Tamil Canadian

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Tamil Canadian

Flag of Canada
Tamil children from Toronto
Tamil Canadian children in traditional garments in Toronto.
Total population

200,000 [1]
Regions with significant populations
British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario
Languages
Canadian English, Tamil
Religions
Hinduism, Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Asian Indians, South Asian Canadians

Tamil Canadian or Canadian Tamils are Canadians of Tamil ethnic origins mostly from Sri Lanka and other countries such as India, Malaysia, South Africa, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Fiji. It is estimated that the Tamil Diaspora in Canada ranges from between 110,000 to 400,000. From a population of fewer than 2,000 Tamils in 1983, it has become one of the largest visible minority population groups within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). More than 25,000 were added between 1984 and 1992; in the 1991 census, Tamils were the fastest-growing ethnic group in Metropolitan Toronto. Further Canada's Tamil population is thought to constitute the largest Sri Lankan diaspora in the world and Toronto is "the city with the largest number of Sri Lankan Tamils in the world".[2][3][4]

Contents

[edit] Background information

The main impetus for Tamil migration to Canada was the liberal immigration policies adopted by Canada since early beginnings of the Sri Lankan civil war. Although there has been a minor trickling of people from Sri Lankan into Canada prior to the civil war, it became a torrent only after the commencement of the civil war after the 1983 riots against Tamil civilians that killed over 4,000 in Sri Lanka. (see also Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora)

In 2000, Sri Lanka was the sixth largest source country of immigrants to Canada, sending 5,841 people or 2.57% of Canada's immigrant total. It is also the second largest source of refugees. Between 1991-2001, Sri Lanka was the fifth largest source country of immigrants to Canada, after China, India, the Philippines, and Hong Kong.[3]

[edit] Education

In 2001 the Canadian Tamil community had over 4,500 software engineers and 40 practicing medical doctors in the GTA area alone. The local university Tamil student population in the country numbers over 5,500, of whom more than 200 are post-graduates.[5]

[edit] Media

A bilingual Tamil community directory of businesses and services for this community, Thamilar Mathiyil (Amidst Tamils), has been published since 1990 and has grown to several hundred pages in length. There are ten weekly Tamil language newspapers, four Tamil language radio stations, and three cinemas that show Tamil language films that are produced in Tamil Nadu and in Canada. Toronto is also home to the largest Tamil video and music stores in the world. There are also two television stations in Tamil serving the community.[2][5]

[edit] Social and political activity

Scarborough Grace Hospital in, Toronto, Canada has signs that include Tamil language
Scarborough Grace Hospital in, Toronto, Canada has signs that include Tamil language

There are many social and political organizations such as the Canadian Tamil Congress that work as a lobby group to get the view points of their constituents at the provincial and federal level. Some organizations are explicit in their activities supporting for the quest for an independent Tamil Eelam by the rebel group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). As the LTTE is banned in Canada such activities are curtailed. Most other organizations are geared towards organizing kin and village groups from Sri Lanka as well as supporting various political parties such as the Liberal Party of Canada, New Democratic Party and Conservative Party of Canada. Tamil candidates have participated in the political process representing various parties at municipal, provincial and federal level. Logan Kanapathi is the first Tamil Canadian candidate to win a significant political position.[2][4][6][7]. He currently serves as Ward 7 councilor in the town of Markham. Many Hindu Temples have been built by the community to cater to its religious needs. There are also Christian churches that cater particularly to the Tamil community in Canada.[8]

[edit] Sports and literature

Canada has attracted a number of internationally renowned writers from Sri Lanka, including Shyam Selvadurai. Despite his family's relative privilege and urban base, his family left Sri Lanka because of the 1983 riots.

Canadian Tamils have also contributed to the sports fields such as the former ranked Canadian tennis player Sonya Jayaseelan and cricketer Sanjayan Thuraisingam

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ DIVERSITY WATCH - Ryerson University School of Journalism
  2. ^ a b c Cheran, R (2000). "Changing Formations: Tamil Nationalism and National Liberation in Sri Lanka and the Diaspora". Ph.D. dissertation. . Department of Sociology, York University Retrieved on 2007-08-31.
  3. ^ a b Jennifer Hyndman (2000). "Aid, conflict and migration: the Canada Sri Lanka connection". . Department of Geography, Simon Fraser University Retrieved on 2007-08-31.
  4. ^ a b Sriskandarajah, Dhananjayan (2005). Diaspora politics. Springer US. Retrieved on 2007-08-31.
  5. ^ a b "Canada’s Tamils celebrate their successes", Tamil Guardian, 2001-06-03. Retrieved on 2007-08-31. (English) 
  6. ^ Lak, Daniel. "Canada's Tamils dream of peace", BBC, 2003-05-03. Retrieved on 2007-08-31. (English) 
  7. ^ "Tamil rebels 'coercing diaspora'", BBC, 2006-03-15. Retrieved on 2007-08-31. (English) 
  8. ^ List of Hindu temples in Canada. Tamil library (2002-05-14). Retrieved on 2007-08-31.
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