Canadian Race Relations Foundation

This document provides a review of English and French immigration-related literature (since 1985) from a strict economic perspective and only as it pertains to Canada. The review itself is divided into six key themes including : general economic issues (such as competitiveness, investment, entrepreneurship and technology, performance, effects on the tourism industry, etc.), social issues (such as networking), cultural and citizenship issues (including imports/exports and cultural consumption), political and public service issues (including taxes, demands for and impacts on public services), and infrastructural issues (such housing, public space, etc.). Based on this review, recommendations regarding further areas of research are also elaborated and equally listed by theme.

«We argue below that the most important question regarding immigrant economic performance has rarely been posed by the literature, and certainly not answered definitively, namely : how does the economic performance of immigrants affect the economic performance of all current residents, among whom immigrants are only a minority? This is what matters for national economic welfare, and there is no necessary logical connection between economic performance of immigrants and economic performance of the rest of the population.» (N. Swan, p.3)