Is Hamilton a city that welcomes its immigrants?

David can remember the "hassle" of having to go to Toronto to get decent Chinese food.

Unhappy with what Hamilton had to offer by way of dumplings, David would pile his family into the car, barrel down the QEW and an hour later pull up to his favourite restaurant in Toronto's Chinatown.

"Those days are long gone now, though. Now my wife and I can get Chinese, Thai, South American…things have really changed," said the retired steelworker.

A growing variety of dinner choices in Steeltown is just one way the major demographical shift that changed the city's ethnic and cultural landscape has become clear.

About one fifth of the residents living in Hamilton today were born in a different country, and close to a quarter of the city's population speaks a first language other than English or French.

And it seems the city is set to become even more diverse. Last week city council OK'd a plan designed to boost the immigrant population by luring high-skilled foreign workers to Hamilton, and enticing international students to stay.

James Hendrickson is from the Caribbean island of Nevis. (Matt Moir/CBC)

Figures in Hamilton closely mirror the situation Canada-wide.

Data from Statistic Canada's National Household Survey shows that nearly seven million people in Canada — or 21 per cent of the country's population — are foreign-born.

Eighty-two per cent of new immigrants to Canada feel that they are warmly welcomed, according to an HSBC-Angus Reid opinion poll from November of last year, and 84 per cent of those immigrants would recommend immigrating to Canada to family and friends.

'As welcoming an environment as you could find anywhere'

Those numbers paint a portrait of Canada as being a desirable destination for immigrants. But what about Hamilton?

Is this city a welcoming place for newcomers?

Mayor Bob Bratina says it is.

"As the mayor, I've attended functions throughout the city with Cambodians, Roma, Chinese, Japanese…you name it. There's no question in my mind that someone coming from another country to Hamilton — be it southeast Asia, be it Europe, be it South America — will find as welcoming an environment as you could find anywhere," Bratina told the CBC.

Newcomers can expect to find a fair shot at economic prosperity too, he said.

Door is open, mayor says

"The word that I, as the mayor of Hamilton, will always use for our city is opportunity. Toronto is a place you can exploit yourself, but Hamilton is a place where you can grow."

On a warm, late spring day in downtown's bustling Gore Park, the consensus among Hamiltonians is that the city is, indeed, a welcoming one.

Sebastion Chong, a 21-year-old English major at McMaster University, noted that one could see ethnic diversity almost everywhere in Hamilton.

"Most of the places you go, there are a fair bit of services that make you feel welcome. I would say it's pretty welcoming," said Chong.

James Hendrickson, a musician who was born on the Caribbean island of Nevis, said Hamilton seems to be "ahead of most communities" in Ontario in making immigrants feel welcome.

Places of worship

"There is a good resettlement program here. From what I've seen, there are multiculturally-based organizations here that are very much involved in helping settle immigrants," said Hendrickson.

Sisters Tien and Nhi Vo agreed.

"Hamilton is very welcoming of immigrants. There are so many festivals that celebrate difficult culture and different backgrounds," said Nhi Vo.

"And there are lots of different churches and religious services around. Immigrants are free to access the house of worship of their choice," added Tien Vo.

As welcoming as the city may be, though, there are still hurdles.

Educated newcomers

Ambika Badh grew up in India, just outside the capital of New Delhi. At age 17, she left her homeland for North Dakota, where she earned a degree in biotechnology and a master of business administration.

Sebastion Chong, with Tasha Chong, is an English major at McMaster University. (Matt Moir/CBC)

After working on a variety of United Nations and U.S. government projects in the sustainable growth sector, Badh decided to build a life in Canada. The 27-year-old applied for immigration status in 2011, and received her visa in 2012.

Today, Badh works at a big box retail store while searching for something more commensurate with her educational background.

She said that a primary hurdle to professional employment is that in south Asia, there exists a culture that emphasizes education over experience.

"Here, even in high school, kids start working and start getting experience, then they realize what they want to do, and they path their careers. For us it's so different," said Badh.

Finding a job

"When I was growing up, I always knew that I had to get my masters or PhD. It was ingrained in me. I never took breaks in my studies. I always kept studying, studying, studying. That's the culture. Then you have all these degrees on your CV and then you have no experience, and employers don't like that."

Jean Visca, a career development specialist who works with immigrants at the YWCA, says that each newcomer to Hamilton has different needs. Part of being a welcoming city means making sure those needs are met.

"I think that the services and community agencies that we have here in Hamilton for newcomers are exceptional and really well rounded. But I think that the challenge for many skilled newcomers and newcomers in general is getting connected with the right agencies to access the services and resources they really need," said Visca.

Ambika Badh feels that the work of organizations such as the YWCA is important in helping newcomers like her navigate life in Canada. Even though she is not working in a field related to her educational and professional background, Badh still believes that Hamilton is a welcoming place.

"I'm enjoying being in Hamilton, the people are so friendly. At Open Streets, at whichever booth I stopped, you're not looked at as if 'oh, you're from another place.' They just accept you, and that's beautiful."