Excerpt from Sandok: A Filipino-Canadian Oral History Cookbook

The following is an excerpt from ANAK Publishing’s latest oral history publication, Sandok: A Filipino-Canadian Oral History Cookbook. The book features the personal narratives of five Winnipeg restauranteurs and their connection to Filipino-Canadian culture and cuisine. This book is written and researched by Ma. Monica de Castro and Kezia Malabanan-Abueg. 

Visit anakbooks.ca for your copy!

Relevance of learning and understanding the history of Filipino cuisine

What is Filipino food? In developing this book, we realize that there is no real answer to this question. Instead, we have come to learn that Filipino food encompasses differing experiences in Winnipeg. One informant, Victoria David, sums up the Filipino food experience this way:

The [Filipino] food that’s being served needs to be explained. For example, when you first introduce a dish to someone, you have to explain the kind of food it is and the ingredients it needs… You have to know your food… That’s important.

In the process of explaining, one will inherently reflect on the broader culture, values, and history the dish evolved from. We have learned that food culture may be a readily distinguished portal to understanding a particular ethnocultural group. Moreover, an explanation gives guests permission to customize the dish to their liking.

The Filipino concept of sawsawan (dipping sauce) is not just a dipping sauce. When we think about sawsawan, we associate it with patis, bagoong, toyo (soy sauce), and suka (vinegar). A chef inviting his diners to add sawsawan to his/her meal is an act of involving them in the process of food preparation. This cultural act differs from other cultures wherein adding seasoning or condiments to dishes is deemed insulting. However, for Filipinos, it is a sign of a communal relationship that is ubiquitous to general Filipino culture. It shows tolerance for differing opinions whether it agrees or disagrees with the chef. It shows how individuals pick and choose what he/she likes (and does not like). It shows how personal preferences can still work in creating something harmoniously amazing.

In relation to Nakpil’s quote at the beginning of this chapter, Filipinos remain a Filipino (at least) gastronomically, but Filipino food culture is something beyond that. As long as preparation, cooking, and dining practices are observed, and as long as values are continually reflected upon (consciously or unconsciously) when explaining Filipino food to youngsters and non-Filipinos, then being Filipino is more than just a gastronomical attachment. Food culture is a convenient way to reflect on one’s own “Filipino-ness.”

As Filipino-Canadians ourselves, there is value on the communality that we express whenever we sit down to share and eat our food. There is value in the meanings we infer and confer on the food we set on our tables. There is value on the cultural factors that shape our cuisine. And now that many of us are “Global Filipinos,” there is value on how we can constantly (de-/re-) construct our identities and make sense of the world based not only by the food we put into our mouths, but also its process and meaning.

Tito Jim and Tita Imelda (Jimel’s)

Tita Lourdes (Pampanga)                         Lola Linda (Gelyn’s)

Tito Julio (Myrna’s)

Monica with Tita Vivian (Juvian’s)

Inspiring Filipino-Canadian Oral History: Rap me a story

Hip hop is said to be an amalgamation of many artistic forms. Its roots lie within a subculture of celebrated marginalism in New York’s South Bronx and Harlem in the 1970s. It has since grown to an amazing network of barrios, barangays, and bantustans the world over. Hip hop is universal with or without a colour to whatever beat.

In Canada, it is no surprise then that Hip Hop would take root among today’s Filipino-Canadian communities to create a narrative and a sound all its own. The uniqueness of immigration, separation, regionalism, cultural confusion and economic struggle from the Filipino perspective is an honest and edgy offering of oral history neither a museum nor academic can portray.

In this blog post, I will introduce two Filipino-Canadian artists who employ hip hop as their medium: Han Han of Toronto and Nereo II of Winnipeg. Both offer much inspiration to our emerging generation.

Research from the Filipino Youth Transitions in Canada project from 2010-2014 reveals that Toronto and Winnipeg are two very different places when it comes to the makeup of Filipino-Canadian communities. Toronto has the larger Filipino-Canadian population in Canada. However, they are spread out throughout the vast Greater Toronto Area in separate community fiefdoms divided by socio-economic status and geography. In Winnipeg, the community is concentrated primarily  in the North West corner where cultural connections appear more congruent and accessible.

Toronto’s population stems from the growth of the Live-in Caregiver Program and the numbers of Filipina domestic workers who came to Canada through this initiative. Winnipeg’s Filipino-Canadian community is rooted in early immigration from the 1960s and beyond as medical professionals, garment workers, family sponsors, and Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program applicants. The study concludes that Winnipeg’s sense of pride in its Filipino-Community creates successful young people who will move beyond their parents’ own educational attainment and into higher level careers.

So, what does this study have to do with hip hop?

I would like to argue that the fabric of each city creates a differing narrative for each community. Dare I say, a differing sound as well.

Han Han is an immigrant nurse who uses her flawless Tagalog, English, and Cebuano to tell a tale of struggle towards a new life and a new identity and a renewed maturity of self-identity again. Her song, World Gong Crazy featuring Datu, is a fusion of funk and hip hop with the Philippine tribal kulintaw (a rhythm Winnipeg is likely to hear only at Folklorama time). There is a sounding desire to remain fused to the West, but authentic to the Southeast. I sense the separation but the community of the rhythms. I find this symbolic of her inflection and reflection from both the Filipino and Canadian worlds in her immigrant struggle.

Nereo II is an artist that inspires selfless self-expression. His TEDxYouth talk underlines his own personal revelation to be true to his talents as an artist. Although his talk is not overtly about being Filipino-Canadian, I can sense themes from his upbringing as a second-generation Canadian. His retrospective as a rebellious young man and his burning wish to depart from conforming, building wealth, and working in a secure, but unfulfilling career is a testament to our parents’ generation as pioneering immigrants. This rebellion would be incomprehensible to them because being accepted as Canadians with a financially secure position in society was perhaps but a dream to them as they arrived. The narrative is as Filipino as it is Canadian. This is how immersed both realities are with one another.

How else do you express such complex transitions between past generations to the next generation?

The answer I have to say is the relevance of the messenger and his/her interaction with the medium. Today, our messengers make sense of hip hop to relay a message we need to understand.

Sources:

Robert Bolton. “Filipina-Canadian Nurse Raps Her Immigrant Experience” Huffington Post Music The Blog. 9/3/2014 http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/robert-bolton/filipina-rap_b_5756090.html (cited 6/9/2014)

Filipino Youth Transitions in Canada Project http://ycar.apps01.yorku.ca/research/programmes-projects/filipino-youth-transitions-in-canada/

TEDxYouth Fort Garry <http://www.ted.com/tedx/events/5719> (cited 9/6/2014)

Ukay ukay and disposed Philippine art

Manila Souvenir ‘Calesa’ for under 10 bucks

I found Jollibee at the Salvation Army. There he was sitting with all the dejected stuffed animals that once had a home. He was 99 cents. So, I adopted him and put him into my basket.

Days later, little Jollibee made his debut at Folklorama. He was our unofficial mascot as we sold our books. People came by and recognized him. Some reminisced about the Philippines at the sight of him. A point and a smile was enough to know that they once frequented the popular fast food chain that still shares his name.

“Where did you get Jollibee?!” one person asked.
“At Salvation Army,” we answered.
“Why would someone throw him away?!”

‘Pandango sa ilaw’ wood carving for $7

As a new homeowner with a knack for Asian art, my house is coming to look like a “zen-chinoiserie-1970s Philippines” mishmash of “stuff.” I must say that I don’t mind it. Each week I try to frequent local consignment shops in heavily populated Filipino areas. It’s there I find the intricate rattan woven furniture, ethnic wood carvings, and delicate textiles that now randomly adorn my home. It’s hard to believe someone had gotten rid of these things after all the effort it must have taken to bring them here in the first place.



Wood carving. Filipina on kalabaw (as a pair for less than $15)

In the Philippines, thrift shopping is a popular past time as well. Ukay ukay (as Filipinos call it) is quite a lucrative business there. Mounds and mounds of donated goods from developed nations find their way into the small street side markets where original (but used) brand names like Nike, Calvin Klein, Levi’s, and Guess are hunted for. The real thing is a prized departure from the other countless counterfeit items vendors also try to sell. Over there ukay ukay isn’t always about shopping for a bargain, but finding a small symbol of superficial western wealth.



Igorot (as a pair about $10)

In Canada, ukay ukay takes on a similar but different experience. Sure, everyone is on the hunt for bargains. Brand name jeans, dresses, and shoes are always popular finds for the right price. But, as I wander  amidst the multilingual chitter chatter of customers, I also bump into those on the prowl for  unique items like that gaudy hat or that tacky sweater. We have special tastes. I’m always overjoyed if a good day fills my cart with those tacky Philippine souvenirs (an igorot carving, a Manila calesa, and other Maria Clara inspired clothing to name a few). As I walk around with my basket full, I know other Filipinos take a look at my finds. They often give me a grin and an approving nod as if I’ve saved them from some unfortunate demise.

Maybe, it’s a silent way of saying we’re hunting for our own wealth of Philippine symbols.

Bentwood chair for $8.99 ( I left the tag on because no one will believe me)





I want this book! The Life and Art of Botong Francisco

My first recollection of Botong Francisco’s paintings is seeing a faded and worn print of the well-known Katipunan painting fixed to my late grandmother’s wall in 1996. It hung there unceremoniously, dusty, and crumpling from the humidity with the rest of her old magazines and albums. My Dad asked to take it home with us to Winnipeg along with a faded calendar of Botong’s work. In the days that followed, I remember my Dad holding that image and flipping through the pages of that calendar reminiscing about his childhood and the celebrity Angono received as home to this master, this national artist.

If you don’t know Angono, it is renowned as the country’s official “Artists’ Paradise.” In my numerous sojourns “home,” I would argue that each child is raised there with the same reverence for art as football might be for the average American. I recall music and art surrounding me and I dare say there isn’t one Angono child who is not raised without either. Public spaces are filled with the sounds of Lucio San Pedro especially during All Saints Day and giant murals of Botong’s work exists in each barangay. This was my dad’s Philippines. This is why I want this book.

For 135 bucks, I can buy this book on Amazon although I admit it is pricey (that’s not including shipping!). However, it is the first ever retrospective to honour the work of our very own hometown hero.

Botong’s paintings is interpreted here in an Angono barangay. Pictured here is Botong’s interpretation of Filipino marriage during pre-Hispanic times .

Mangingisda (Fishers) is another favorite of mine. Can you see the struggle and pride in a day’s work here? It makes me think of my grandparents.

Botong Francisco is considered one of the “most important Filipino artists” by publisher, Vibal Foundation. I must also argue that he is the first to be celebrated as a Filipinianist, as an artist of pure Philippine inspiration. for depicting scenes in Philippine history and conceptualizing its past in ways traditional history had yet to remember, Botong is rightfully a hero. The popularity of his life’s work coincides with the country’s growing nationalism after gaining independence from the US and again decades later after People Power.

Botong’s Katiputan is a permanent fixture near the EDSA shrine.

This book includes paintings, sketches, costume designs, photographs, documents, and film stills outlining his lifelong career and obsession as an artist. It is finally the comprehensive tribute he deserves to be remembered for his life and contributions not only to Angono, but to the Filipino identity as a whole.

A suave image of a youthful Botong from Malacanang Palace

Unveiling of Dr. Jose Rizal Park this Saturday June 21

Dear Kabayan,

Good day everyone, with the completion of the Knights of Rizal Winnipeg Chapter (KoR-W) and Rizal Memorial Committee’s project the day is better than good, it is to be celebrated. It had been in the back of the mind if not desired by Filipino community to have a park that will symbolize our community. There is no better figure in our history that can symbolize our dreams and ideals other than the Philippines National Hero, “Dr. Jose P. Rizal Memorial Stone” will be sitting on a patio that politically symbolizes our motherland in Dr. Jose P. Rizal Park at Sewa Crescent.

We invite you, your family and friends to join us in the “Public Unveiling of Rizal Memorial and opening of the Park” on Saturday, June 21, 2014 at 10:30AM, an hour of program and another hour of social activities with light lunch will be enjoyed with our community, Knights and Ladies of Rizal, KoR-W Executive Council and Rizal Memorial Committee are counting on your attendance, thank you very much.

Respectfully yours,

                         

Sir Felino de Jesus, KCR                                Sir Dr. Tom Colina, KGOR

Chapter Commander                                       Western Canada Area Commander

Knights of Rizal Winnipeg Chapter                   KoR Canada Region

                                                                                           

Sir Councilor Mike Pagtakhan, KCR                Sir Mohamed Alli, KCR

Incoming Chapter Commander                        Pursuivant

Knights of Rizal Winnipeg Chapter                  Knights of Rizal Winnipeg Chapter

Revisit M2M before it closes this week!

A preview of M2M Revisited at the United Way Building (580 Main Street)

Stories from the ethnic food aisle

When white bread just isn’t white bread – it’s Pinoy Tasty!

I’m not really a cook, but I’ve been known to dabble. Like any novice Filipino-Canadian cook trying to satisfy a craving for home cooking, I know my staples. I can cook rice (measured the Filipino way with the finger and not with a measuring cup). I can cook sinigang, adobo, kare-kare, and various forms of nilaga. In the morning, I know my silogs and my tsamporado. Whether it’s anything tasty or authentic I leave that for you to judge. All my life, shopping at the ethnic food aisle and the ethnic food store has been a regular part of my weekends since childhood. It’s dawning on me now how rich these places are for an oral history intervention.

Two of the artifacts coming out of Pananaw were groupings of Filipino candy (Choc nut, Cloud 9, and Maxx) and Filipino snacks (Boy Bawang, Chippy). While the former include the rich, chalky chocolate taste and sweetness of lemon drops, the latter explore all the goodness garlicky, salt and MSG can offer. In the oral history exercise, the group to receive the Filipino candy artifacts described their connection with the candy as part of their childhood memories. The student, a very recent arrival to Canada, explained how her grandparents used to “bribe” her with them. She told the story with a smile and we listened equally with the same grin. The Filipino snack group chose not to personalize their artifacts and instead described them in general terms. They noted the ingredients and that the artifact was manufactured in the Philippines. Perhaps, as 1.5 generation Filipino-Canadians, this group’s childhood memories of the Philippines were too distant to recall. It could have been merely a Filpino-Canadian snack to them and that was all they had to relate to. They perceived the snacks with the same ambivalence as any other passer-by in the store would. I guess the point worth making is that we connect to things in varying ways. I would like to argue that the ethnic food aisle is a rich place to understand how different these ways can be.

Over the years, working with immigrants and having hosted a few in my own home, I have become keenly aware of their discerning taste buds. Choosing the right ingredients, the most authentic ones, is what brings them back to what they know. I’ve learned this because I’ve substituted ingredients in my cooking to an array of comments, some good and some bad. Japanese Kikoman soy sauce instead of Pina Filipino soy sauce in adobo and apples instead of raisins in afritadacan raise a few Filipino eyebrows (Don’t even get me started on substituting white rice with brown rice!). There are certain things that Filipinos hold dear before they can consider themselves Filipino-Canadian, the taste of home is just one of them. Yet for my mom, a master cook and a queen in ingredient substitution, I have to say she always maintains the right taste. Everyone I know revels at her beef empanada, lomi pansit, nilugaw, to name a few. Despite the fact that over the years she’s added her touches (to reap the health benefits no less) of cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, and garlic, I swear her food is still deliciously Filipino.  The funny thing is she tells me she never learned to cook until she arrived in Canada over 30 years ago. So, her connection with the ethnic food aisle is something entirely Canadian (I dare say).

Next time you venture down the ethnic food aisle, stop and take in the reaction of its patrons. Do they get excited at the sight of an item? Do they marvel that some snack or ingredient is actually here in Winnipeg? Or, do they look through the aisle with suspicion? Maybe, they’re there searching in the aisle because of someone’s suggestion? Whatever they may be doing, think of it as a connection to a “thing” and their life beyond the kitchen table.

Why not Pacquiao Road?

Recently, I’ve been noticing a number of new street names around the city. Walking down Main Street in Winnipeg’s North End, there’s the brand new “Kelekis Honourary Way.” If you stroll down Waterfront Drive, you will see the strip of road outside the Canadian Museum for Human Rights has changed its name to “Israel Asper Way.” Now and then, our politicians like to honour a certain history or person that has made an impact on the city. Both Kelekis (owners of the iconic North End restaurant) and Mr. Asper (local media mogul) are Winnipeggers that fit the bill. But, up in the northwest corner, where “Manila Road” in the Maples and “Dr. Jose Rizal Way” in Tyndall Park are located, can we make the same argument?

Winnipeg is a sister-city to Manila. It has been since the late 1970s. The Sister City idea arose after the Second World War to promote cultural exchange and understanding. It was an international diplomatic effort to bring cities and their people together. It was some time ago when Mayors Bill Norrie and Ramon Bagatsing signed the agreement that their constituents as kin. According to Sister Cities International, the partnership comes with a few perks like humanitarian, economic, education, and arts exchanges. It is no surprise then that over the decades, a number of Winnipeg delegations have travelled to the Philippine capital (including our current mayor, Mr. Sam Katz, in 2005) to reinforce agreements in immigration, labour, relief, and investment. In 1974 Manila Road was named in honour of this relationship.

Nearby, in the Tyndall Park neighbourhood, a stretch of newly constructed homes are found on Dr. Jose Rizal Way. This street was named not too long ago in 2009 I recall the ceremony that was involved in its naming with members of the Knights of Rizal, Filipino-Canadian leaders, and local politicians there to honour the occasion. For those who do not know, Dr. Jose Rizal is the National Hero of the Philippines, a multi-talented genius who was executed by Spanish authorities in 1896. Although he denounced any revolution against Spain, his writings nevertheless incriminated him. The Philippine Revolution did result years later and the Philippines gained independence for a brief time in 1898. However, the United States came to colonize the Philippines soon after and in 1901 then Governor General William Howard Taft declared Dr. Jose Rizal the official hero of the Filipino people.

So what does the naming of Manila Road and Dr. Jose Rizal Way actually have to do with Winnipeg? Can we say all Filipino-Canadians resonate with either street name? How about all Winnipeggers? When I think of either street name, I do feel a sense of pride in knowing that there is a piece of the city that reflects the relationship Winnipeg has with its Filipino-Canadian community. Yet, at the same time, I wonder if there is equal effort happening to commemorate something that or someone who is a little less abstract. After all, not all Filipino-Canadians call Manila home or pay homage to Dr. Jose Rizal. There has to be another thing that connects us here as Canadians with Filipino heritage. Maybe it’s too early to say exactly what that name will be (I dare not propose any), but if we’re going to connect with broad relationships and idolized figures I think a street named “Pansit” or “Manny Pacquiao” would have the same effect. Winnipeggers love those Filipino icons too.

Lessons from Winnipeg’s Chinatown

There doesn’t seem like there’s much to Winnipeg’s Chinatown.

 Aside from the beautiful Dynasty Building on King Street, the famed corner of Winnipeg’s downtown is but a scattering of old (derelict) buildings with a handful of faded Chinese store signs. Visitors can’t expect the same hustle and bustle found in Vancouver or Toronto’s Chinatowns. Instead, it’s pretty quiet. Sure there are customers coming and going for dim sum and Chinese food in one of the area’s many restaurants, but other than that Winnipeg’s Chinatown is unequivocally tame. There are no outdoor markets. There are no artisans selling their ware. Sure, Mandarin is still spoken, but odds are you’re likely to hear others speak in Tagalog as well. 

If the Filipino-Canadian community were to ever have its own quarter, like how the Chinese have a portion of downtown, what would it look like? Where would it be? There is much we can learn from the Chinese community in Winnipeg to reflect on these questions. This blog post will explain why I think Winnipeg doesn’t need an official Filipino-town.
The Chinese-Canadian community in Winnipeg is well over a century in age. Throughout the 1800s, Chinese workers were needed to build the Canadian Pacific Railway across the country. In 1885, when the last rail spike was driven in BC, the Canadian government had no use for these migrant workers anymore and implemented an aptly named “Chinese head tax” to curb any further immigration. Without work and without pay, thousands of Chinese workers were left to return to China or eek out a living in Canada. In 1877, Winnipeg became home to its very first Chinese settlers, 3 men in search of work. By 1901, Manitoba census reported 206 Chinese males living throughout the province.

Chinatown developed in Winnipeg because Chinese settlers had little else to go. They were relegated to the fringes of the city centre, on cheap undesirable land, on a portion of the city where their meagre earnings as laundrymen could afford. Here they grouped together enriched by their social capital, where a shared language, culture, and race brought them new wealth as an enclave. Winnipeg’s Chinatown peaked in the 1920s to span 6 city blocks along King St, the area’s economic lane. There were 900 Chinese residents then and 300 Chinese laundry businesses. But by 1923, upon Canada’s Exclusion Act, the decline of Chinatown was eminent with a formal end to Chinese immigration.

The Chinatown we see in Winnipeg today is a mix of efforts to revive the area. In the 1980s, Winnipeg developed a “clean slate” strategy which consisted of a “demolish and rebuild” style of top-down renewal according to Architect Brent Bellamy. However, efforts from the Chinese community itself, namely through its leaders Dr. Joseph Du and Philip Lee (now our Lieutenant Governor), encouraged the Chinese community to reach outward and promote its culture. The Dynasty Building, the Chinese Heritage Garden, Chinatown Arch, and King Street beautification project, and the Peace Tower Apartment Complex represent their efforts in the early 90s. Winnipeg’s ethnic Chinese population is estimated today to be more than 20 thousand.

So what can we learn from Winnipeg’s Chinese Community?

I’ve heard talk time and again about a possible Filipino-town in Winnipeg. I imagine it would have small lamp post signage to mark territories along Isabel, Sargent, Ellice, or maybe Keewatin. It would capitalize on the fact that in those areas of the city there exist a number of Filipino businesses, bakeries, and stores. It would mark a cute little tourist stop where Filipino entrepreneurs chose to open up shop where people can come to buy some ube cake or get a nice hair cut. It would be a marker to point where Filipino people supposedly live. To me, I think that’s all it would be – another superficial stop on the Winnipeg tourist map.

Winnipeg’s Filipino-Canadian community is just over 50 years in age. We began to arrive in the late 1950s first as medical professionals and later as garment workers, nurses, and sponsored relatives towards the 1970s and 1980s. Overall, we came in time for Trudeau and his multiculturalism banner; in time to by-pass all the ugliness of head taxes and exclusion acts made specifically for the Chinese.

The Filipino-Canadian community in Winnipeg exists throughout the city. I don’t deny the fact that a large majority of Filipino-Canadians live in the northwest corner of the city where the Tyndall, Maples, and Garden City neighbourhoods exist. I only underline the importance of noting that Filipino-Canadians are able to choose which area of the city they wish to live. That is the important lesson we can learn from Winnipeg’s Chinatown.

I believe the growth, decline, and process of re-emergence for Winnipeg’s Chinatown is testament to their difficult history as Canadians. They were pushed to create their own businesses and homes on areas the rest of society deemed undesirable. Their community has changed in size from immigration acts to limit their number and to today where any growth appears in tandem with Chinatown’s unusual silence. To learn of how Winnipeg’s Chinatown came into existence and the struggles it has endured to maintain its post, a Filipino-town would lack any of the same historical significance or interest if it ever were to happen. If a Filipino-town were ever to belong in Winnipeg, it too should reflect its history as a community. Our history falls under the 1960s banner of “multiculturalism” and our place exists scattered throughout Winnipeg.

Sources:

Brent Bellamy. “A Vibrant Vision for Chinatown: Thesis project sees blend of new, historic marketplace,” WFP 4/29/13

Larry Kursch. “Hard-working Chinese immigrants, once banned, have risen to the highest echelons of Manitoba,” WFP 7/28/12

Noce Buena and Lotto Max: Faith and Hope this Christmas

Filipino Christmas Painting by Paulo Borres (touchtalent.com)

On any Sunday afternoon, take a drive down Isabel Street, Sargent or Ellice Avenues; or stop by Garden City Mall’s Casarap stall at the food court. The Filipino stores and restaurants are full with customers dressed in their Sunday best. The smell of ulam and fresh rice fills the air as The Filipino Channel competes to be heard amidst all the noise. Church has let out and Winnipeg looks ever so Filipino.

Now that Christmas is only 5 days away, where can we find most Filipino-Canadians? Do we do anything unique? Perhaps, we will attend church a few days more. Perhaps, we will make a few more stops at the mall. Maybe, this time of year isn’t all that different. But, take a look around and mentally note where the community hovers. I’ve got to say the lottery kiosk might be the next Filipino stop.

Now, I’m not saying all Filipinos like to gamble. What I’m saying is that with this week’s Lotto Max reaching a record jackpot, there are a lot of us hopeful people eyeing the prize. So, it got me thinking about Noce Buena and Lotto Max – the new slogan for Faith and Hope this yuletide season.

I watch hopeful parents fill out lottery forms with their children strapped into the shopping cart at Superstore. Growing up, it was a treat for us kids to fill out those little circles with numbers. Mom would tell us if we won we’d get any toy we wanted. When we got older, she told us we’d get to visit family in the Philippines. We never actually won any jackpots. But, when I see those lines fill with recent Filipino immigrants, I can still hear my mom’s promises. Oh, the hope that little pencil and that strip of paper creates. I can only imagine the amount of prayers God has already heard for lucky numbers.

So, what might this observation have to do with the Filipino-Canadian community? There’s a cliché going around that immigrants come to Canada searching for a better life. Filipinos are reaching for that mighty dollar that can quadruple the incomes of loved ones still spending in Philippine peso. As true as this may be, the flip side is that earning in dollars means spending in dollars. That imaginary 4 to 1 ratio becomes a 1 to 1 reality that 1, 2, or 3 minimum wage jobs might afford. What happens then to that original immigrant dream? Yup, 5 bucks and a prayer helps bring it back.

Imagine now what so many millions of dollars can do for us here and our family there. I knew if we had won a jackpot like that, I could’ve watched my mom toil a little less for us. That was her migrant reality. Her reality is something I must be grateful for. This Christmas, I hope we can all put our little pencils down and count our new blessings as unexpected as they may be.

Merry Christmas everyone!