Summary and Finding of the Cyle Larin research study assessment

Introduction

On March 22^nd, 2022, when Cyle Larin scored the opening goal against Jamaica, he not only propelled Canada to the World Cup after a hiatus of 36 years but also ensure that he remains one of the most celebrated figures in Canadian soccer history by becoming the all-time leading goal scorer of the country. However, not many people are aware that Cyle is a Canadian citizen of Jamaican descent. Similarly, both the parents of Junior Hoilett, another goal scorer in that match, are of Jamaican heritage. Furthermore, unarguably, two of the biggest stars of the Canadian Men’s National Team viz. Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies are emigrants from Haiti and Liberia respectively.

Canada is among the most heavily immigrated countries in the world. Every year Canada welcomes immigrants and refugees from all over the world and soccer has invaluably aided these emigrants in their resettlement. This research will throw light on how soccer as a sport has aided multiculturalism and the resettlement of migrants in Canada and led them to be a part of this North American country. Canada, as a nation, has perennially been a country whose massive part of the population consists of migrants and refugees. Since the Canadian Confederation, Canada has attracted more than 17 million immigrants (Canada Statistics). Multifarious reasons such as immigration policy changes, Canada's economic situation, or world events connected with the movement of migrants and refugees led to the massive migration to Canada. The country officially adopted multiculturalism as a policy in 1971 as the “act sought to protect the cultural heritage of all Canadians, reduce discrimination, and encourage the implementation of multicultural programs and initiatives within institutions and organizations”, becoming the first country in the process to adopt an official multiculturalism policy. Modern Canada was built on the migration and contributions of many immigrant groups, beginning with the first French settlers, through newcomers from the United Kingdom, Central Europe, the Caribbean, and Africa, to immigrants from Asia and the Middle East.

Immigration history of Canada:

According to the 2016 Census, approximately 7.54 million Canadians were born outside the country. This means that 21.9 percent of the total population of Canada is an immigrant. In 2011, Canada boasted the highest proportion of foreign-born inhabitants of all the countries in the G8, outstripping Germany and the US, which recorded 2010 percentages of 13 percent and 12.9 percent respectively.

As per the official census of 1871, the people from the British Isles were the earliest and the majority of the migrants that came to settle down in the Confederation of Canada followed by the settlers from the US, Germany, and France” (150, StatCan). There were three early waves of migrants recorded as far as European migrants were concerned. The first wave commenced from the late 1800s to the early 1900s and included new settlers from “Eastern Europe (Russians, Polish, and Ukrainians), Western Europe, and Scandinavia”. World War II precedes the second wave of European migrants to Canada predominantly from the British Isles and also from “Western Europe (Germany and the Netherlands) and Southern Europe (Italy, Greece, Yugoslavia, and Portugal) from the 1950s to the 1970s”. The third wave was when Canada admitted immigrants from Eastern Europe (including the Russian Federation and former Soviet republics, Poland and Romania) in the 1980s and 1990s, following political changes in Communist bloc countries, including the fall of the Berlin Wall and the breakup of the Soviet Union”. Furthermore, as per the 2011 National Household Survey, China and India (excluding the two special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macao) have surpassed the United Kingdom as the country of birth most frequently reported by foreign-born people”. Since then, “Asia has remained the top source continent for immigrants in recent years. From 2017 to 2019, 63.5% of newcomers to Canada were born in Asia (including the Middle East)”. Furthermore, “according to Statistics Canada population projections, by 2036, immigrants born in Asia could represent between 55.7% and 57.9% of all immigrants”.

Refugee history in Canada:

As per Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, “refugees are people who have been forced to leave their country and who are afraid to return because of war, violence, or persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group”. “ The Quakers, properly called the Religious Society of Friends, are a Christian group that arose from the religious turmoil of puritanical England” were the earliest refugees to the Canadian Confederation. During the year 1770-79, Quakers started to pour in due to the American Revolution to what now is called South Ontario. During the year 1780-89, thousands of African American migrants came and settle down in places like “Nova Scotia and settled near Shelburne, Digby, Chedabucto and Halifax”. From 1830 to 1910, numerous Poles fled from Europe after the continent was annexed by the likes of Russia, Prussia, and Austria in 1793. By the late 19^th century, there was a massive advent of Jewish migrants “to escape religious persecution, revolution, and the social and economic changes brought about by industrialization”. Due to the “Soviet invasion, occupation, and subsequent establishment of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1919” thousands of Ukrainian refugees migrated to Canada. Due to the then incumbent World War II around “35,000 to 40,000 Ukrainians settled in Canada, largely as a result of the lobbying efforts of Canadian-Ukrainians who had come as refugees earlier in the 20th century”. Furthermore, thousands of refugees from Chile and Bangladesh settled down in Canada due to the political unrest and war-like situations in their respective countries. Similarly, during the late 90s and the early 2000s, Canada witnessed a significant inflow of Kosovar refugees due to “the civil war between the Serbs and the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo”. From 2009 to 2015, when US-led forces toppled the Iraqi government, “as part of a multi-year commitment, Canada pledged to resettle 23,000 Iraqi refugees”, thus eventually settling more than 25,475 Iraqis”. The recent Syrian civil war, the Talibanisation of Afghanistan, and the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war have brought in a significant number of refugee migrants to the North American country.

This research will be done from the lens of Vancouver Whitecaps FC, a club plying its trade in the top league of the United States i.e. Major League Soccer (MLS). 

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Vancouver Whitecaps FC came into fruition in the year 1973, when “Denny Veitch and Herb Capozzi officially announced the Vancouver Whitecaps franchise”. Later on, Vancouver Whitecaps became the seventeenth franchisee of MLS (Major League Soccer) on 18^th March 2009 by the incumbent MLS commissioner Don Gruber. They compete in the Western Conference of the league. Vancouver Whitecaps FC is a quintessential example of the existing multiculturalism in Canada as it employs, both part-time and full-time, employees from various cultures and nationalities. Furthermore, Whitecaps or Caps, as their supporters colloquially call them, have a stellar fan following in this bustling city of Vancouver.

Since Canada prides itself on a country laden with multi-ethnic culturalism, the Caps’ fanbase consists of people from myriad ethnicities and nationalities. This study reflects how soccer has aided the immigrants to this country and in what ways the sport unites people from multifarious nationalities and cultures. The study will be conducted from the perspective of Vancouver Whitecaps FC which is based out in the heart of the ebullient Vancouver city.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC has always indulged in multifarious community-building activities which also involve reaching out to the members of the migrant communities of the society. One of the regular pre-match activations during those MLS matches is the Kids Captain section where an inspiring young person is recognized who “has demonstrated resilience as they overcame challenges in their young lives”. Although this initiative is not specifically migrant-targeted activation, VWFC has brought in a lot of immigrant kids to act as the “Kids Captain” for a particular match. Also, Whitecaps FC has been perennially providing a platform to the migrant communities to get involved with society during soccer games through different initiatives. One such initiative was the Vaisakhi Night celebration at BC Place, the official stadium of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. On the 9^th of April of this year when Whitecaps FC locked horns with the Portland Timbers it also “hosted the club’s first-ever Vaisakhi night Saturday, celebrating the South Asian community and the Solar New Year” (MLS). The club made sure the Sikh community of the South Asian region feel at home with a host of programs lined up for them. The regular supporters' march to the stadium was accompanied by “dhol drummers from the Shan-e-Punjab Arts Club as well as members of the Sikh Motorcycle Club” (MLS). Also, in the build-up to the match “a Holi Masala food truck, henna and face painting, and DJ Emenes’ set had some South Asian fusion” lined up for the fans. Furthermore, “Guru Nanak's Free Kitchen, a volunteer-led, not-for-profit organization, which provides freshly prepared langar (food) to over 1,000 residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside weekly, gave away chai tea and fundraised for their organization”. However, amidst all these activities, one initiative truly connected with the immigrant community of Sikhs. The Caps along with the “local artist Sandeep Johal” collaborated to prepare a Vaisakhi-themed logo of the club.

Objectives

1. To critically identify the importance of the resettlement of immigrants in Canada.
2. To analyze the impact of soccer on immigrants and multiculturalism in Canada. 
3. To develop strategies for soccer to manage multiculturalism in Canada.

Research Questions

1. What is the importance of resettlement of the immigrants that are present in Canada?
2. What is the impact of soccer on immigrants and multiculturalism in Canada?
3. How to develop strategies for soccer to manage multiculturism in Canada?

   Appendix

   Interview transcript:

   Marina Lin:

   Question 1. Tell us something about your origin.

   Question 2. How have you been involved in football in Canada?

   Question 3. How has soccer helped you?

   Question 4. Why do you prefer staying in Canada?

   Sam Gannaway:

   Question 1. Tell us something about your origin.

   Question 2. How have you been involved in football in Canada?

   Question 3. How has soccer helped you?

   Question 4. Why do you prefer staying in Canada?

   Jehan:

   Question 1. Tell us something about your origin.

   Question 2. How have you been involved in football in Canada?

   Question 3. How has soccer helped you?

   Question 4. Why do you prefer staying in Canada?

   David Nana

   Question 1. Tell us something about your origin.

   Question 2. How have you been involved in football in Canada?

   Question 3. How has soccer helped you?

   Question 4. Why do you prefer staying in Canada?