Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
up mothering as a career. For many families exploration of spirituality
becomes part of this more expansive lifeworld. The case was well put to me
by Mrs. Yip (whom we met in Chapter 3), whose family settled as business
immigrants, yet deliberately planned to break loose from their former way of
life in Hong Kong where both parents had demanding careers:
And when we were leaving Hong Kong we were in the peak of our profession
or business at that time. That's why we were too busy and we find too little
time giving to the family and the kids at that time. So when we came over to
Canada, and we first get away from that fast living we maintain the family life.
This is the first priority we need to have, otherwise it ruins the meaning of
coming to Canada if we put all the time into working and still neglecting our
kids. We find we can adjust so well here. This is what I think because God
changed my point of value…
Like when we were in Hong Kong, you know, everything, is, was, so pin-
pointed on money. Once you get the money you get everything in the world.
But life is not like that as we now know. But it takes time for people to change
their mind. Like they have to… to adjust themselves. I find it may be difficult
if people, like, still are the same, not like us who have the religion and have a
change in mind what is the priority in life. If they once know this, then they
can adjust much better. Otherwise, they still keeping the mind like they do in
Hong Kong, like making money easier and so on. Then they will find it very
difficult here and they just can't enjoy the good things here like the good envi-
ronment, the nice people here and so many different places, like you can go
golfing, paying just a few dollars here.
The Yip family discovered religious faith in Canada from a position of
strength, and it has supported a significant shift in life priorities. Others,
however, have come to the immigrant church in their weakness, in need of
social support and spiritual succour, as 'immigration for most people
approximates a real life crisis' (Lee 1994). Interviews with 70 pastors and
elders at Chinese and especially Korean churches - where most members
were immigrants - revealed the heightened isolation and anxieties of the
newly arrived (Ley 2008):
When they first arrive in Canada, they feel very much alone and scared. The
church offers a community that will embrace them where they are at, Christian
or non-Christian. The church offers cooked meals, places to stay when look-
ing for a new place to rent or buy a home, advice on the educational system…
The church becomes their home.
Repeatedly in interviews, a phenomenological contrast was drawn between
church and society. The church was 'a home', 'a refuge', 'a safe place', while
society was a place of struggle, 'where many are lonely and stressed'. The
