Filipino Canadian - History

History

The first Filipinos migrated to Canada in 1930. In 1950, 10 Filipinos were recorded in Manitoba. These first generation Filipino-Canadians were mainly women who worked as nurses, teachers and in the health sector. These first Filipinos came from the United States to renew their visas after they had expired in hopes of returning to the United States. Most of these women returned to the United States but some decided to stay in Canada. From 1946 to 1964, the total of Filipinos in Canada was 770. During the 1960s, Canada recruited more professionals, mostly from the United States with some coming directly from the Philippines. Most of these nurses, technicians, office workers and doctors arrived in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In the late 1960s, more Filipinos came to Winnipeg to work in the garment industry. During the 1970s, most Filipinos came directly from the Philippines to Winnipeg to work in clerical, sales and manufacturing fields. In the late 1970s, more Filipinos came to join their relatives who worked in Canada under the family reunification program. More and more Filipinos decided to settle in Ontario, particularly in Toronto, where jobs were prospering. During the 1980s, Canada saw an influx of Filipino contract workers, many who found work as live-in caregivers. Many of these contact workers, later became landed immigrants under the Live-In Caregiver Program. During the 1990s, more Filipinos came as families and independents instead of being sponsored by family or being recruited as contract workers. From 1990 onwards, there has been a steady flow of Filipinos entering Canada, with about 10 to 20 thousand coming in every year. As of December 2008, the Philippines passed China as Canada's leading source of immigrants.