Final answer:
While early 20th century immigration to Canada was dominated by European settlers and shaped by restrictive policies, changes post-1965 saw a diversification of immigrant origins and reasons for migration, influenced by push and pull factors and shifts in immigration policies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The landscape of immigration in Canada underwent significant changes before and after 1971. In the period before World War I, Canada experienced massive inflows of immigrants, primarily from Europe, with restrictive policies making it difficult for Asians and Blacks to immigrate.
Two to three million Europeans, predominately white, settled in Canada between 1896 and 1912, attracted by industrialization and the expansion of cities.
However, from the 1920s until 1965, Canada's immigration policies became more restrictive, significantly reducing the number of immigrants. It was not until after 1965 that these policies began to ease, and Arab immigration began to rise steadily.
These later immigrants were often escaping political unrest and seeking educational and career opportunities in a more stable nation.
Several factors influenced these changes in immigration. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, push and pull factors such as economic opportunities, political stability, and escape from societal turmoil influenced migration patterns.
By the 1970s, Canadian immigration policy began to reflect a more multicultural approach, focusing on skills and family reunification rather than race, signaling a shift in societal values and governmental strategy toward a more inclusive and diverse population.