Dr. Elic Chan is a sociologist with training in race, ethnic relations and immigration.  His research and scholarship focus on the social and economic integration of Asian Canadians and their experiences across Canadian cities.  His research has been published in International Migration Review, Sociological Forum, Sociological Quarterly, and City and Community.  In addition to his research, he has extensive experience teaching students with different cultural backgrounds, particularly international students.

Research Interests

Research Methods, Education, Ethnic Relations, Nonprofit organizations, Asian Communities, Culture

Research Projects

He is the Co-Investigator (with PI Jean Michel Montsion at York University) on the Racialization of Asian International Student (RAIS) project.  The research examines the racialization processes affecting Asian international students across Canadian universities.  This cross-campus study seeks to understand and improve student support and integration by shedding light on the experiences of international students as migrants to specific communities. The Racialization of Asian International Student (RAIS) project, funded by a SSHRC Insight Grant, has produced two significant volumes detailing its findings:

Not Your Cash Cow, Not Your Scapegoat (Fernwood Publishing, 2026)

International Students from Asia in Canadian Universities: Institutional Challenges at the Intersection of Internationalization and Racialization (Routledge, 2024)

Recent Publications

2026                RAIS Collective, Not your cash cow, not your scapegoat: Racialized student migrants from Asia attending Canadian universities. Fernwood Publishing

2024                Elic Chan and Brett Matsushita, “International Education Pipeline: An Analysis of BC’s University Transfer System” in International Students from Asia in Canadian Universities (pp.58-71), edited by Ann Kim, Elizabeth Buckner, and Jean Michel Monitson.  New York, NY: Routledge

2022               Elizabeth Buckner, Elic Chan and Cathy Kim, “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion on Canadian Universities: Where do international students fit in?” Comparative and International Education 51(1): 39-56

Selected Publications

Emigration as Family Strategy in Chinese Context: Emigration from Fuqing, China in Journal of International Migration and Integration (with Eric Fong & Guoqing Li)

Hard to Crack: Experiences of community integration among first and second generation Asian MSM in Canada in Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology (with Nadine Nakamura & Benedikt Fischer)

Social, Economic and Demographic Characteristics of Korean Self-Employment in Canada in Koreans in Canada: Perspectives on Migration, Integration and the Family

Out of Sight, Out of Mind?: Patterns of Transnational Contact among Chinese and Indian Immigrants in Toronto. in Sociological Forum (with Eric Fong & Xingshan Cao)

The Effects of Economic Standing, Individual Preferences, and Co-Ethnic Resources on Immigrant Residential Clustering in International Migration Review (with Eric Fong)