Racialized Population in Hamilton 2021

This bulletin summarizes some key trends regarding persons who identify with racialized groups in Hamilton based on data from the 2021 Census.

The term ‘racialized,’ which includes both visible minorities and Indigenous peoples, is becoming more common. The Ontario Human Rights Commission, in their factsheet on racial discrimination, explains that because ‘race’ has its roots in social, not biological characteristics and includes much more than skin colour, their preferred term is “racialized group or person.”

“The Commission has explained ‘race’ as socially constructed differences among people based on characteristics such as accent or manner of speech, name, clothing, diet, beliefs and practices, leisure preferences, places of origin and so forth. The process of social construction of race is called racialization: the process by which societies construct races as real, different and unequal in ways that matter to economic, political and social life. Recognizing that race is a social construct, the Commission describes people as ‘racialized person’ or ‘racialized group’ instead of the more outdated and inaccurate terms ‘racial minority.’ ‘visible minority’, ‘person of colour’ or ‘non-White’.”  ^[1]   

While this bulletin uses the term racialized population or persons, the charts and maps are based on Census data collected using the visible minority term and are still measured using the detailed “visible minority” variable. However, it is still measured using the detailed "visible minority" variable. Visible minorities include people, who are non‑Caucasian in race or non‑white in colour. The visible minority population consists of the following groups: South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Arab, Latin American, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean, and Japanese, as outlined in the Employment Equity Act. These data, however, do not include Indigenous residents. Visible minority is becoming an outdated term as many communities and cities in Canada, such as Toronto and Vancouver, have more than half of residents identifying with a visible minority group. Statistics Canada recently carried out a consultation on the visible minority concept and is further testing options as a lead-up to the 2026 Census. ^[2] 

Canada has a long history of immigration. The proportion of immigrants has been rising and reached 23% in 2021. Nearly one in four Canadians is an immigrant. Statistics Canada projected that immigrants would represent between 29.1% to 34.0% of Canada’s population in 2041.  ^[3]   At the same time, the visible minority  ^[4]   population, which includes both immigrants and non-immigrants, is projected to reach between 16.4 million and 22.3 million people by 2041. The proportion of the population that is part of a visible minority will be 38.2 to 43.0%, meaning about two in five Canadians will belong to this population group.

Hamilton’s racialized population has nearly tripled in the last 20 years to just over 140,000 persons in 2021. The proportion of Hamilton’s racialized residents is now 25%. Between 2016 and 2021, the racialized population grew by over 40,000 persons, a 41% increase in five years.

As the following map indicates, the population of racialized residents is spread across Hamilton, with the highest concentrations (50% and over) in the following areas of the city:

• Downtown Hamilton and surrounding neighbourhoods, including Central and Beasley neighbourhoods and the part of the Strathcona neighbourhood north of York Boulevard.
• Riverdale West (near Centennial Parkway and Queenston Road) is one of Hamilton’s largest arrival areas for immigrants, where about half of the residents were born outside Canada.
• The Meadowlands neighbourhood in Ancaster and nearby neighbourhoods on the south Mountain (south of the Lincoln Alexander Parkway and on either side of Upper James).
• The Elfrida area bounded by Trinty Church Road, Golf Club Road, Rymal Road East, and Hendershot Road

Click on a census tract on the map below to pop up data for the selected geography.

Over one-third (34%) of racialized people in Hamilton were born in Canada. The ratio is also higher than the national average of 32%. The proportion of Canadian-born racialized people varied widely from group to group, which largely reflects historical immigration patterns. In Hamilton, about 80% of individuals who identify as part of the Japanese racialized group were born in Canada, the highest proportion of all racialized groups. This is followed by 45% of individuals who identify as Black, 37% who identify as Southeast Asian, and 31% of Chinese, Korean, and Filipino. Less than 25% of Latin Americans living in Hamilton were born in Canada.

When looking at age breakdowns across Hamilton, there are differences between the various racialized groups. There is a higher percentage of children and youth (0-24) among the Black (45%) and Arab (47%) populations compared to the overall visible minority population. Among older people (65+), there are higher rates for the Japanese (25%) and Chinese (12%) populations.

• As Hamilton’s racialized population grows, cultural understanding, support, and outreach must increase to promote social cohesion and inclusion.
• There will be an increased need for culturally and linguistically sensitive services for a diverse population, particularly in areas of the city where there is a higher concentration of racialized populations.
• Nonprofits may see a rise in demand for services tailored to diverse communities, such as language support, cultural integration programs, and mental health services.
• In workplaces, staff training and resources should be provided to learn about diversity and recognize unconscious biases and stereotypes to help foster an inclusive working environment.
• There is a need to ensure diverse representation in leadership roles within local institutions and organizations to better reflect the community they serve.
• Services need to be accessible for the persons and communities they serve. In particular, ensuring services are available in Hamilton's more rural and newly developed areas.
• Human and community services should consider t how they are meeting the needs of racialized community members with a focus on growth groups: South Asian, Black, and Arab community members.
• Building partnerships with community racialized groups and other organizations can enhance service delivery and community engagement.

Footnotes

 [1]  Ontario Human Rights Commission,  Racial discrimination, race and racism (fact sheet) 

[2] Statistics Canada.  Report and Draft Recommendations - Results of the Consultative Engagement on the Visible Minority Concept , June 14, 2024.

[3] Statistics Canada,  Population projections on immigration and diversity for Canada and its regions, 2016 to 2041: Overview of projection assumptions and scenarios , September 8, 2022    

[4] ‘Visible minority’ refers to whether a person belongs to a visible minority group as defined by the Employment Equity Act and, if so, the visible minority group to which the person belongs. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as “persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.” The visible minority population consists mainly of the following groups: South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Latin American, Arab, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean, and Japanese.

This series of bulletins focuses on issues highlighted in Hamilton's Social Landscape report and brings attention to more recent trends. These bulletins are published by the  Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton  and funded in part by the  United Way Halton Hamilton  and the  City of Hamilton Enrichment Fund .

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