VICTORIA – Mable Elmore, Parliamentary Secretary for Anti–Racism
Initiatives, has issued the following statement in celebration of Filipino
Heritage Month:
“June is Filipino Heritage Month and an opportunity to learn about Filipino
culture and the unique contributions that this quickly growing community has
brought to B.C.
“It is my honour to be B.C.’s first Filipino MLA. I stand on the shoulders of the
many remarkable Filipino British Columbians who came before me and helped
make B.C. the diverse and vibrant province we know today.
“The first migrant Filipinos came to B.C. in the late 1800s. Many were sailors
who travelled from the Philippines and settled in New Westminster, then the
capital of the new colony of British Columbia.
“Today, there are approximately 174,000 people of Filipino descent living in
B.C. and Vancouver is home to the second largest Filipino community in
Canada.
“However, many British Columbians of Filipino descent report feeling
disadvantaged in multiple aspects of their lives. Almost one–third of Filipino
women, for example, work in health care and the social–services sector, which
means they were front–line workers during the COVID–19 pandemic. While we
applaud their dedication in the care of others, we must also recognize that the
result is Filipino women are disproportionately at higher risk than other groups
of contracting communicable diseases while on the job.
“Our government will continue to tackle racism by legislating race–based data
collection through the Anti–Racism Data Act and by addressing systemic
racism in its programs and services by introducing broader anti–racism
legislation in 2024.
“Our schools are also making important changes to help fight racism and
discrimination. Earlier this year, we launched the K–12 Anti–Racism Action
Plan, putting tools and resources into the hands of parents, teachers and
students to better equip them to be active agents of change in their
communities.
Heritage Month:
“June is Filipino Heritage Month and an opportunity to learn about Filipino
culture and the unique contributions that this quickly growing community has
brought to B.C.
“It is my honour to be B.C.’s first Filipino MLA. I stand on the shoulders of the
many remarkable Filipino British Columbians who came before me and helped
make B.C. the diverse and vibrant province we know today.
“The first migrant Filipinos came to B.C. in the late 1800s. Many were sailors
who travelled from the Philippines and settled in New Westminster, then the
capital of the new colony of British Columbia.
“Today, there are approximately 174,000 people of Filipino descent living in
B.C. and Vancouver is home to the second largest Filipino community in
Canada.
“However, many British Columbians of Filipino descent report feeling
disadvantaged in multiple aspects of their lives. Almost one–third of Filipino
women, for example, work in health care and the social–services sector, which
means they were front–line workers during the COVID–19 pandemic. While we
applaud their dedication in the care of others, we must also recognize that the
result is Filipino women are disproportionately at higher risk than other groups
of contracting communicable diseases while on the job.
“Our government will continue to tackle racism by legislating race–based data
collection through the Anti–Racism Data Act and by addressing systemic
racism in its programs and services by introducing broader anti–racism
legislation in 2024.
“Our schools are also making important changes to help fight racism and
discrimination. Earlier this year, we launched the K–12 Anti–Racism Action
Plan, putting tools and resources into the hands of parents, teachers and
students to better equip them to be active agents of change in their
communities.
“A project I’m especially excited about is the Filipino cultural centre, which I’ve
been advocating for since I was first elected in 2009, and which is included in
my mandate letter as Parliamentary Secretary for Anti–Racism Initiatives. In
April, government announced that it’s providing $250,000 to support public
engagement for a Filipino cultural centre. This new centre promises to be a
lasting legacy of the deep roots the Filipino community has in this province
since first arriving over 160 years ago.
“Filipino Heritage Month is a time to honour all the ways that people of Filipino
descent enrich and contribute to making B.C. a vibrant place for all people to
enjoy.”
Learn More:
For information about Filipino Canadian History,
visit https://explorasian.org/learn/education/filipino–canadian/
been advocating for since I was first elected in 2009, and which is included in
my mandate letter as Parliamentary Secretary for Anti–Racism Initiatives. In
April, government announced that it’s providing $250,000 to support public
engagement for a Filipino cultural centre. This new centre promises to be a
lasting legacy of the deep roots the Filipino community has in this province
since first arriving over 160 years ago.
“Filipino Heritage Month is a time to honour all the ways that people of Filipino
descent enrich and contribute to making B.C. a vibrant place for all people to
enjoy.”
Learn More:
For information about Filipino Canadian History,
visit https://explorasian.org/learn/education/filipino–canadian/
