Since 1978 a new immigration law has been the basis of an annual immigration plan taking into account social, humanitarian, and economic criteria, and one of its consequences has been a shift towards a greater proportion of Asian immigrants.
"Until well after the Second World War, Canadian immigration policy favoured immigration in general, but it was characterised by ethnic and racial preferences and waves of discrimination. Only after 1962 was a less discriminatory point system...implemented which selected immigrants according to their standard of education and the demands of the Canadian labour market. This policy still indirectly favoured 'old' immigration groups. Since 1978 a new immigration law has been the basis of an annual immigration plan taking into account social, humanitarian, and economic criteria. One of its consequences has been the shift towards a greater proportion of Asian immigrants. This change has led to various tensions in the Canadian public." (SUMMARY IN ENG AND FRE)