Belinda Ha is a Ph.D. candidate in Policy Studies under the Immigration, Settlement and Diaspora Policies stream at Ryerson University. She holds a master’s degree in Immigration and Settlement Studies from Ryerson University and a Combined Honours Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and History from Carleton University. Her research interests relate to multiculturalism, second-generation youth in Canada, citizenship, intergenerational relationships, and immigrant integration.
Belinda’s most recent research explored the role of social support networks pertaining to the resettlement experiences of Chinese-Vietnamese refugees living in Canada after the Vietnam War. Within a social support framework, theories of social capital and resiliency were used to analyze the lives of the participants after the traumatic experience of forced migration. Belinda's research was presented with the "Best Major Research Paper" award at the Immigration and Settlement Studies 10th year anniversary gala.
-Review Board member on the 2015-2016 Edition of the Ryerson Journal of Policy Studies (RJPS) -Student Representative for the Policy Studies Program Council (2015-16) Supervisors: Dr. Vappu Tyyskä
The Promise of Migration: A Companion to the International Metropolis Conference (Ottawa, Canada), 2019
While there has been much research conducted by Canadian government researchers and academics reg... more While there has been much research conducted by Canadian government researchers and academics regarding the cost-benefits of private sponsorship, there remains a need for more in depth comparative analyses of the sociocultural and economic adaptation of refugees as a result of sponsorship type. Through five intensive and semi-structured interviews conducted in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), this chapter examines possible causal links between types of sponsorship in relation to the level of integration as experienced by Chinese-Vietnamese refugees, a group that has been neglected by researchers. It was observed that privately sponsored refugees—who mostly arrived in Canada between 1979 and 1980—emphasized the instrumental role their benefactors played in assisting their successful resettlement, whereas those who were government-sponsored were compelled to work at forming their own social support systems. Given the resurgence of private sponsorship since 2015, these results are valuable in suggesting that sponsorship type crucially impacts long-term resettlement.
Canada's population of immigrant youth between the ages of 15 and 35 is approaching 3 million and... more Canada's population of immigrant youth between the ages of 15 and 35 is approaching 3 million and growing rapidly. Youth are critical to Canada's goal of recruiting immigrants to expand the economy, but there is insufficient information about their school and work experiences and inadequate support to ensure their successful integration into the workforce. This literature review investigates the connection between education and work for Canadian immigrant youth. It documents obstacles in the form of underfunded settlement services, lack of diversity in the school curriculum, inadequate English-language instruction at all levels of schooling, racially and ethnically biased streaming of students into the lowest educational track in high school, rejection of foreign school transcripts and work credentials, employers' prejudice and discrimination, and workplace exploitation. The number and magnitude of these systemic impediments create significant obstacles for immigrant youth. A major cause of these issues is insufficient funding for immigrant services under neoliberal economic policies. The outcomes for immigrant youth include failure to finish secondary and postsecondary education, a long-term cycle of employment in low-skill, low-wage jobs, and socioeconomic hardship such as poverty and homelessness. The authors call for greater attention to this critical population and make nine recommendations that would contribute to solutions in each major issue area impacting the education of Canadian immigrant youth and their entry into the workforce.
Through six intensive and semi-structured interviews, this research paper examines the role socia... more Through six intensive and semi-structured interviews, this research paper examines the role social support networks may or may not have played in facilitating the resettlement experiences of Chinese-Vietnamese refugees living in Canada after the Vietnam War. It was observed that those who were privately-sponsored emphasized the instrumental role their benefactors played in assisting their successful resettlement, whereas those who were government-sponsored were forced to adopt a more independent mindset of forming their own social support systems. Regardless of sponsorship type, the notion of hard work was a commonality found amongst the participants. They arrived at the receiving country expecting and willing to accept conditions of underemployment and downward mobility. The effects of pre-migration enabling factors such as marital status and educational attainment are also acknowledged. Within a social support framework, theories of social capital and resiliency are used to analyze the lives of the participants after the traumatic experience of forced migration.
Keywords: Chinese-Vietnamese refugees, resettlement, Canada, social support network, resiliency theory
Co-authored book chapter titled “Canadian Policies related to Immigrant Youth” with Dr. Vappu Tyy... more Co-authored book chapter titled “Canadian Policies related to Immigrant Youth” with Dr. Vappu Tyyskä for the upcoming edited anthology “Critical Immigration in Canada.” Edited by Dr. Leslie Nichols and Dr. Mojgan Rahbari-Jawoko, the book will be published late Summer/Fall 2016.
The Promise of Migration: A Companion to the International Metropolis Conference (Ottawa, Canada), 2019
While there has been much research conducted by Canadian government researchers and academics reg... more While there has been much research conducted by Canadian government researchers and academics regarding the cost-benefits of private sponsorship, there remains a need for more in depth comparative analyses of the sociocultural and economic adaptation of refugees as a result of sponsorship type. Through five intensive and semi-structured interviews conducted in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), this chapter examines possible causal links between types of sponsorship in relation to the level of integration as experienced by Chinese-Vietnamese refugees, a group that has been neglected by researchers. It was observed that privately sponsored refugees—who mostly arrived in Canada between 1979 and 1980—emphasized the instrumental role their benefactors played in assisting their successful resettlement, whereas those who were government-sponsored were compelled to work at forming their own social support systems. Given the resurgence of private sponsorship since 2015, these results are valuable in suggesting that sponsorship type crucially impacts long-term resettlement.
Canada's population of immigrant youth between the ages of 15 and 35 is approaching 3 million and... more Canada's population of immigrant youth between the ages of 15 and 35 is approaching 3 million and growing rapidly. Youth are critical to Canada's goal of recruiting immigrants to expand the economy, but there is insufficient information about their school and work experiences and inadequate support to ensure their successful integration into the workforce. This literature review investigates the connection between education and work for Canadian immigrant youth. It documents obstacles in the form of underfunded settlement services, lack of diversity in the school curriculum, inadequate English-language instruction at all levels of schooling, racially and ethnically biased streaming of students into the lowest educational track in high school, rejection of foreign school transcripts and work credentials, employers' prejudice and discrimination, and workplace exploitation. The number and magnitude of these systemic impediments create significant obstacles for immigrant youth. A major cause of these issues is insufficient funding for immigrant services under neoliberal economic policies. The outcomes for immigrant youth include failure to finish secondary and postsecondary education, a long-term cycle of employment in low-skill, low-wage jobs, and socioeconomic hardship such as poverty and homelessness. The authors call for greater attention to this critical population and make nine recommendations that would contribute to solutions in each major issue area impacting the education of Canadian immigrant youth and their entry into the workforce.
Through six intensive and semi-structured interviews, this research paper examines the role socia... more Through six intensive and semi-structured interviews, this research paper examines the role social support networks may or may not have played in facilitating the resettlement experiences of Chinese-Vietnamese refugees living in Canada after the Vietnam War. It was observed that those who were privately-sponsored emphasized the instrumental role their benefactors played in assisting their successful resettlement, whereas those who were government-sponsored were forced to adopt a more independent mindset of forming their own social support systems. Regardless of sponsorship type, the notion of hard work was a commonality found amongst the participants. They arrived at the receiving country expecting and willing to accept conditions of underemployment and downward mobility. The effects of pre-migration enabling factors such as marital status and educational attainment are also acknowledged. Within a social support framework, theories of social capital and resiliency are used to analyze the lives of the participants after the traumatic experience of forced migration.
Keywords: Chinese-Vietnamese refugees, resettlement, Canada, social support network, resiliency theory
Co-authored book chapter titled “Canadian Policies related to Immigrant Youth” with Dr. Vappu Tyy... more Co-authored book chapter titled “Canadian Policies related to Immigrant Youth” with Dr. Vappu Tyyskä for the upcoming edited anthology “Critical Immigration in Canada.” Edited by Dr. Leslie Nichols and Dr. Mojgan Rahbari-Jawoko, the book will be published late Summer/Fall 2016.
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Papers by Belinda Ha
Keywords: Chinese-Vietnamese refugees, resettlement, Canada, social support network, resiliency theory
Conference Presentations by Belinda Ha
Books by Belinda Ha
Keywords: Chinese-Vietnamese refugees, resettlement, Canada, social support network, resiliency theory