Barriers to Iranian-Canadian community engagement and capacity building

This thesis examines the barriers Iranians face, after immigrating to Canada, to integrate and engage in the Canadian society, focusing on the Iranian community in Vancouver. The roots of these barriers at times go back to the country’s history and culture, and the way they shaped the people’s identity and at times to the host country’s immigration policies and social, political and cultural environment. These barriers affect the diaspora on both individual and collective levels and prevent them from realizing their potential as a highly educated community that could contribute to the host country. Identifying, acknowledging and addressing these issues are the first step, toward building a more cohesive and functional Iranian community. This study tries to provide a building block for future projects.