Table 8.

Thematic comparison across focus groups

City	Group	LOR	General Feelings of Belonging
Charlottetown	Chinese	Established	• Strong islander mentality hinders immigrant sense of belonging
			• Strong sense of belonging within the Chinese community
			• Employment contributes to sense of belonging; respondents feel that they belong among co-workers
		Recent	• Also mentioned the strong islander mentality; feelings that immigrants are not welcome
			• Identify with Chinese community
			• Some mention of PEI as “home”
	Iranian	Recent	• Immigrants feel like they belong in Canadian society
			• Belonging is attributed to feelings of security, peace, and the hospitable nature of residents
Hamilton	Chinese	Established	• Feelings of discrimination
			• Language acknowledged as a barrier to belonging
			• Length of residence contributes to belonging; increased attachment to Hamilton over time
		Recent	• Strong ethnic identity
			• Weak sense of belonging
			• Sense of belonging increasing over time; respondents are optimistic about their future in Hamilton
	Urdu (female)	Recent	• Feel excluded from community events; celebrate religious events within ethnic community
			• Strong sense of belonging within Hamilton due to large Pakistani population
	Urdu (male)	Recent	• Appreciative of religious freedom
			• Again, sense of belonging within Pakistani community
			• Increase in sense of belonging over time
Saskatoon	Chinese	Established	• Feeling that Saskatoon is “home”
		Recent	• House and family are important contributors to feelings of belonging
			• Sense of belonging seems to be forced
	Tamil	Recent	• Appreciative of smaller-sized city; familiarity contributes to belonging
			• Feelings of belonging to wider society, not just within ethnic community
			• Employment contributes to belonging
	Urdu	Recent	• Appreciative of religious freedom
			• General feeling that Canadian-born individuals are “nice”
			• Feelings of discrimination regarding recognition of credentials