Census: One in three Vancouverites speak languages other than English, French at home

[Rerun]

Very interesting.

One-third of Metro Vancouver residents speak a language other than English or French at home, with those from Asia topping the list, according to latest Census data released today.

Cantonese, Mandarin, Punjabi and the Philippine-based Tagalog, are the fastest-rising on non-official languages in Metro Vancouver, accounting for 64 per cent of the overall population that speaks an immigrant language most often at home.

The share of the Metro Vancouver population reporting that it spoke only English at home continued the decline that began in 2001. The share has fallen from 65.3 per cent in 2001 to 62 per cent with 2006 and 58 per cent in 2011, respectively. At the same time, the population who reported speaking a language other than English or French in combination with English at home increased from 17.8 per cent in 2001 to 19.7 per cent in 2006 and 24 per cent in 2011.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Cen...683/story.html

[AR_Six]

I always found it oddly hilarious how the asian parents would complain, loudly and in extremely broken English, to their kids' teacher about how said kid was getting a C-. How the hell do you expect your kid to be able to engage if you've essentially decided to transplant your society in West Richmond?

[puckluck2]

What's so "very interesting" about this?

[Daradon]

Yeah I would say this is right along what I would have predicted. Maybe even a bit low.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by Iginla

What's so "very interesting" about this?

Over the last 50 years Vancouver and its suburbs has become a very ethnically diverse city. Interesting to see the figures on how diverse.

[AR_Six]

It's not "diverse", it's practically segregated. There are little enclaves which are "where the Chinese people live" and others "where the East Indians live", and they associate with one another. It's not even required that you speak English to work retail in parts of Richmond. Like Yaohan Centre, wtf is that?

Diverse would suggest some level of integration among these cultures, and that integration is generally pretty minimal, at least when you're talking about the people covered in this survey.

[Canada 02]

Originally Posted by AR_Six

I always found it oddly hilarious how the asian parents would complain, loudly and in extremely broken English, to their kids' teacher about how said kid was getting a C-. How the hell do you expect your kid to be able to engage if you've essentially decided to transplant your society in West Richmond?

I don't believe your story. All those Asian kids are at the top of their class
>_<

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by AR_Six

It's not "diverse", it's practically segregated. There are little enclaves which are "where the Chinese people live" and others "where the East Indians live", and they associate with one another. It's not even required that you speak English to work retail in parts of Richmond. Like Yaohan Centre, wtf is that?

Diverse would suggest some level of integration among these cultures, and that integration is generally pretty minimal, at least when you're talking about the people covered in this survey.

So what you want isn't diversity, its assimilation then?

Funny because in your previous post you also complain that the "transplanted their society into (yours)" ...

[peter12]

My dad spoke Danish at home until... well, he never stopped. He owns two businesses, and is retiring back to Denmark next year. To succeed in this country, you still have to speak English. Xenophobes, there is no reason to panic.

[AR_Six]

I actually said into West Richmond, but thanks for misquoting me to make it sound like I think they're invading or something. Diversity is pointless if the immigrant population withdraws behind a wall of cultural isolation and actively avoids interacting with the society they've installed themselves in. This is particularly the case with the Asian people who immigrated to the lower mainland leading up to 1997. They don't really get the best the country has to offer - a huge proportion of that population can't even communicate outside of the most basic level, or any better than I could in China.

I went to high school in Richmond. Believe me when I say that while there is some integration (the kids whose parents taught them English at a young age who speak it basically fluently), among the Chinese immigrants there's a huge number that associate basically exclusively with other Chinese people, do not speak English ever unless directly pressed to do so by teachers, and express no interest in any culture besides the culture they brought with them and have cultivated locally.

[MelBridgeman]

it's true though even the kits caucasians wouldn't dare talk to a main street east ender caucasian.

[Rerun]

I always remember the story of when I asked my Dad, whose parents spoke German, why he didn't speak German.

His Dad came here from Russia (although he was of German ancestry) but when he came to Canada he made a point of learning English and making sure his children spoke English. I asked my Dad if they spoke German at home and he said no, except to his Grandmother who never learned English. I said why not? His Dad said because they were Canadian now and Canadians spoke English.

Kind of a shame. The same story holds true for my mother who's father spoke Swedish and Finnish fluently (he came from a town right on the border of the two countries).

In one generation, 3 languages were lost.

[GGG]

I would be more interested in seeing what the adult children of immigrants end up speaking in their homes. I think it would be rare to see the actual immigrant family give up their primary language but the 2nd should be fully fluent

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

it's true though even the kits caucasians wouldn't dare talk to a main street east ender caucasian.

I moved from kits to Main St earlier this year. But I'm East Indian, so no one talks to me in either community...

And, of course I actually live in Surrey and only interact with other East Indians as AR_Six has pointed out.

This place is messed up!

[jeffman]

People, in addition to English , can speak in other languages? Thats terrible

[Huntingwhale]

But do they all know kung fu?

[Puppet Guy]

Can we blame the Canucks for this?

[HELPNEEDED]

Who knew people would compain about fellow Canadians being more linguistically diverse? I find that statistic to be a big positive for Canada. Most, if not all, of the children in those holdholds will develop to be at a minimum fluent in two-languages. This is a huge plus for Canada. Yet, "morAns" find a reason to complain.

[HELPNEEDED]

Originally Posted by Rerun

Over the last 50 years Vancouver and its suburbs has become a very ethnically diverse city. Interesting to see the figures on how diverse.

Being a native English speaker, you sure know the difference between singular and plural subjects.

Albeit, I'm not one to give e-grammer advice, since I generally don't care.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by peter12

My dad spoke Danish at home until... well, he never stopped. He owns two businesses, and is retiring back to Denmark next year. To succeed in this country, you still have to speak English. Xenophobes, there is no reason to panic.

Even that is changing. Back when I was fresh out of university, I was job hunting in Vancouver and there was one company that was hiring that I thought was perfect, but when I enquired, they said that I would have to know Korean because that was the language spoken at the office (it was a small firm owned by a Korean family).