The liberalization of Canadian immigration policy after 1967 allowed for a constant influx of new immigrants from Japan. Since World War II the population has increased by about 15,000 Japanese immigrants.
The immigrants of the 1980s are much different from the earliest immigrants because they are wealthier, more educated, more inclined to intermarry and adapt to Canadian society because they do not face the same kinds of racist prejudices as the previous generations did.
Marriage patterns of Japanese immigrants show that in the younger age group, the majority of male immigrants are married to female immigrants, but the majority of female immigrants marry Canadians of other ethnicity. Of the new immigrants who come to Canada each year, the largest group is the young, single women.
The new immigrants can play a vital role in the Japanese Canadian community. They are the link in helping to renew and strengthen the values of Japanese heritage and traditions, facilitate communications between the generations and provide leadership in maintaining a vibrant Japanese Canadian community in the future.
