Filipinos march the streets of Montreal in support of Cagadoc family

Over 80 members of the Filipino community and their supporters demonstrated in Cote-des-Neiges, the heart of Montreal's Filipino community, to support Luc Cagadoc and his family. Seven year old Luc Cagadoc was punished unfairly for eating his food with a fork and spoon, a customary way of eating for Filipinos.

The Cagadoc family was also present during the march. Theresa Gallardo, mother of Luc Cagadoc, said, "We are so happy to see our Filipino community support us, it gives us inspiration!" Until now, there has been no move on the part of the Marguerite-Bourgeoys school board to apologize for the incident.

"There is a need to demonstrate to show that, as Filipinos, we demand that our children are respected and are accessing quality education," says Emmanuel Macarine, member of Kabataang Montreal, a local Filipino youth organization, "our voices must be heard and it has to be known that this cannot be tolerated.

Throughout the march, demonstrators chanted, "Immigrants in, racists out!" and "C-S-M-B, we demand apology!" and collected over 100 signatures in their petition demanding a public apology to the Cagadoc family and a racism-free environment for their children.

"In a country that prides itself on being multicultural, we should not be forced to conform our eating to the dominant, colonial, and imperialist culture," states Rodney Patricio, member of Kabataang Montreal, a local Filipino youth organization.

Kabataang Montreal has been challenging the Marguerite-Bourgeoys school board to hold a open community dialogue and has held a community forum on the issue of racism in the schools. Their organization is calling for a racism-free environment in the schools, access to quality education, and a public apology to the Cagadoc family and the Filipino community,

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Filipino youth angered by private meeting with Marguerite-Bourgeoys school board

For immediate release
May 20, 2006

Filipino youth angered by private meeting with Marguerite-Bourgeoys school board

"Closed doors lock out the community," states Aaron Santos, member of Kabataang Montreal (KM), a Filipino youth organization, in response to the news of a private meeting between selected members of the community and the Marguerite-Bourgeoys school board (CSMB).

"This meeting does not engage our community and none of our questions or requests will be responded to," says Rodney Patricio, spokesperson of KM. "It will only further divide our community."

After trying several times to contact the CSMB about having a public meeting, the school board was tight-lipped about any of their plans to address the incident with Luc Cagadoc, a seven-year old boy was harrassed and disciplined for practicing his cultural eating habits.

"This is completely unacceptable for an institution to deny the obvious racism that exists within their system," says Santos. "Where they should be apologetic for their actions, they just continue to avoid any accountability on their part."

The Filipino youth group are calling for an open community meeting with the CSMB, a review of their anti-racism programs, access to quality education,
and a guarantee to a racism-free environment in the education system.

On Sunday, May 21st at 5:30 p.m., KM will lead an anti-racism demonstration to protest against the treatment of Luc Cagadoc. Meeting place is at
corner of Victoria and Van Horne (Metro Plamondon). All are welcome to attend - bring your forks and spoons!

For more information, contact Rodney or Joy at (514) 678-3901.

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Local Filipino youth denounce systemic racism by Montreal school board

Local Filipino youth denounce systemic racism by Montreal school board



Statement by Kabataang Montreal (Filipino youth organization in
Montreal)
May 10, 2006

The actions of the Marguerite Bourgeoys school board demonstrates the
depth of systemic racism within the Montreal school system. Completely
within their rights, the Cagadoc family has intelligently spoke out
about their concerns and asked for public support. Furthermore, we
disagree with recent reports that there may have been
misunderstandings, especially when the principal has alluded publicly
that Cagadoc's eating behaviour may not have been intelligent.

We are deeply offended by the reports of actions that took place in
ecole Lalande at Pierrefond involving a 7-year-old boy punished for
eating with a spoon and fork during lunch. It is unjust that he be
punished and secluded to another table for eating with a fork and
spoon.

Within Quebec's inter-cultural and diversity policies, immigrants
diversity is suppose to be celebrated, yet it is these same policies
that must be examined as they continue to hamper their development and
integration. Moreover, this just goes to show the fallacy of the
"tolerant and multicultural society" phraseology used in Canada to
sugar coat the problems of inherent and institutionalized racism that
many of us feel and experience each day.

By directing attention to the child's behaviour only, we see a
diversion tactic on the part of the school board to sweep the facts
under the table and not address the racist behaviour by
administrators. This type of discrimination and ignorance on the part
of school staff and administrators should not be tolerated in Canadian
schools since many Canadians have diverse cultural origins.

This is a prime example of racism and discrimination that we at
Kabataang Montreal won't stand for. The racism and discrimination
towards Filipinos begin with immigration policies like the Live-in
Caregiver Program (LCP) that imports many nannies, more than 90%
coming from the Philippines, to work as indentured slaves in the homes
of Canadians. The LCP creates a second class of workers who have a
different set of rules that apply to them. These are the kinds of
discriminatory policies that are extended to the families of Filipinos
living and working in Canada.

We would like to show to the family of the boy that we are behind them
100% and that they should continue to press on. Kabataang Montreal
will also be acting on our own behalf as members of the Filipino
community for the insult done to our compatriots sharing the same
cultural habits that have been looked down upon. We demand that the
Marguerite Bourgeoys school board make a public apology to the family
and that the Minister of Education conduct a public investigation,
review the anti-racism policies provincially, and ensure that quality
education is accessible for all.


Access for all to quality education!
Stop systemic racism!
Genuine equality and development for all!
Scrap the Live-In Caregiver Program

Cagadoc family receives legal warning from Montreal school board

For immediate release
May 9, 2006


Cagadoc family receives legal warning from Montreal school board

The Marguerite Bourgeoys school board sent a legal warning to the
family of Luc Cagadoc, a seven-year old boy who was punished at school
for eating with a spoon and fork, a customary eating practice for
Filipinos. Incensed by the culturally insensitive school practices,
the boy's family has filed a complaint and made the incident public.

"There is no misunderstanding here, this is clearly an intimidation
tactic by the Marguerite Bourgeoys school board to discourage the
family from speaking out," states Roderick Carreon, Chairperson of
SIKLAB-Canada, a national formation of overseas Filipino migrant
workers in Canada. Carreon furthers, "However, this silencing
strategy is a form of systemic racism and has infuriated the
community. We will not accept this without a fight."

In September 1999, a similar tactic was used by the Vancouver School
Board (VSB), when 25 Filipino youth were stalked and threatened at
Vancouver Technical secondary school. The school's administration
denied that the incident was racist and refused to respond to requests
from the parents to protect these students. All of them eventually
dropped out of school because of the incident. When Ugnayan ng
Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada/Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance
(UKPC/FCYA) made these racist incidents public, the VSB issued the
community organization a letter threatening a libel suit.

"The disciplinary actions and legal threats of the Marguerite
Bourgeoys school board have struck fear into every Filipino parent's
heart," says Joanne Vasquez, Chairperson of the Philippine Women
Centre of Quebec, "they worry that their own children will be
similarly harassed in their schools. Is this the better life in Canada
we sought?"

The majority of the Filipino community enters Canada through the
Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP) as domestic workers, despite being
amongst the highest-educated immigrants in Canada, where they are
deskilled, legislated into poverty, and separated from their families
for years. After working for 24 months within a three year time
period, they are allowed to apply for permanent residency and sponsor
their spouses and children to Canada. Often, Filipino families in
Canada experience more hardship as their children and spouses also
enter the cycle of cheap labour, encountering racism and harassment in
schools and workplaces.

Local organizations in Montreal, Kabataang Montreal (Filipino youth
organization in Montreal), Philippine Women Centre of Quebec, PINAY
(Filipino Women's Organization in Quebec) and SIKLAB-Montreal
(Overseas Filipino migrant workers) will hold a forum on May 10, 2006
at 6:30 p.m. The address is 4180 de Courtrai, Suite 308, Montreal,
Quebec.

For more information, please contact Joanne at (514) 659-4300 or email
at pwcofquebec@gmail.com.

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Get your forks and spoons ready - ANTI-RACISM DEMONSTRATION

***Please forward widely****



Anti-Racism Demonstration

On Sunday, May 21st, Kabataang Montreal (Filipino
Youth Organization of Montreal) will host an
anti-racism demonstration in light of the
incident which took place at École Lalande in which a
7-year-old Filipino boy was punished for eating with a
spoon and fork.

Please join us as we call for an end to systemic
racism and equal rights to quality education. Meeting
point will be
Shaad, Victoria and Van Horne
(Métro Plamondon) on Sunday, May 21st, at 5:30pm.

**BRING YOUR FORKS AND SPOONS AS NOISEMAKERS**


For more information, contact Rodney or Joy at
(514) 678-3901 or (514)803.9046.