Latinos, seniors and immigrants: rebuilding your life in Quebec when you are over 65

In Latin American culture, it is normal for elderly people to age with their children in the same household. When older people are more independent, it's common for them to live a few blocks away from their families, to make sure that no matter what happens, there's always someone there to help them.

This becomes an additional concern in the event of migration. Many parents therefore end up immigrating to Quebec once their children have found some stability in the province, especially if the conditions that motivated the migration persist in the country of origin.

This was the case with Latin American migrant groups in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, with large numbers of parents and grandparents from Chile, Argentina, Central America, Colombia and, more recently, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela.

Today, it is more and more common, during meetings, parties and picnics, that Latino families seek to reunite with other families who have their parents in Quebec, in order to socialize. For many, caring for parents requires a strategy and planning similar to those that are in place with the little ones.

Indeed, elderly immigrants of Latin American origin do not necessarily find it easy to integrate into Quebec society, despite the abundance of services for seniors in Quebec. A barrier generally prevents them from going out, socializing and maintaining some autonomy, even if they are resourceful: language.

There is no precise data on the number of elderly people of Latin American origin living in Quebec. According to A report presented last March at the annual meeting of the Group of Expertise for the Development of Intercultural Cities in Quebec, in 2016, approximately 44% of seniors living in Montreal were born elsewhere than in Canada.

According to federal government statistics, 96% of immigrants aged 65 and over arrived in Canada before 2006.

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Learning French is difficult for seniors

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Doris González de Bolívar is 82 years old. She moved to Montreal in 2021, 10 years after her first visit to the city.

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This grandmother with gray hair and a playful look worked for 40 years as a secretary in Venezuela and studied law when she was already old. The political, economic and social situation in this South American country and the constant demands of her daughter Laura encouraged her to settle permanently in Quebec.

Doris arrived on July 31, 2021 in Hochelaga at the home of Laura, her husband and her son. She came thanks to the Canadian government's sponsorship program for parents and grandparents. “I didn't want to come, but I started to think about what I was going to do alone in Venezuela,” she recalls. “If something happened to me, no one would find me for several days, no one would find me for several days, when I was already rotten,” adds this woman with a laugh, her soft and cheerful voice.

At the age of 80, she decided to take French lessons. She learned to travel back and forth by public transit—and did so for a few months—to attend these courses, but they were not adapted to her level.

His daughter Laura is his main support. She looked for other ways for her mother to continue learning French. She was suggested a French course for illiterates, but Laura felt that it would not be suitable for Doris's needs either.

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They ended up finding a part-time course that was a bit less demanding. Even though the family recently moved to Anjou, Doris continues to attend an educational institution near Hochelaga.

“Here, the only contact I have outside the home is with my classmates. The courses are very difficult for me and, in addition, my classmates are mostly young. I always ask the boy behind me to tell me what the teacher said,” she laughs.

Although Doris had a fall once and was injured during an ice storm, she is always ready to go out and live her life. “I have always been independent and use public transit. What stops me is that I don't speak French. If I go out, I can't chat with anyone, unless of course I meet someone who speaks Spanish,” she regrets. She also frequents the Notre-Dame-de-Guadalupe Church (Latin American Mission), located on Bordeaux Street in Montreal, but she is hesitant to participate in the activities that take place there every Sunday. So far, the family has not found suitable Spanish-speaking services near their home.

Although the presence of her mother in Quebec gives Laura some peace of mind, doubts creep into her mind from time to time. “There are times when I wonder if bringing her here was really the best decision. When you are older, you are not always ready to leave your country, to leave your business, your friends... I think that, maybe, it would be better for her to return to Venezuela, but then I tell myself that she would be alone, that anything could happen to her, and at that moment, the doubt disappears.”

For Laura, it is essential that there are meeting places for these seniors who do not speak French. “The ideal would be if there were more places where they could talk, play, knit, take guided walks — but in Spanish. As much as there is a need for them to integrate into Quebec, there is also a need for them to socialize in their language, because the pace of learning is not the same. We don't have to demand from the elderly what we demand of ourselves. They are at another stage in their lives,” she says.

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Lack of resources

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These meeting places are generally offered in community centers and immigrant-serving organizations. One of these centers, well known to the Latin American community in Montreal, is the Latin American Family Assistance Center (CAFLA). It offers community support services to immigrants, with particular attention to early childhood and youth. It also has a listening and psychological support service for the whole family in Spanish, including for the elderly.

Cecilia Escamilla, director of CAFLA, would like to set up a program exclusively for elderly people of Latin origin, but she knows that it would take more than willpower. The resources offered by Quebec for this type of program are not sufficient, she believes.

“Each year, the ministry responsible for seniors can allocate about $25,000 to a CAFLA project, but with that amount, you can't even pay a full-time human resources person. When there were tenders for projects, we participated in order to plan activities for Latino seniors, to give them information, to help them translate documents, but that is not possible with so few resources,” she laments.

The CAFLA, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year^E anniversary, has tried over the years to set up programs for the elderly, but currently only offers psychological support. “We have developed several projects for our seniors, but our office is currently on the first floor, and we cannot accommodate them for activities; that's why we are redirecting them to other organizations,” she says.

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Abandoned seniors

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For Cecilia, the need for services in Spanish grew with the aging of the first groups of immigrants. “Many elderly people arrived 15 or 20 years ago with their children to take care of their grandchildren. They were not fully integrated into life in Quebec. They did not do francization, did not socialize with people their age. Their grandchildren grew up and left home, but the grandparents stayed behind. Church on Sundays is almost the only way they go out,” she explains.

There have been cases of grandparents being abandoned, assaulted by their own children and even exploited financially, she recalls. The money they received as social assistance or pension was taken from them by their children. “We had elderly people crying in front of our offices because they did not know what to do. Some have been abandoned, because their children have remarried and moved to another province, or because the new spouse does not accept the grandparent at home,” she laments.

According to her, there must also be a paradigm shift within Latin American culture, to allow elderly people to remain independent as much as possible.

“We get our parents to go out to eat with us, to go to our parties, to take them to church — we treat them like children, we infantilize them, we minimize them instead of promoting their autonomy. And all because we think they are incapable, when in fact an elderly person has already come a long way and can do more than us,” she warns.

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Fears of depression

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Lourdes* often leads Pedro, her stepfather, to the activities she organizes with family and friends. He says he has been satisfied since he arrived in Montreal over a year ago, but Lourdes and his partner have the impression that he is not happy. “We think that he could even suffer from some kind of depression, because sometimes we find him in front of the television, but the television is off,” says Lourdes. She is looking for resources to help her father-in-law better integrate into Quebec society.

An organization offers elderly people activities in French near their residence. Pedro was offered to attend some of them so that he could socialize. He chose not to go.

“He makes a lot of effort to learn French, but he is afraid to speak. It has been very difficult for him and he is desperate, but he is still trying. It's a very difficult situation.”

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Active, independent and eager to socialize

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Jorge Huenufil is also a stepfather who recently arrived in Quebec. Of Chilean origin, he seems in great shape. He worked for over 45 years in one of the largest newspaper publishing houses in the country as director of operations. According to him, the last years leading up to his emigration affected his nervous system, with consequences for his physical health. Like Doris, he is currently taking French courses.

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Coming to Canada was Jorge's last choice: after the emigration of his five children and the death of his wife, the 76-year-old man thought it best to spend the following years with Claudio, one of his sons, and his wife Mervic, and his wife Mervic, who live in La Prairie.

Arriving in Quebec in June 2022, he filed an asylum application. He has not yet had a hearing but has a work permit.

For the moment, as working is not one of his plans, he is studying French full-time. He goes to the school, located in the city of Sainte-Catherine, and comes back by bus. He is also studying online to become trader.

Jorge is tall, slim and cheerful. He assures us that he is in a good mood and is grateful to live here, even if we feel that a certain modesty prevents him from revealing all the difficulties he has to deal with. “I like the way of life in Canada and the order. I have always been like that. Once I have decided on something, I do everything I can to make it a positive one. It's a state of mind,” he says firmly in his voice and on his face.

But as for Doris, learning French is difficult for him. “It's very heavy. I'm not 20, 30, or 40, so I often have to translate what I want to say. The best thing is to be able to think immediately in the language, but it's very difficult for me.”

He says he is grateful for the way the country treats immigrants. “I know that the goal is for everyone to be productive, and that's why I think I'll continue to study. What I want is to get the most out of it.”

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The Way of the Past (El Camino de Antaño): a model to be reproduced

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Doris and Jorge don't have space to socialize close to home, but in the heart of Rosemont, Latino seniors have a place where they can socialize in Spanish, connect with seniors from other cultures, and even move their bodies.

The Paralegal and Social Orientation Center for Immigrants (COPSI) has existed for 41 years and was created by Chilean immigrants in the 1980s. Their aim? Offer services in Spanish to their community and to other Latin American groups.

This organization has also become a must in Montreal. “People from all over are calling us to get information in Spanish and, as we are a reference, other entities are asking us for help,” says Jessica Fierro, from COPSI. “Even the police asked us to help elderly people who only spoke Spanish,” she adds.

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Since 1995, COPSI has offered — intermittently — services in Spanish for elderly people. “We have always had in mind the need to break isolation and prevent elder abuse,” explains Carmen González, the director of the organization.

COPSI has set up a program called Le Chemin du Passé, which offers activities only to elderly people. This program, whose name in Spanish is” El Camino de Antaño “represents the journey of our seniors, their life experiences and how to use this experience to move forward,” summarizes Mr.^Me Fierro, the program coordinator.

Activities take place in the basement of Saint-Édouard Church and include some kind of chair yoga, Zumba, crafts, and even lectures. The Chemin du Passé also offers outings, walks and hikes, organized thanks to a grant from the Quebec Ministry of Health.

At COPSI, elderly people also have access to food baskets, with menus adapted to their needs, including lots of vegetables. The food bank requires an annual fee of $10.

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Currently, 200 people are registered for the Way of the Past. Activities are mostly conducted in Spanish, but the space has become a cultural exchange point for seniors from all backgrounds. This allows them to reinforce their skills in French and Spanish courses, which the organization also provides.

“A lot of them wear special clothes to come to the activities. They appreciate the fact that we give them life, joy. Once, we organized an activity in a park for the whole family, and it was the grandmothers who ended up knocking Piñata. They thanked us for it,” says M.^Me Fierro.

At the moment, the organization is waiting for the services of a Spanish-speaking priest in order to be able to offer mass in Spanish, knowing that the church and its activities are one of the few things that older Latinos attend on a regular basis.

Another important aspect of COPSI is that it takes advantage of the help of the elderly themselves, who collaborate as volunteers in activities, which not only keeps them busy and dynamic, but also makes them feel very useful.

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Given the high number of people participating in the activities, there is a need to expand the space where these volunteers currently work, because the people who come to COPSI are not only residents of Rosemont and its surroundings. “They also come from Laval and the South Shore, because we know that there are not many services of this kind in Montreal and its suburbs,” adds Mr.^Me González.

For this reason, she and all the stakeholders interviewed for the writing of this article emphasize the fact that services for Spanish-speaking seniors must be offered not only in the heart of Montreal, but also in strategic locations where the Latin American population is significant, such as in Laval and on the South Shore.

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La Converse contacted the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francization et de l'Intégration to ask questions about the resources allocated to organizations that offer services to Latin American seniors and about the special francization programs intended for them. We have not yet received a response.

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Statistics Canada data

• Approximately 63% of senior immigrants (aged 65 and over) who arrived in Canada between 2012 and 2016 reported that they did not speak any of Canada's official languages.
• Immigrant and refugee seniors are more likely to live in poverty, have poorer health (perceived health status and chronic illnesses), and have difficulty accessing services.
• The risk of loneliness is higher among people who have multimorbidity or who report experiencing barriers to social participation than among those who are not in this situation.
• Although, from one immigrant to another, the path is different and there is a great diversity of paths, there are many risk factors that contribute to the social isolation of new immigrants and refugee seniors.

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Resources

If you are an elderly person or if you care for an elderly person, some organizations can help you by offering various services in Spanish. Here are their contact details:

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• COPSI - Program The Way of the Past
• CAFLA : psychosocial support available for the elderly
• Casa Cafi
• AIEM: Amperage — Multilingual support for the elderly
• MIRS: Seniors' Café
• MANA

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* Names changed at the request of interviewees.

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