have a second language as they often tend to keep hold of their native tongues. The main ones include:

However there plenty more languages and dialects which are spoken; see Languages of Pakistan.

[edit] Religion

Most Pakistani Canadians are Muslims. Religion figures prominently in the life of Pakistani Canadian families, and the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet serve as the guidelines that Pakistani Muslims are supposed to follow throughout their lives. The majority of Pakistanis belong to the Sunni sect of Islam, although a significant representation may also be found among the Shi'ite sect. In smaller towns in Canada where there may not be mosques within easy access, Pakistani Canadians make trips to attend the nearest one on major religious holidays and occasions. Pakistani Canadians worship at mosques alongside other Muslims who might trace their ancestry to all parts of the Islamic world; there are generally no separate Pakistani Canadian mosques. Pakistani Canadians also participate in and contribute to the larger Islamic community, which includes Arab Canadians and in Canada. They are part of the larger community's efforts to educate the country about the ideals of Islam and the teachings of the prophet Mohammed (PBHU). Pakistani Canadians have played important roles in many associations including:

The largest mosque in North America is located in Toronto's east-end (Scarbrough); it is located at the intersection of Markham Road and Nugget Avenue. There is also an ISNA Centre, located in Mississauga, Ontario. The facility contains a mosque, high school, community centre, banquet hall and funeral service available for all Muslim Canadians. Also, there is a small mosque located in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, catering for the dozen or so Muslims who have settled up north.

Although the overwhelming majority of Pakistani Canadians are Muslims, there are also Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, agnostics, atheists and Zoroastrians within the community. Pakistani Christians, worship at churches all over the country and share in the religious life of the dominant Christian culture in Canada. In recent times, Pakistani Zoroastrians have come to Canada mainly from the cities of Lahore and Karachi.

[edit] Economics

Most Pakistani Canadians live in comfortable, middle-class and upper-middle-class existence, also known as "suburban life". However there might be some incidence of poverty among the newer immigrants who tend to take low-paying jobs involving manual or unskilled labour. Many Pakistani Canadians also own their own businesses, including restaurants, groceries, clothing appliance stores, newspaper booths, and travel agencies. It is common to include members of the extended and immediate family in the business.

Pakistani Canadians tend to follow the residence pattern set by other Canadians, in that they move to more affluent suburbs as their prosperity increases. Members of the community believe in the symbolic importance of owning homes; accordingly, Pakistani Canadians tend to save and make other monetary sacrifices earlier on in order to purchase their own homes as soon as possible. Members of the family and the larger community tend to take care of each other, and to assist in times of economic need. Hence, it would be more common to turn to a community member for economic assistance rather than to a government agency. Relatively low levels of the community are therefore on welfare and public assistance.

[edit] Media

There are numerous television and radio programs that represent Pakistani-Canadian culture. Surprise CBC hit Little Mosque on the Prairie also features a Pakistani Canadian family.

[edit] Television

A number of Canadian television networks broadcast programming that features Pakistani-Canadian culture. The Voice of Pakistan has been a long running television show on Vision TV since the late 1970s and presents Pakistani-Canadian shows on Saturdays and Sundays. These television shows often highlight Pakistani-Canadian events in Canada, and also show events from Pakistan involving Pakistanis who reside there. Other networks provide similar programming including Omni Television, which hosts "Yeh Karavan" every Sunday and "Dharti Sohni Pakistan" on CityTV every Saturday. Recently with an upsurge in digital cable suscribers, Rogers Digital cable now provides Pakistani-Canadians with television channels right from Pakistan. These include GEO TV, ARY Digital, Indus Vision, The Musik, PTV Global and Indus Music.

[edit] Radio

Surprisingly, there is not much in terms of Pakistani presance on the radio airwaves of Canada however recently "Radio Pakistan Toronto" began broadcasting from AM740 in Toronto. "Dharti Sohni Pakistan" also has a 2 hour daily radio show on FM 100.7 in the Toronto and Ottawa regions which broadcasts news from Radio Pakistan as well as BBC Radio Urdu Service and Voice of America Urdu Service as well as Pakistani songs and events happening.

[edit] Notable Canadians of Pakistani origin

  • Tarek Fatah - a secular Muslim Canadian political activist, writer and TV host. A co-founder of the 300-member Muslim Canadian Congress, Fatah's advocacy of a self-described "progressive" form of Islam has met with considerable controversy from mainstream Canadian Muslims and Muslim groups, such as the Canadian Islamic Congress. Fatah was a student leftist-radical in Pakistan in the 1960s and 1970s and was imprisoned under military governments under the charge of sedition.He is the host of Muslim Chronicle on Vision TV and a frequent political talk show guest.
  • Merella Fernandez - Born and raised in Karachi, she is a graduate of Carleton University Journalism program and began her career in television at CTV answering phone calls. She moved on to writing for CTV News and Canada AM before moving to City TV in 1998 where she was began working as a writer. Currently she is working as a weekend anchor for CityNews and CablePulse 24.
  • Awais Jaffery - is the Web Developer, Founder and President of the website DesiVibe.ca and Desi Vibe TV. DesiVibe.ca focuses on South Asian Entertainment, Lifestyle, and Community with an emphasis on originality. DesiVibe prides itself on original content and that is why DesiVibe.ca is now the fastest growing, and one of the largest South Asian online publications. DesiVibe TV is an online entertainment portal featuring interviews with tops stars, performances, music video, and more. DesiVibe.ca is a webzine promoting the desi elements of the society.
  • Farah Nasser - joined the City TV and CablePulse 24 news team in August 2006, as General Assignment Reporter, where she continues to cover the latest in what's happening in and around Toronto. She is a graduate of Ryerson University in Toronto and was previously a host on a CFRB 1010, an AM newstalk radio station in Toronto.
  • Adnan Virk - An anchorman of The Score, a 24 hour sports channel in Canada. Was born in Toronto and spent formative years in Kingston, Ontario
  • Sabrina Jalees - a female Canadian comedian, dancer, actor, and writer from Toronto, Ontario. She is the daughter of a Swiss mother and a Pakistani father. She has made many appearances on MuchMusic's Video On Trial. She was Jian Ghomeshi's Monday correspondent on Sounds Like Canada in the Summer on CBC radio. She was also one of the jurors on Stars On Trial and appeared on LOL! She is currently a journalist for the Toronto Star.
  • Khalid Usman - is a Markham area businessman and former Markham Town Councilor for Ward 7. He had been the area's representative when Ward 7 was split up into two wards (Ward 7 and Ward 8) in the 1990s. Usman ran for York Regional Council in the November 2006 municipal elections, but did not win.
  • Yasmeen Ghauri - is a Canadian supermodel. Her modeling career began at the age of 17, after she had made an appointment at a Montreal modeling agency. Her father is a Muslim cleric from Pakistan, and her mother is German. Yasmeen served as a longtime model for Victoria's Secret and was admired as a great runway model. Accomplishments Yasmeen achieved as a model were her covers for Cosmopolitan and various editions of Vogue, Elle and Marie Claire magazines. She also scored ad campaigns for Valentino, Escada, and Hermès. Yasmeen was among the elite fashion models working in the early nineties. The former model is fluent in both French and English.
  • Zainab Musa
  • Tariq Hussain - is a Canadian singer-songwriter and radio personality. Currently a host for CBC Radio 3, he has also released four albums. His best-known song, Chevrolet Way, was a Canadian radio hit in 1997 and garnered him a Juno Award nomination for Best New Artist. For most of his musical career, Tariq was based in Edmonton, but moved to Vancouver when he joined Radio 3.
  • Josh The Band - JoSH is a Montreal-based South Asian fusion band; their songs showcase both modern and traditional bhangra beats and music, but are strongly influenced by hip hop and pop music. Includes Qurram Hussain and Rupinder Magon.
  • Kashif - The "sultan of Canadian R&B", Kashif, born and raised in Montreal is a show stopping performer, prolific songwriter and described as Canadas best kept secret. This extremely gifted young man is no rookie to the music industry; he was a former member of INMOTION, the most successful Pop/R&B French group from Quebec.
  • Falak The Band - A popular South Asian fusion rock band based out of Toronto; recently it has been announced that there new video will be launching on MTV Pakistan in the coming months. The band also came out with an English hit Blood for Oil.
  • Zameer - The band is based out of Toronto and consists of three brothers, Zameer, Hussain, and Ali who have been writing and performing together from a very early age. They were previously known as Dead Shyre, and independently sold over 2000 copies of their CD Poet of the Season.

[edit] Organizations and events

  • Diplomatic Mission of Pakistan in Canada Website
  • Canadian High Commission in Islamabad Website
  • Canada Pakistan Business Council Website
  • Pakistan Canada Association of British Columbia (Vancouver) Website
  • Lahore Tikka House (Toronto) Website
  • Pakistan Day Parade (Toronto) Website

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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Canadians of Asian descents
East Asian origin Canadians of Chinese descent · Canadians of Japanese ancestry · Canadians of Korean origin · Canadians of Taiwanese descent
Middle Eastern origin Canadians of Afghan descent Canadians of Iranian descent Canadians of Lebanese descent
South Asian origin Canadians of Afghan descent · Canadians of Indian descent · Canadians of Iranian descent Canadians of Pakistani origin · Canadians of Sri Lankan origin · Canadians of Tamil ethnicity
Southeast Asian origin Canadians of Filipino descent · Canadians of Laotian descent · Canadians of Vietnamese descent
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