The Canadian immigration experiences of Pakistani women: Dreams confront reality

This paper presents an account of the experience of South Asian women of Pakistani descent who have immigrated to Canada within the last year. The purpose of the study was to explore the quality of life and personal stresses and strains that follow immigration to a different culture. Seven immigrant women from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) were interviewed about their experiences of immigrating with their families to Toronto. The interviews were then subjected to a qualitative analysis based on the principles of grounded theory. The findings outline the goals and expectations these immigrants hoped to achieve and highlight the losses, pains and hardships they went through in the pursuit of these goals. A four-stage model of the women's experience of immigration to Canada is presented.