Immigrants’ sense of belonging in Quebec: The role of perceived discrimination and participation in associations and sports

In many Western countries, whether immigrants participate and develop a sense of belonging to the host society is becoming increasingly significant. The current literature on the ‘integration paradox’ describing the largely positive effect of social integration on immigrants’ sense of belonging is weakened by several confounding factors. This study examines the relationship between social integration (participation in associations and sports) and immigrants’ sense of belonging while assessing the potential mediating role of perceived discrimination. Using data collected in 2020 from 1113 immigrants as part of a survey on participation dynamics among immigrants in Quebec, we conducted 1) propensity score matching to compare immigrants who participate in associations and sports with those who do not and 2) structural equation modeling to examine perceived discrimination as a mediator between participation and immigrants’ sense of belonging. Results show that participation in associations and sports significantly improves immigrants’ sense of belonging, even after correcting for selection bias in the propensity score matching analysis. In the structural equation model, the results show that the higher the level of participation in association and sports among immigrants, the more likely they are to report discrimination. However, this effect does not entirely cancel out the direct and positive impact of participation in associations and sports activities on immigrants’ sense of belonging. Finally, the results show a more significant effect on immigrants from Europe/the United States and Asia/the Middle East than those from Africa, Latin America/the Caribbean. This study provides practical suggestions for targeted interventions to address these disparities. Besides providing valuable insights for policymakers in integration, our results could also help immigrants to participate fully in their host society.