“Mapping the life experiences of immigrant and refugee families presents a series of transitions – each stage presents myriad challenges and opportunities. Every moment, these families must make decisions that will forever change their lives. While every decision carries uncertainties, each family is hopeful that their lives will be better. This research captured the journey of 63 families of diverse cultural backgrounds, from their home country to this new homeland, Canada. Their joys and pains, hopes and fears, are told from the voices of the parents. The transitions were presented in four stages: life in the home country, life during crisis, life in Canada, and future hopes. Life in the home country describes the parents’ recollection of their home country, some of their fondest memories of what life back home was like, and particularly how they raised their children. Life during crisis brings back painful memories of war, flight, and danger. Parents speak of their hard life in refugee camps – of food and water rations, makeshift tents, no electricity, and isolation from the rest of the world. Life in Canada contains stories of both struggle and hope in a new environment, beginning with landing and settlement, and on to survival and integration. The Future collects the parents’ thoughts on what the future holds for them in Canada – the challenges and opportunities they see. From the data generated, the study proposes an organizing framework that will structure the essential information. This will reveal multiple layers of factors that affect immigrant and refugee parenting capacities and their responsiveness to changing demands of child rearing and development.” – Publisher’s description
