Punjabi Canadians

Punjabi Canadian
Total population
545,730 (2011)[1][lower-alpha 1]
Regions with significant populations
British Columbia • Ontario • Alberta
Languages
English • French • Punjabi • Urdu • Hindi
Religion
Sikhism • Hinduism • Christianity • Islam • Non-religious
Related ethnic groups
Indian Canadians • Pakistani Canadians • Punjabi Americans

Punjabi Canadians are Canadian citizens whose heritage originates wholly or partly in the Punjab, a region in northern South Asia, which encompasses India and Pakistan. There are large Punjabi communities in British Columbia, concentrated in Surrey, and in Brampton, a city in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario.

History

By 1906, there were 1,500 Sikh workers living in Canada, almost entirely from the Punjab. Punjabis avoided the Anti-Oriental Riots of 1907 by staying indoors.[2]

Punjabi Canadians began occupying all areas of Vancouver in the 1960s. In the 1970s Punjabi populations began appearing in Delta, Richmond, and Surrey. Vandalism against houses owned by Indo-Canadians and a Sikh gurdwara occurred in the 1970s, especially in 1974-1975 in Surrey.[3]

Distribution

In Metro Vancouver, 5.5% of residents reported speaking Punjabi at home, as of 2011. 21.3% of Surrey residents speak it as their primary language at home. In Ontario, Punjabi Canadians are prevalent in the Greater Toronto Area, especially in Scarborough, Markham, Mississauga, Brampton, and Ajax.[4]

Punjabi is the third most spoken language of the Parliament of Canada.[5]

Religion

During the early stages of Punjabi immigration to Canada, most pioneers were of the Sikh faith.[6] Today, Punjabi Canadians remain mostly Sikh, however also include large numbers of Muslims and smaller numbers of Hindus and Christians.

Notable People

See also

References

  1. ↑ "NHS Profile, Canada, 2011, Census Data". Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  2. ↑ Century of Struggle and Success The Sikh Canadian Experience 13 November 2006
  3. ↑ Johnston, Hugh, p. 7.
  4. ↑ "Census: Punjabi-speaking population growing in Metro Vancouver". Vancouver Sun. October 24, 2012.
  5. ↑ Firstpost (3 November 2015). "Oye hoye! Punjabi is now the third language in Parliament of Canada". Firstpost.
  6. ↑ Nayar, The Punjabis in British Columbia, p. 9. "It is interesting to note that, in the BC Lower Mainland (Vancouver and surrounding municipalities, including Burnaby, New Westminster, Richmond, and Surrey), Sikhs raised outside the Punjab refer to themselves as Punjabi and use the term interchangeably with "Sikh," understanding the two as synonymous."
  1. ↑ (Only includes the number of native Punjabi language speakers and doesn't include native English, Hindi and Urdu language speakers.)
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