The Sociology Video Project

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Title: No time to stop: stories of immigrant and visible minority women

Rating: 2.7 out of 4

References: Director, Helen Klodawsky; producer, Chantal Bowen.
Montréal: National Film Board of Canada, 1990
29 minutes
Closed-captioned
Call number: video 2268

Abstract: Kwai Fong Lai from Hong Kong, Alberta Onyejekwe from Ghana and Angela Williams from Jamaica personalize the situation of educated immigrant women who are forced into low-paying jobs because they do not possess the job training or language skills required by Canadian employers.

Sociology subjects:
Community activism (in part)
Diasporas & immigration
Interviewing methods
Poverty/class in North America
Women & the family
Women & work
Work in North America and Europe

Reviews and Numerical Ratings

2.5 Provides firsthand accounts from 3 different (im)migrant women living and working in Canada. Strengths that I feel are relevant to undergrad classes are that it is told by the women themselves (i.e. methodological), the Canadian relevance, and the coverage of what seem to be central issues in many (im)migrant women's experiences (i.e. structural barriers, family/parenting issues) -made connections between micro and macro level issues. The video itself seemed somewhat dated, though I feel it is still relevant. Jennifer Love

1 Although the topics of the feminization of poverty, gender inequality, and unfair treatment of immigrant women within the Canadian workforce are important, I find that this video has managed to present these topics in an immensely dreadful & annoying manner. The dryness in this documentary makes it a not-great resource for tutorials and lectures. The length was frustrating since the video failed to educate its viewers. This is why I believe that this video should not be shown in any class: the level of lifelessness will definitely tune out students’ attention. Minh Hoang (undergraduate)

3 Demonstrates not only micro but also macro issues around women & labour, immigration, exploitation, poverty, racism, language acquisition/policy, process of social reproduction. Although produced in 1990, it remains relevant. Kate Laxer & Riley Olstead

3 Well-organized, with each woman illustrating a different issue, good mix of people who are stuck & isolated vs those who are organized. Dispels the belief, held by the women themselves, that individual efforts are what determine success. Gets quite personal with videos of family life - maybe that’s good but it feels voyeuristic. At times slow-paced, & the bleak mood is apt but depressing. Kathy Bischoping

4 Great video. The gruesome reality & arduous barriers that these women face are well displayed. These women articulate how racial discrimination in the workforce is a major impediment. Language barriers increase the chances of their incarceration in job ghettos, which, in turn, subject them to a poor standard of living with little chance of mobility. The video reveals common experience of isolation & vulnerability among foreign domestic workers, who speak of incredible exploitation, insultingly low pay & grotesquely long hours. The video does an exceptional job of displaying structural barriers that these women are forced to contend with, e.g., how their skills are unrecognized in Canada. It also shows how adding single motherhood into this turmoil makes the struggle even stickier. Superbly gives voice & visibility to the often hidden, silenced, or ignored. For students at any level. Belinda Godwin

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