November 28, 2008 marks 5 years since the untimely passing of 17-year old Mao Jomar Lanot, a Filipino student whose life was tragically taken after being beaten outside of Sir Charles Tupper Secondary School in Vancouver, British Colombia. The impacts of the tragic event not only affected his family but was felt by the entire Filipino community, who grieved collectively at the loss of one of our youth.

As Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada/ Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance (UKPC), we have always maintained the position that Jomar’s death was one that could have been avoided. Measures must be put in place to understand that Jomar’s death is not an isolated incident, but part of the larger systemic barriers like racism and economic marginalization that continue to block the Filipino community’s genuine participation in Canadian society.

On November 14, 2008, the report “The Roots of Youth Violence” was released in Ontario, authored by former Chief Justice Roy McMurtry and Dr. Alvin Curling. The report, commissioned by Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, emphasizes the need to research the education and justice systems and their relationship to marginalized communities in an effort to understand the root causes of youth violence. McMurtry and Curling outline factors such as poverty, racism, a lack of job opportunities and an apathetic education system as being contributing factors that funnel youth into violent conditions.

As members of UKPC, we recognize “The Roots of Youth Violence” report and Premier McGuinty’s interest in collecting race-based statistics, particularly from community-led organizations that are doing the ground work to empower youth, and assert that for over 12 years, UKPC has been conducting such work at a municipal, provincial and now federal scale. The data in the report is a re-affirmation of UKPC’s position that youth violence is strongly tied to government policies such as the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) that legislates the Filipino community into poverty and presents obstacles for settlement and integration.

Although Filipinos are the 3rd largest visible minority in Canada, we are still largely underrepresented politically, economically, and culturally. Filipino youth continue to be pushed to the margins of society. Barriers we face include systemic racism and institutions’ severe lack of understanding about the realities of Filipino and other youth of colour. In 1999, at a Vancouver high school, Filipino students were the targets of racism by their classmates. As a result of ensuing violence, the school’s administration transferred 25 of the Filipino youth to various schools around the city. This caused many to drop out and became involved in anti-social activities. Currently, Filipino youth hold one of the highest drop out rates in major cities across Canada.

Through community efforts, advances have been made towards understanding the realities, struggles, and issues Filipino youth face day-to-day. However, more still needs to be done, otherwise institutions like our school systems will continue to play a role in our communities’ alienation and segregation in Canadian society. With the “Roots of Youth Violence” report recognizing that racism, poverty and other factors contribute to youth violence, such findings could only be effective if they are used towards creating a solution through community consultation.

We recognize that race-based data, as presented in the report’s findings, is most useful if it is implemented from a community level, with the intent of empowering the community itself. UKPC has long carried out research about the experience of Filipino youth across Canada and can show qualitatively similar findings like that of the “Roots of Youth Violence”, linking youth violence to systemic racism, poverty and economic marginalization.

Issues such as economic marginalization, family separation and reunification are experienced by a majority of Filipino youth, who are sons and daughters of live-in caregivers. Facing poverty and lack of opportunity in the Philippines, their mothers are forced to seek better opportunities abroad while the children are left to stay. Community based research has shown an average time of 7-8years of separation. When they are finally reunited in Canada, they are reunited as strangers while at the same time our youth must contend with adapting to a new life, culture and society. Currently, 95% of workers coming under the LCP are Filipino women, and their children are the most affected as they are the ones left behind while their parents are working abroad.

An even more daunting indication of racism and violence as experienced by Filipino youth is the criminalization within the justice system. Filipino youth find themselves voiceless within the justice system as they are represented as either gang members or victims of violence.

The death of Jomar Lanot and the 1999 Vancouver Technical Secondary incidences are just some of many cases that highlight how violence has affected our community.

Also in 2003, we witnessed the death of Jeffrey Reodica, a 17-year old who was shot three times in the back by a plainclothes police officer. Jeffrey was accused of having a knife with him during the time of the shooting, although no witness ever saw a knife in his hands. Jeffrey’s case is yet another tragic example of how greatly violence is rooted within racism and oppression. We also cannot forget how the community was shaken yet again in 2008, with the stabbing death of 15-year old Deward Ponte in January, and the case of police harassment faced by the Cezar and Harlyn Dalde after the stabbing death of their son Charle near their Richmond, BC home. Almost all of these cases involved a history of family separation and reunification caused by the LCP. Over the years, there have been too many tragic cases involving the youth in our community and as UKPC, we are committed to finding and end to youth violence, and will continue to organize Filipino youth towards genuine empowerment.

Despite the difficulties and tragedies we face, UKPC continues to fight for the rights and welfare of Filipino youth across Canada. We recently had members take part in a community-led national research conference, organized by the National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada (NAPWC). The conference, entitled “Filipino Community and Beyond: Towards Full Participation in a Multicultural and Multi-ethnic Canada,” was held on November 6-9 at the University of Toronto and tackled 4 major issues of settlement and integration for Filipinos in Canada. One major issue discussed was “Making the Filipino youth count in the community’s future.” Panels and workshops about the youth involved topics such as combatting systemic racism, youth drop-outs and the education system, youth employment, and family reunification and migration. There were youth and student participants that came from Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver who showcased their work and achievements towards overcoming the systemic barriers we face as a community. It is just one example of how Filipino youth across Canada are taking initiative in the community, and making their future count in Canada.

So while we take time to mourn the loss of Mao Jomar Lanot, we also remember Jeffrey Reodica, Deward Ponte, Charles Dalde and the others who have made sacrifices great and small to contributing to our community in Canada.

As members of UKPC, we will do right by their memories by continuing to serve the needs and interests of our community, empower our young people, understand our history and struggle for genuine change, equality and social justice.

Honor the memory of Jomar!
Honor the memory of Jeffrey, Deward and Charles!
Scrap the Live-in Caregiver Program! End family separation!
Provide genuine programs and services for Filipino youth!
Heighten our Unity and Advance the Struggle Against Systemic Racism!
End Systemic Racism Now!

prepared by

Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada/ Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance – National

British Columbia
c/o The Kalayaan Centre
451 Powell Street
Vancouver, V6A 1G7
604-215-1103
ukpc_fcya@kalayaancentre.net