Exercise Groups: Immigrants and Face Isolation

exercise groups: It's not only academic; we want change to develop programs, services and social policy to make it easier for aging immigrants to participate in civic activities, Tong said, mentioning voting, volunteering and public exercise groups as activities Asian immigrants may be discouraged from participating in, according to Metro News. Tong is focused on immigrants from China, India and the Philippines, the three countries that have sent the most newcomers to Canada over the last five years. Hongmei Tong, an assistant professor at Mac Ewan's school of social work, is conducting focus groups with elderly immigrants from Asia who face isolation and social exclusion due to their age and inability to speak fluent English. She wants to determine how aging Asian immigrants view civic participation and what kinds of barriers they face in integrating into Canadian society. Betty Wills, CEO of the Edmonton Chinatown Care Centre, said language barriers mean challenges in accessing healthcare, social services, public transportation and city services such as the library. We also want to know whether other factors such as cultural, political or societal affect their participation, she said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.