From: The Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples/Filipinos/Anita Beltran Chen
The numerous Filipino voluntary associations across Canada provide effective mechanisms through which the community’s cultural heritage is preserved. Varied as the objectives of these organizations may be – social, cultural, recreational, or professional – they provide the opportunity for Filipinos to come together, and they reinforce the traditional values held by the group as a whole. For example, regular potluck suppers provide occasions on which to share traditional cuisine, sing folk songs, play Filipino music, perform familiar dances, and discuss the latest events taking place in the home country. Through the associations, members are able not only to provide entertainment for themselves but also to introduce such traditions to the general Canadian public. Parents encourage their children to take part in dances and familiarize themselves with Filipino songs and music. For their part, the young people are enthusiastic about showing how well they can perform the dances and how attractive they look in traditional costumes made especially for these occasions. The events thus provide satisfaction to both the older and the younger generations. Senior members of the community are assured that their cultural heritage has not been lost as a consequence of immigration to a foreign country, and the younger ones are proud to carry on this heritage and to represent the community.
Filipino-Canadian newspapers and magazines also serve as important vehicles for the community to keep in touch with other immigrant groups and with important developments in the homeland. The newspapers cover the activities of the various organizations, including meetings and the election of officers. They also report social events in the community, such as baptisms, weddings, birthday and anniversary celebrations, and beauty pageants, as well as carrying obituaries. The successes of Filipino businessmen, professionals, and politicians are frequently highlighted. Immigration requirements, licensing regulations, and other legal matters are included in order to provide up-to-date information relevant to the needs and concerns of the community. As well, the publications report the visits of prominent Filipino professionals, politicians, artists, and movie stars to Canada. Having access to this varied and useful information through the ethnic press develops a sense of group consciousness conducive to the maintenance of the community.
Beginning in the mid-1980s, the Canadian government provided funding for heritage-language instruction, which allows children from immigrant backgrounds to learn the language of their parents while they are becoming integrated into mainstream Canadian society. Like other ethnic groups, Filipino Canadians responded to this opportunity. Weekend classes are conducted in Pilipino in a number of cities for children of Filipino descent. Many of these children came to Canada when they were young. Although they spoke Pilipino when they arrived, they soon forgot the language because they ceased to use it. As well, the new generation of Canadian-born children has not had much chance to learn Pilipino. Parents have recognized the advantages provided by the heritage-language program and have encouraged their children to attend the classes. In addition to language instruction, the program provides an opportunity for Filipino children to learn about the tradition, culture, and history of their own people. The retention of language and culture through this program has also contributed to the maintenance of group identity by Filipino Canadians.
Most families still make their favourite Filipino dishes according to the traditional ways of cooking. They are able to do so because the ingredients are available in Filipino and Asian food stores in Canada. Traditional food is especially common in families where a grandmother is part of the household. These older women prepare Filipino food, a skill in which they have had many years’ experience. As well as constituting the daily food in most Filipino-Canadian households, such dishes are the preferred cuisine in larger gatherings, such as potluck suppers and other festivities and celebrations.
Another factor that enhances group maintenance is religion. The fact that the overwhelming majority of Filipinos are Roman Catholics contributes to solidarity within the community. Young and old alike participate in religious rituals, festivities, and celebrations, which have their own symbolic significance to the group as a whole. Family and kinship networks also provide a strong basis for group maintenance. It is within the family setting that traditional Filipino values are transmitted to the growing children. The presence of grandparents in households is especially valuable in conveying these values to the younger generation, and children are expected to obey and show respect for their elders. Although there has been some erosion of these standards as a consequence of outside influences, Filipino parents and grandparents endeavour to pass them on to the generation born and raised in Canada.
Return visits to family and friends in the Philippines are another way of keeping in touch with both people and culture. The extent to which contacts with relatives in the home country are maintained varies from one family to another, but the majority of Filipino Canadians continue to visit the homeland during regular vacations or at special occasions such as Christmas, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, or the death of a loved one. It is not uncommon for Filipinos in Canada to return home to be at the bedside of a dying family member if time permits; otherwise, they go to pay their last respects to the departed. A strong kinship tie is thus extended in times of joy or sorrow. In addition, members of the community carry on regular correspondence, make long-distance telephone calls, and send gift parcels and remittances, all of which serve to strengthen family bonds. Contacts of this nature also help to foster group identity and contribute to the maintenance of the Filipino community in Canada.
