Acquisition of Cross-Ethnic Friends by Recent Immigrants in Canada: A Longitudinal Approach

Abstract

This paper examines the development of inter-ethnic friendships between immigrants and Canadians. It uses longitudinal data from three waves of the Canadian LSIC survey, in which newly arrived immigrants were followed during the first 4 years of settlement. It is found that pre-migration characteristics play an important role in the development of inter-ethnic friendships: immigrants who arrive at a younger age and for economic reasons, as well as those who are highly educated and have a cross-ethnic partner at the moment of arrival, establish more inter-ethnic friendships over time. In addition, post-migration characteristics affect the formation of inter-ethnic friendships. Such friendships are more common among immigrants who embrace Canadian traditions and acquire the host-country language, as well as among those who work in international settings and inhabit ethnically mixed neighborhoods. The effects of pre-migration characteristics are partially mediated by post-migration characteristics. Our findings point out that economic, cultural, and spatial integration are all conducive to inter-ethnic friendships.

Ethnic segregation of friendship networks in school: Testing a rational-choice argument of differences in ethnic homophily between classroom- and grade-level networks

“…Since adolescents often meet new people through their friends (Grossetti, 2005), if they have friends from different ethnic backgrounds they are more likely to form additional interethnic friendships (Ellison and Powers, 1994;Martinovic et al, 2011). Thus, ethnic friendship segregation may reinforce itself over time.…”

Heritage Acculturation Is Associated With Contextual Factors at Four Different Levels of Proximity

“…Longitudinally, Stoessel, Titzmann, and Silbereisen (2012) found that stronger identification with the mainstream cultural group predicted greater social participation over time in that group, among adolescent diaspora immigrants to Germany and Israel. Finally, even outside of psychology, longitudinal research in demography using a large scale national survey showed that immigrants to Canada who rated the importance of Canadian traditions higher in the first year post-migration reported more numerous inter-ethnic friendships during the following three years (Martinovic, van Tubergen, & Maas, 2011).…”

Antecedents of intra/intergroup friendships and stress levels among ethnic and religious minority members

“…Following this notion, it was hypothesised that a preference for culture maintenance would increase intragroup friendships, that is, would make it more likely that friendships with other minority group members would be sought. A preference for culture adoption, in contrast, would lead to increased intergroup friendships with majority members (Martinovic et al, ). After all, strong intragroup ties might be one means through which culture maintenance can be achieved, which implies that a positive effect of culture maintenance desire on intragroup friendships should be expected.…”

“…Although some antecedents are known (e.g. Binder et al, ; Martinovic, van Tubergen, & Maas, ; West, Pearson, Dovidio, Shelton, & Trail, ), overall the antecedents of intergroup friendships are much less well understood than its consequences. The present research addresses this question.…”