Tamil Canadian

Infobox Ethnic group
group =Tamil Canadian


image_caption= Tamil Canadian children in traditional garments in Toronto.
poptime = 200,000 [ [http://www.diversitywatch.ryerson.ca/backgrounds/tamils.htm DIVERSITY WATCH - Ryerson University School of Journalism ] ]
popplace = British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Québec
langs = Canadian English, Canadian French, Tamil
rels = Hinduism, Christianity, Islam
related = Asian Indians, Indo-Canadians

Tamil Canadian or Canadian Tamils are Canadians of Tamil ethnic origins mostly from Sri Lanka and other countries such as India, Malaysia, South Africa, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Fiji. It is estimated that the Tamil Diaspora in Canada ranges from between 110,000 to 400,000. From a population of fewer than 2,000 Tamils in 1983, it has become one of the largest visible minority population groups within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). More than 25,000 were added between 1984 and 1992; in the 1991 census, Tamils were the fastest-growing ethnic group in Metropolitan Toronto. Further Canada's Tamil population is thought to constitute the largest Sri Lankan diaspora in the world and Toronto is "the city with the largest number of Sri Lankan Tamils in the world".cite paper
author = Cheran, R
title = Changing Formations: Tamil Nationalism and National Liberationin Sri Lanka and the Diaspora
version = Ph.D. dissertation
publisher = Department of Sociology, York University
date = 2000
url =
format =
accessdate = 2007-08-31] cite paper
author = Jennifer Hyndman
title = Aid, conflict and migration: the Canada Sri Lanka connection
version =
publisher = Department of Geography, Simon Fraser University
date = 2000
url =http://web.mit.edu/cis/www/migration/seminars/Discussion_Hyndman.pdf#search='Sri%20Lanka%20Tamil%20migration'
format =
accessdate = 2007-08-31] cite web
last = Sriskandarajah
first = Dhananjayan
authorlink =
title = Diaspora politics
work =
publisher = Springer US
date = 2005
url = http://www.springerlink.com/content/x2543gl118672348/ | format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-08-31 ]

Background information

The main impetus for Tamil migration to Canada was the liberal immigration policies adopted by Canada since early beginnings of the Sri Lankan civil war. Although there has been a minor trickling of people from Sri Lanka to Canada prior to the civil war, it became a torrent after the start of the civil war after the 1983 riots against Tamil civilians that killed over 1,000 in Sri Lanka. (see also Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora)

In 2000, Sri Lanka was the sixth largest source country of immigrants to Canada, sending 5,841 people or 2.57% of Canada's immigrant total. It is also the second largest source of refugees. Between 1991-2001, Sri Lanka was the fifth largest source country of immigrants to Canada, after China, India, the Philippines, and Hong Kong.

Education

In 2001 the Canadian Tamil community had over 4,500 software engineers and 40 practicing medical doctors in the GTA area alone. The local university Tamil student population in the country numbers over 5,500, of whom more than 200 are post-graduates.cite news
last =
first =
coauthors =
title = Canada’s Tamils celebrate their successes
work =
pages =
language = English
publisher = Tamil Guardian
date = 2001-06-03
url = http://www.tamilguardian.com/tg112/community.htm
accessdate = 2007-08-31 ]

Media

A bilingual Tamil community directory of businesses and services for this community, "Thamilar Mathiyil" (Amidst Tamils), has been published since 1990 and has grown to several hundred pages in length. There are ten weekly Tamil language newspapers, four Tamil language radio stations, and three cinemas that show Tamil language films that are produced in Tamil Nadu and in Canada. Toronto is also home to the largest Tamil video and music stores in the world. There are also two television stations in Tamil serving the community.

ocial and political activity

is the first Tamil Canadian candidate to win a significant political position. [cite news
last = Lak
first = Daniel
coauthors =
title = Canada's Tamils dream of peace
work =
pages =
language = English
publisher = BBC
date = 2003-05-03
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3020907.stm
accessdate = 2007-08-31 ] [cite news
title = Tamil rebels 'coercing diaspora'
work =
pages =
language = English
publisher = BBC
date = 2006-03-15
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4807846.stm
accessdate = 2007-08-31 ] . He currently serves as Ward 7 councilor in the town of Markham. Many Hindu Temples have been built by the community to cater to its religious needs. There are also Christian churches that cater particularly to the Tamil community in Canada. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
title = List of Hindu temples in Canada
work =
publisher = Tamil library
date = 2002-05-14
url = http://tamilelibrary.org/teli/temple1.html
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-08-31 ]

ports and literature

Canada has attracted a number of internationally renowned writers from Sri Lanka, including Shyam Selvadurai. Despite his family's relative privilege and urban base, his family left Sri Lanka because of the 1983 riots.

Canadian Tamils have also contributed to the sports fields such as the former ranked Canadian tennis player Sonya Jayaseelan and cricketer Sanjayan Thuraisingam

ee also

*Tamil Sri Lankans
*Tamil Malaysians
*Canadians of Sri Lankan origin
*Tamil diaspora
*Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora
*List of Canadian Tamils

References

commonscat

External links

* [http://saarega.com/radio/tamil/canadian-multicultural-radio.html Canadian Multicultural Radio-Online]
* [http://saarega.com/radio/tamil/canadian-tamil-radio.html Canadian Tamil Radio]
* [http://www.torontotamil.com/news/publish/printer_1447.shtml Young Tamils searching for roots, peace]
* [http://www.canadiantamilcongress.ca/ Canadian Tamil Congress]