Medical Assistance in Dying as a Cultural Conflict: Conceptualizing Chinese Immigrants’ Navigation in Canada

Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) was legalized in Canada in 2016 but remains illegal in China. Due to distinct cultural, social, and political differences between China and Canada, MAID can be a cultural conflict for Chinese immigrants after they immigrate to Canada. To better understand their navigation of MAID in Canada, three theoretical lenses are adopted. Confucian ethics serve as a theoretical framework for understanding how life is perceived from a collectivistic, relational, and moral perspective in Chinese culture. Autonomy theory is used to understand how life is understood from an individualistic, independent, and autonomous perspective in Canadian culture. Acculturation theory is further used to explore how Chinese immigrants in Canada perceive and respond to MAID by adopting different strategies when they interact with these two value systems. This conceptual analysis can help healthcare professionals better understand and support immigrants’ cultural needs as they navigate MAID in Canada.