Table Of ContentTHE African
CANADA
IN
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African
THE
CANADA
IN
Negotiating Identity & Belonging
Edited by
Wisdom J. Tettey & Korbla P. Puplampu
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©2005 by Wisdom J. Tettey and Korbla P. Puplampu
Published by the University of Calgary Press
2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
www.uofcpress.com
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted,
in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher or a licence
from The Canadian Copyright Licening Agency (Access Copyright). For an Access Copyright
licence, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or call toll free to 1-800-893-5777.
The University of Calgary Press acknowledges the financial support of the Government of
Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) for our
publishing activities. We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts for our
publishing program. We also acknowledge the support of the Alberta Foundation of the
Arts for this published work.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
The African diaspora in Canada : negotiating identity and
belonging / edited by Wisdom J. Tettey & Korbla P. Puplampu.
(Africa, missing voices series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-10 1-55238-175-7
ISBN-13 978-1-55238-175-5
1. Black Canadians—Race identity. 2. Black Canadians—Social conditions.
I. Tettey, Wisdom II. Puplampu, Korbla P. III. Series.
FC106.B6A373 2005 305.896’071 C2005-906297-5
Printed on acid-free paper.
Printed and bound in Canada by AGMV-Marquis.
Cover design by Mieka West.
Page design & typsetting by Elizabeth Gusnoski.
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To Adiki and Makafui –
that they may grow up to
be accepted as bona fide
Canadians and Africans, and
that their socio-cultural and
racial backgrounds may not
be an encumbrance to full
participation in the multiple
spaces that they occupy.
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Contents
List of Tables viii
Acknowledgements ix
Note on Contributors x
SECTION I
Theorizing & Historicizing the ‘African-Canadian’ Experience
1 Continental Africans in Canada: Exploring a Neglected Dimension of the
African-Canadian Experience – Wisdom J. Tettey and Korbla P. Puplampu 3
2 Ethnicity & the Identity of African-Canadians: A Theoretical & Political
Analysis – Korbla P. Puplampu and Wisdom J. Tettey 25
3 Reflections on the Long Struggle for Inclusion: The Experiences of People of
African Origin – Ali A. Abdi 49
SECTION II
Location, the Politics of Knowledge Construction,
& the Canadian Educational System
4 Africa(ns) in the Canadian Educational System: An Analysis of Positionality &
Knowledge Construction – Henry M. Codjoe 63
5 Racism in Canadian Contexts: Exploring Public & Private Issues in the
Educational System – George S. Dei 93
SECTION III
The Socio-Economic Context & Contests
of the African-Canadian Experience
6 African Immigrants & the Labour Market: Exploring Career Opportunities, Earning
Differentials, & Job Satisfaction – Samuel A. Laryea and John E. Hayfron 113
7 The Gender Dimensions of the Immigrant Experience:
The Case of African-Canadian Women in Edmonton – Adenike O. Yesufu 133
Section IV
Place, ‘In-Between’ Spaces, & the Negotiation of Identities
8 Border Crossings & Home-Diaspora Linkages among African-Canadians:
An Analysis of Translocational Positionality, Cultural Remittance, & Social
Capital – Wisdom J. Tettey and Korbla P. Puplampu 149
9 Between Home & Exile: The Dynamics of Negotiating Be-Longing among
Oromos Living in Toronto – Martha K. Kumsa 175
10 In Search of Identity: Intergenerational Experiences of African Youth in a
Canadian Context – Philomina Okeke-Ihejirika and Denise L. Spitzer 205
Index 225
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List of Tables
2.1 Location of Canadian Immigration Officers Worldwide – 1980.
6.1 Earnings of African Immigrants, Other Immigrants, and Canadian-
Born Workers, 1996.
6.2 Highest Level of Schooling for African Immigrants, Other Immigrants,
and All Canadians, 1996.
6.3 The Occupational Distribution of Men and Women, Aged 20–64.
6.4a Regression Results for Annual Earnings, Immigrants and Canadian
Born, Pooled 1991 and 1996 Data, Men.
6.4b Regression Results for Annual Earnings, Immigrants and Canadian
Born, Pooled 1991 and 1996 Data, Women.
6.5 The Odds Ratios of Being in Skill Level IV, Men and Women, Aged
20–64.
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Acknowledgments
The fundamental building blocks for this volume are the stories and experiences
of various African-Canadians who generously shared them with the authors. It is
our hope that their voices in these pages will not only help to elucidate the quo-
tidian realities that attend the lives of African-Canadians, but will also provide
the catalyst for the necessary social, political, and policy reforms that will enable
them to fully participate in the multiple spaces they occupy.
We wish to express our appreciation to the authors who responded admira-
bly to the call to fill the gap in the literature regarding the specific circumstances
of continental Africans in Canadian society. Their invaluable contributions
help bring a wealth of empirical insights to the issues they address. The theo-
retical perspectives and analytical tools they bring to bear on those discussions
have significance beyond the specificities of the African experience in Canada.
For their contribution of novel ideas to intellectual inquiry and to our under-
standing of diasporas, we are grateful.
Other people deserve recognition for contributing in diverse ways towards
making this project a reality. They include the Director of the University of
Calgary Press, Walter Hildebrandt, and his staff, whose invaluable support has
allowed readers to access the material contained herein. We are particularly
thankful to the following: Kellie Moynihan (Grants Writer), who worked as-
siduously on getting funding for the publication; and John King (Senior Editor,
Acquisitions) for his tireless work on the manuscript. Jo-Ann Cleaver also de-
serves our gratitude for her sharp editorial eyes and understanding during the
copy-editing stage of the process. To the anonymous reviewers whose critiques
and suggestions helped strengthen the quality of the work, we say “thank you.”
We are also grateful to Eunice Mahama who worked hard to ensure that the
manuscript followed the publisher’s guidelines.
This book has been published with the help of a grant from the Canadian
Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, through the Aid to Scholarly
Publications Programme, using funds provided by the Social Sciences and
Humanities Research Council of Canada. We are thankful for this support.
Our profound appreciation goes to our spouses, Natasha and Nuerki. Your
support and sacrifices throughout this project once again made the road easier
to navigate. For this, we owe you yet another huge debt of gratitude.
ix
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