Examining the Immigration and Educational Experiences of Young Iranian Women

While multiculturalism remains Canada’s official federal policy towards immigration and education, critical scholarship on the experiences of new immigrants in the Canadian education system is scarce. Given the vast number of ethnic minorities who immigrate to Canada every year and the significant educational, cultural, economic and political differences between the countries of origin and Canada, this is an area that demands scholarly attention. To date, no studies have examined the educational experiences of adolescents who immigrate from Muslim countries with a sex-segregated school policy. Iran is poignant example of such a country. In Iran, girls and boys are required to attend separate schools until post-secondary education. Transitioning from a sex-segregated to a mixed school setting can be expected to have an important impact on the educational experiences of these students. Canada receives a significant number of female immigrants annually from Iran (approximately 60,000; National Household Survey, 2011). This presentation is based on my doctoral research study which examined the immigration and educational experiences of 10 young Iranian women. Using a postcolonial feminist approach, I examine the economic, cultural, social barriers and opportunities facing these young women before and after their transition into the new (educational) system. Particular attention was paid to the intersections of gender, ethnic, and religious identities.