The Impacts of Ethnic Retail Access on Health & Well-Being Within the Chinese Newcomer Population in the GTA

Accessible food options that are nutritional, affordable, and culturally appropriate are essential to supporting one’s mental health and well-being. The degree to which immigrants and newcomers can uphold ethnic and cultural food practices from their countries of origin within new host countries and the communities in which they settle may be an important factor in determining healthy food access. Chinese newcomer populations in the Greater Toronto Area face significant challenges accessing ethnic foods and consuming culturally appropriate foods due to many barriers. The purpose of this Major Research Paper is to examine: i) the experiences of Chinese newcomers in accessing ethnic grocery foods and culturally appropriate foods, and ii) perceived impacts on health and well-being. The findings demonstrate that Chinese newcomers face increasing barriers to accessing ethnoracial foods due to challenges related to transportation access, the lack of availability of ethnic groceries and ethnic options in mainstream stores, affordability of ethnic ingredients and the increased time it takes to access ethnic retailers. Policy leaders must recognize the need for increased ethnic grocery retailers in bridging better mental health and access to healthy foods within newcomer populations.