The aging of international migrants and strategic transnational practice in later life: Exploring Portuguese seniors in Toronto, Canada

• Published in: The Canadian geographer 2023-06, Vol.67 (2), p.272-287
• Main Author: Takahashi, Koki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aging; Childrearing practices; contexte transatlantique; double citoyenneté; dual citizenship; European cultural groups; immigrant aîné; Immigrants; Life cycle analysis; Migrants; Migration; Obligations; Older people; Parents & parenting; Payments; Pensions; Population aging; Quality of life; Regulation; senior immigrant; social security; sécurité sociale; transatlantic context; Transnationalism; transnationalisme
• ISSN: 0008-3658; 1541-0064
• DOI: 10.1111/cag.12809

The Portuguese community in Toronto is the largest in North America; however, its immigrant population is now aging. This paper addresses senior immigrants who had a transnational “later life” and discusses this practice in the transatlantic context, using a lifecycle model of transnational migration. Later life is a life stage that is highly feasible for transnational migration, as seniors are mostly disentangled from various obligations, such as work, child rearing, and caregiving for parents. Transnational senior migrants in Europe and North America can be categorized into four groups: Intra‐Europe Rich, Intra‐Europe Immigrant, North American Snowbird, and Trans‐Atlantic Immigrant. Trans‐Atlantic Immigrant seniors, the target group of this paper, differ from the other groups on several points, including seasonal preference for transnational migration, motivations, and legal regulations. The paper considers the questions of why senior Portuguese immigrants choose to stay in Portugal for an extended period each year, while mainly living in Canada, and how their later life is structured between the two countries. Transnational later life is a strategic practice of senior Portuguese immigrants in Canada in the last stage of their lifecycle, allowing them to maximize government pension payments while simultaneously enjoying the highest quality of life possible in both countries. Key Messages Immigration from Portugal to Canada accelerated in the 1960s and 1970s, and this immigrant population is now aging. The senior Trans‐Atlantic Immigrant is significantly different from other transnational senior groups in Europe and North America, in terms of seasonal preference for transnational migration, motivations, and legal regulations. Transnational later life is a strategic practice of senior Portuguese immigrants in Canada in the last stage of their lifecycle. Le vieillissement des migrants internationaux et les stratégies transnationales au troisième âge : une analyse des personnes âgées portugaises à Toronto, Canada La communauté portugaise de Toronto est la plus importante d'Amérique du Nord. Cependant, cette population immigrante est aujourd'hui vieillissante. Cet article traite des immigrants âgés qui ont eu une « vie transnationale tardive » et étudie cette pratique dans le contexte transatlantique, en utilisant un modèle de cycle de vie de la migration transnationale. L'âge avancé est une étape de la vie qui se prête bien à la migration transnationale, car