Abstract
Inter-ethnic research has been dominated by studies on majority–minority relations. The limited studies on relations among ethnic minority groups are usually restricted to a focus on attitudes and the cognitive domain, with little attention to actual behaviours. As Canada becomes increasingly diverse, it calls for a greater need in examining the interpersonal relationships among ethnic minority groups. A study originally designed to look at intra-group dynamics generated results that led the authors to decentre the dominant majority–minority view and explore inter-ethnic engagements. This report examines the subjective sense-making, actual performance, and management of inter-ethnic relations from Chinese Canadians’ perspectives. Data from individual interviews and focus groups with thirty-five Chinese Canadians show a multidimensional picture: factors such as participants’ needs, circumstances, characteristics, and capacities play a more significant role in shaping relationship development and maintenance. Results also reveal the complex and contingent nature of the sense-making and management of inter-ethnic relationships. These findings call for a more holistic view of individuals’ experiences that include cognitive, affective, and behavioural dimensions.
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Notes
The term “minority” is used in this paper because it is widely used in the literature, but we are aware that the terms “minority” and “majority” have contingent meanings and may not even reflect the empirical realities in Canada because the population of “minority groups” has already exceeded the “majority” in some regions.
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This study was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Insight Grant (#497680).
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation and data collection and analysis were performed by Vivian W. Y. Leung, Weijia Tan, Deng-Min Chuang, and Ran Hu. The first draft of the manuscript was written by A. Ka Tat Tsang, Vivian W. Y. Leung, and Weijia Tan, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Tsang, A.K.T., Leung, V.W.Y., Tan, W. et al. Decentring the Majority–Minority Paradigm: A Multidimensional Conceptualization of Inter-ethnic Relations Based on a Study of Chinese Canadians. Int. Migration & Integration 23, 183–204 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-021-00826-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-021-00826-0