Immigration has defined Canada throughout history, and the changes in immigration patterns over the last few decades have radically altered the nature of Canadian society. With an increasingly large percentage of the foreign-born population coming from the Third World, multiculturalism in Canada has taken on a new dimension, and this trend is likely to continue in view of the economic and social benefits it brings to our society. Institutions at all levels need to become aware of the changes that are occurring and to take appropriate steps to ensure that the integration of new immigrant groups continues to take place. This process requires demographic analysis and a review of public policies.

The essays in this book originated as papers given at the 1996 National Symposium on Immigration and the list of contributors constitutes a virtual who's who of Canadian immigration researchers. The authors explore a variety of topics related to immigration, including public policy, economics, and socio-demographic and labour issues. A follow-up to the editors' 1990 book Ethnic Demography, this is the first major work in the field to draw on 1990s data.

Leo Driedger is a professor of Sociology at the University of Manitoba.

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Shiva S. Halli is a professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Manitoba.

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