Mexican Canadians (, ) are Canadian citizens of Mexican origin, either through birth or ethnicity, who reside in Canada. According to the 2021 Census, 155,380 Canadians indicated they were of full or partial Mexican ancestry (0.42% of the country's population). They are part of the broader Latin American Canadian community.
While the Mexican-origin population in Canada is relatively small, Canada has the third largest Mexican population after the United States and Mexico. Nevertheless, Canada's Mexican population is far behind that of the United States, where, as of 2021, there were 38.2 million people of Mexican ancestry, comprising 12.2% of the population.
As the Canadian Hispanic population is estimated as per 2023 at being over 3% of the population, twice from what it was in 2016, the Mexican population most likely had risen as well along with people of other Latin American groups.
Demographics
The metropolitan areas with the largest populations of people with Mexico-related origins (2023) are: Montreal (40,795; 3.9%), Greater Toronto Area (60,969; 4.3%), Vancouver (30,995; 2.5%), Calgary (10,965; 1.4%), Edmonton (9,830; 1.3%), Ottawa (5,865; 0.9%). Brampton, a suburb of Toronto contains a growing Mexican community migrating outside of the Toronto city limits.
Geographical extent While approximately 5,000 people of Mexico origin enter Canada each year as temporary students or contract workers for agriculture. However, these are not counted as immigrants because of their explicitly temporary legal status. Unlike the United States’ Bracero program, the temporary-worker program in Canada has various mechanisms to discourage workers from overstaying their permits.
Migrant workers from Mexico are prevalent in Leamington, Ontario's cucumber and tomato harvesting industry. Leamington has one of the largest Mexico-born communities in Canada. There are 2,700 Mexican immigrants living in Leamington, as of 2011.
In the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Mexico-born labourers are employed in the wine and orchard industries. Kelowna has a sizeable community of Mexico-born.Stueck, Wendy. Mexican labourers keep B.C. wine flowing, The Globe and Mail, October 14, 2011NHS Profile, Kelowna, CY, British Columbia, 2011, National Household SurveyOliver gets a taste of Mexico, Penticton Western News, April 28, 2011 In the summer of 2016, about 2,000 of Mexico-origin labourers were working on Okanagan Valley farms. Langley, British Columbia has a Mexican population working and/or living in town, having a Hispanic grocery store, mainly Mexican, and Central and South American products.
Statistics
+Population by ancestry by Canadian province or territory Province Population (2016) Population (2021) 43,120 54,725 26,935 34,310 23,055 28,445 22,470 25,450 8,790 7,430 2,125 2,620 810 930 695 985 240 135 95 255 90 145 55 45 10 20 128,380 155,495
Number of Mexican nationals granted permanent residence in Canada by year Year Number of Mexican nationals admitted Total number of permanent residents admitted Proportion of permanent residents admitted 2002 1,918 229,048 2003 1,738 221,349 2004 2,245 235,823 2005 2,854 262,242 2006 2,830 251,640 2007 3,224 236,753 2008 2,831 247,246 2009 3,104 252,174 2010 3,866 280,691 2011 3,642 248,748
See also
Canadian Mexicans Latin American Canadians Spanish Canadians Canada–Mexico relations
References