Immigrants 'Marooned' In Suburban Ocean

Without access to the kind of community support they once knew in their homelands, otherwise successful recent immigrant women to Canada are finding themselves socially isolated and depressed in suburbia.

1 minute read

March 13, 2006, 11:00 AM PST

By Michael Dudley


"[The transition to suburban life for many immigrant women] can be a recipe for depression and resentment, which often can't be expressed, since the village atmosphere of home is replaced by compartmentalized, isolated suburban living...'Back home, you have your uncles and your cousins,' says Dhaya Lingam, a Tamil woman in her 50s who lives across from the Elango home. 'Here, it's strangers.'

Ms. Taylor Simpson was struck by similar statements during two years of consultations with community groups in her former role at York Region. 'It was life altering for me to really hear, particularly in these rapidly growing suburban communities, how much this loss of a sense of community really, really impacted people in a deep and spiritual and quality-of-life kind of way,' she says."

"Over time, the transition eases, especially as children mature and provide a bridge between their parents and the mainstream community. It's during the intervening years that the stress can become just too much."

"'I think people are marooned out in the ocean, they're on an island," Mr. Cousens says. 'They are Robinson Crusoes. They are building their own little new home and they are struggling and it is not easy.'"

Saturday, March 11, 2006 in The Globe & Mail

courses user

As someone new to the planning field, Planetizen has been the perfect host guiding me into planning and our complex modern challenges. Corey D, Transportation Planner

As someone new to the planning field, Planetizen has been the perfect host guiding me into planning and our complex modern challenges.

Corey D, Transportation Planner

Ready to give your planning career a boost?

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

Seattle Legalizes Co-Living

A new state law requires all Washington cities to allow co-living facilities in areas zoned for multifamily housing.

December 1, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

Times Square in New York City empty during the Covid-19 pandemic.

NYC Officials Announce Broadway Pedestrianization Project

Two blocks of the marquee street will become mostly car-free public spaces.

December 1, 2024 - StreetsBlog NYC

Broken, uneven sidewalk being damaged by large tree roots in Los Angeles, California.

The City of Broken Sidewalks

Can Los Angeles fix 4,000 miles of broken sidewalks before the city hosts the 2028 Olympic Games?

December 5, 2024 - Donald Shoup

Dense informal settlement on steep hillside in Brazil.

Housing as a Climate Resilience Strategy

Ensuring that housing, including in informal settlements, is safe and healthy for its residents is a key tool in the fight to build more sustainable and equitable communities in the face of climate migration.

December 11 - Time Magazine

Close-up of person on road bike riding on protected bike lane separated by concrete curb from street.

Southeast LA Road Safety Advocates Call for Improved Infrastructure

Streets in southeastern Los Angeles County have a severe lack of protected bike lanes and traffic safety measures, leading to high numbers of fatalities in a community where many residents depend on walking and biking for daily needs.

December 11 - LA Public Press

Close-up of Chevron gas station sign with logo and prices starting at $7.25.

USDOT: Low-Income Households Bear Highest Transportation Cost Burden

Transportation costs are the second-highest household expenditure behind housing for all income levels.

December 11 - Smart Cities Dive

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.