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Central/South America

Respondents from Central/South American countries tend to have been in Canada longer than other groups; 82% arrived in 1992/93. As a result, these refugees have some of the highest rates of English-language knowledge, with only 5% indicating that they cannot speak English. Along with East Asians, respondents from Central/South America are the oldest, with an average age of 43.3 years for adults and 18.5 years for youth (15-21 years of age). They are more likely than other respondents to be living in smaller centres in Alberta (90%). None of these respondents have spent time in a refugee camp.

Adult refugees from this region report average levels of education upon arrival slightly lower than the total sample. About 29% report they did not have a high school diploma, while 27% completed their post-secondary education before they came to Canada. A large majority, (86%) indicate they held paying jobs in their home country and very few had no occupation prior to their arrival (14%). The majority of respondents from Central/South America worked as managers or professionals in their home country, while 20% were blue-collar labourers.

Table 3-2
Central/South America
(Sample Size: 49 Adults and 15 Youth)

  1. Language and Ethnicity
    • All respondents report their mother tongue as Spanish.
    • 5% of Central/South American respondents cannot speak any English.
    • Spanish is the language spoken at home by 94% of all respondents. Others use English.
    • 54% indicate their ethnicity as Salvadoran. 29% of respondents state Spanish as their ethnicity. Other ethnic backgrounds are Guatemalan (14%), and other Central/South American.
    • Countries of origin are: El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico and Nicaragua.
  2. Time of Arrival
    • 82% of the sample arrived in Canada in 1992/93. Most of the remainder arrived in 1994/95.
  3. Demographic Characteristics and Family Status
    • 59% of respondents are female, 41% are male.
    • The mean age of adults from Central/South America is 43.3 years and for youth 18.5 years.
    • Youth aged 15-21 make up 23% of the sample; 23% are aged 22-30; 33% are aged 31-40; and 21% are aged 41 or older.
    • 63% of adult respondents are married or living in a common-law relationship; 2% are married with a spouse living elsewhere; 10% are widowed or divorced and 25% are single.
    • Average household size is 4.1 people.
    • Currently, 10% live in Edmonton, 27% live in Red Deer, 33% live in Lethbridge, 16% are in Medicine Hat, 8% live in Grande Prairie or Fort McMurray, and 6% live elsewhere in Canada.
    • 90% have left family members behind in their country of origin.
    • 20% indicate they had family members living here before they arrived.
  4. Education and Occupation Prior to Arrival (Adult Refugees only)
    • 29% of respondents did not complete high school prior to their arrival; 16% had completed high school, 27% had some post-secondary education and 27% had completed post-secondary education.
    • The mean number of years of formal schooling prior to arrival in Canada is 12.9.
    • 55% indicate they had received formal job training before they came to Canada.
    • 86% had paying jobs in their home country.
    • 14% indicate they had no occupation before they arrived; 53% were managers or other professionals; 12% worked in clerical/service jobs and 20% were blue-collar workers.
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