Indonesian
Indonesians have broadened Toronto’s cultural horizons by introducing the city to a cuisine of savoury spices, the lovely art of batik, and the music of bamboo instruments such as the angklung and the gamelan.
The community, with just over 5,000 members, consists mainly of people who arrived from the Southeast Asian islands in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The early settlers included students who applied for citizenship, and seniors who wanted to spend their retirement in a different country. Some Indonesians immigrated to Canada from the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and China. The majority of the Toronto community is of Chinese origin.
Although there is not an Indonesian neighbourhood in the city, many live in Etobicoke and Mississauga. Well-educated members of the community include civil servants and scientists, and among Indonesian-owned businesses in the city are real estate agencies and pharmacies.
Every year, culture sharing between Canada and Indonesia is extended through an exchange program, when the youth from the two countries switch residences for three months.
The community, with just over 5,000 members, consists mainly of people who arrived from the Southeast Asian islands in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The early settlers included students who applied for citizenship, and seniors who wanted to spend their retirement in a different country. Some Indonesians immigrated to Canada from the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and China. The majority of the Toronto community is of Chinese origin.
Although there is not an Indonesian neighbourhood in the city, many live in Etobicoke and Mississauga. Well-educated members of the community include civil servants and scientists, and among Indonesian-owned businesses in the city are real estate agencies and pharmacies.
Every year, culture sharing between Canada and Indonesia is extended through an exchange program, when the youth from the two countries switch residences for three months.