Kwentong Migrante

On this month’s episode, Kilalanin ang Migrante Canada: Ang Pag-uugnay ng Aktibismong Migrante sa Ibayong Dagat/Get to Know Migrante Canada: Connecting the Dots of Migrant Activism Overseas, we sit down with Migrante Canada’s Chairman, Danilo de Leon, and Secretary General, Stef Martin. They discuss their migration journey from the Philippines, diving deeper into problems facing the country that force people to leave. They link this to the experiences that made them both become involved with migrant activism and eventually organizing with Migrante Canada. This sparks a discussion about Migrante Canada’s specific campaigns that support the most vulnerable migrants, like those who are undocumented, and reflecting upon their migration journeys, they share their advice for youth here who want to get involved with and support migrant workers, prompting them to learn about their history and why they're here. Linking this back to our previous episode, Danilo and Stef offer their insights on issues migrants need to watch out for in the 2022 elections in the Philippines.At the time of this episode release, the south eastern Philippines has been hit by Typhoon Odette (Rai), leaving communities in Negros, Iloilo, Palawan, Bicol, Southern Leyte, Bohol, Cebu and Surigao del Norte reeling, as many of these communities are still recovering from previous disasters. Migrante Canada is reactivating the Sagip Migrante calamity support project and calling for urgent financial donations to be directed to BAYAN Philippines relief efforts on the ground. During this time of giving, please consider supporting typhoon victims facing extreme hardship. To learn more about how to donate, see the link below!Links:Read Migrante International’s 10-point electoral demands for the 2022 Philippine Elections on behalf of overseas Filipino workers: https://www.rappler.com/nation/overseas-filipinos/worker-groups-issue-demands-electoral-agenda/ Donate to Migrante Canada’s emergency call to support Typhoon Odette/Rai victims in the Philippines: https://www.instagram.com/p/CXmK0SApfzx/ Watch the film The End to Immigration?, which features Danilo: Vimeo/Multi-Monde: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/45394Learn more about the International Migrants Alliance, of which Migrante Canada is a member: https://imacanada.blogspot.com/ Follow @kwentongmigrantepodcast on Instagram to stay up to date with all our episode releases.Find our groups here:Migrante BCWebsite: migrantebc.com Facebook: @MigranteBC Twitter: @MigranteBC Sulong UBCWebsite: sulong.caInstagram: @sulong.ubc Facebook: @sulong.ubc Linktree: @sulongubc Damayan BCWebsite: damayanbc.ca Facebook: @DamayanBC UBC Science Undergraduate Society Black, Indigenous and People of Colour Extraordinary Working GroupInstagram: @susbipoc Linktree: @SUS.BIPOC

On this month’s episode, Mahalaga ang boto mo, Mahalaga ang boses mo!/Your vote, Your Voice for Filipino Overseas Absentee Voting!, Kwentong Migrante explores the upcoming election in the Philippines, as Erie interviews two Filipino migrants, Hessed Torres and Perry Sorio. Both guests share their experiences with registering for Overseas Absentee Voting and also discuss what they believe are some of the most relevant issues to Filipino migrants in this election. Reflecting on the voting system, Hessed and Perry also discuss their thoughts on the current regime, specifically on its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, human rights violations, extrajudicial killings and the drug war, and offer their personal messages to Filipino migrants (considering) voting in this election.There will be a mobile overseas voter registration session put on by the  Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver, at St. Mary the Virgin South Hill Church in Vancouver, BC on 20 August 2021, from 9am-12pm. For more information: https://www.vancouverpcg.org/advisory-no-31-2021-mobile-registration-and-consular-services-in-vancouver. Funded by the UBC Community Engagement Partnership Recognition Fund. Follow @kwentongmigrantepodcast on Instagram to stay up to date with all our episode releases.Find our groups here:Migrante BCWebsite: migrantebc.com Facebook: @MigranteBC Twitter: @MigranteBC Sulong UBCWebsite: sulong.caInstagram: @sulong.ubc Facebook: @sulong.ubc Linktree: @sulongubc Damayan BCWebsite: damayanbc.ca Facebook: @DamayanBC UBC Science Undergraduate Society Black, Indigenous and People of Colour Extraordinary Working GroupInstagram: @susbipoc Linktree: @SUS.BIPOC

This month has brought to light many atrocities which remind us that our activism, organizing, and international solidarity is a continuous project. During the recording of this episode, news of the remains of 215 Indigenous children in the Kamloops Residential School and 104 potential graves at the Brandon Residential School have continued to spark demands for justice and healing, and for accountability from the settler-colonial Canadian government. We continue to join with Indigenous communities on Turtle Island and around the world to uphold their rights to their land, livelihoods, resources, and self-determination. We also grieve with Muslim communities in the aftermath of the racist attack on the Pakistani-Canadian family in London Ontario, which speaks volumes about the ongoing Islamophobia and white supremacist hate crimes that are part of the fabric of Canada. These moments, call on us to maintain our analysis and orientation toward justice for all oppressed peoples around the world. Only by understanding our struggles can we see how these global movements for liberation contribute to and rely on each other for solidarity.  On this month’s episode, Kwentong Migrante commemorates Filiipino Heritage Month and International Domestic Workers Day on June 16. Jestinne and Lara interview Hessed Torres, who came to Canada as a caregiver, and Lui Queano, who came to Canada as a skilled worker. Both guests share their migration stories, what they faced upon arriving in Canada, and why they became involved in organizing for migrant rights. Dwelling on these experiences, they share what Filipino heritage and identity mean for them, and why learning our history is important to understanding our legacy.To learn more about Filipino history and to get involved in local Filipino organizing, join the organizations below and visit https://sulong.ca/filheritage21-details to attend the educational, social, and cultural events by Anakbayan BC, Gabriela BC, and Sulong UBC for Filipino Heritage Month. To contribute materially to grassroots organizing in the Philippines, making a purchase or donating through the Sulong Gumroad store during  June will go towards supporting community pantries, local initiatives emphasizing mutual aid around food insecurity in the Philippines.Funded by the UBC Community Engagement Partnership Recognition Fund. Follow @kwentongmigrantepodcast on Instagram to stay up to date with all our episode releases.Find our groups here:Migrante BCWebsite: migrantebc.com Facebook: @MigranteBC Twitter: @MigranteBC Sulong UBCWebsite: sulong.caInstagram: @sulong.ubc Facebook: @sulong.ubc Linktree: @sulongubc Damayan BCWebsite: damayanbc.ca Facebook: @DamayanBC UBC Science Undergraduate Society Black, Indigenous and People of Colour Extraordinary Working GroupInstagram: @susbipoc Linktree: @SUS.BIPOC

Sheikh Jarrah is a historically Palestinian neighborhood in Jerusalem, rich with culture and resistance. During the recording of this episode, the Israeli government has escalated the violent displacement of Palestinians in the neighbourhood, tearing apart families and separating mothers and parents from their children. Because this month's podcast episode revolves around the love of mothers and caregivers for their children, the Kwentong Migrante podcast team expresses its firm solidarity with the Palestinian people in the face of the ongoing and escalating Zionist settler-colonial violence experienced by Palestinian families. We criticize and condemn state-sanctioned violence, from Palestine to the Philippines to Turtle Island. During a time when families were gathering to celebrate Eid and Orthodox Easter,  these attacks have further disrupted Palestinian communities’  joy and peace. As organizations that believe in land back, decolonization, and anti-imperialism, we demand the Israeli state be held accountable for their war crimes as well as the violent and illegal occupation of Palestine. We demand freedom for Palestine, and are in solidarity with Palestine. If Palestine is not free, no one will be free; long live international solidarity, from Turtle Island, to the Philippines, to Palestine. Save Sheikh Jarrah, Free Palestine! This month’s episode, Mga Liham Ng Pag-ibig Sa Ating Mga Ina (Love Letters to our Mothers), is inspired by Mother’s Day and May Day (International Worker's Day). Christie, Jeff, and Mari share the experiences and migration stories of their mothers before and after moving to Canada. Folks also share love letters to their mothers and their labour, expressing love, gratitude, and many unspoken words, with music from Jeff Solis. Simultaneously, we acknowledge that relationships with motherhood and/or as a mother can be complicated and difficult. As we hold space for many feelings at once, we hope you will tune in to listen to their stories, and feel their love.For more stories, look out for GABRIELA BC’s event in June, which will explore even more mothers’ and caregivers’ experiences.  Funded by the UBC Community Engagement Partnership Recognition Fund. Follow @kwentongmigrantepodcast on Instagram to stay up to date with all our episode releases.Find our groups here:Migrante BCWebsite: migrantebc.com Facebook: @MigranteBC Twitter: @MigranteBC Sulong UBCInstagram: @sulong.ubc Facebook: @sulong.ubc Linktree: @sulongubc Damayan BCWebsite: damayanbc.ca Facebook: @DamayanBC UBC Science Undergraduate Society Black, Indigenous and People of Colour Extraordinary Working GroupInstagram: @susbipoc Linktree: @SUS.BIPOC 

This episode, Land is Life: Indigenous Struggles in the Philippines, is inspired by the historical and on-going struggle of the Indigenous peoples in the Philippines, particularly in the Cordillera and Mindanao. We chat with our guests Igorot Dr. Chandu Claver and Lumad Visual Artist Bert Monterona about their personal stories and journeys from the Philippines, described as the deadliest country in the world for land rights and environmental defenders, to Canada.Chandu and Bert share with us their experiences, personal anecdotes, and Indigenous perspectives as Indigenous Filipinos from the Cordillera and Mindanao, and how these struggles remain alive and strong here in Canada. Listen to Chandu and Bert connect the dots between rich ancestral lands, resource extraction, so-called development to militarization, human rights violations and the struggle for land and self-determination. And beyond that, how do Indigenous peoples from the Philippines look at and respond to the struggles of the First Nations here in Canada? Every April 24 since 1985, the people in the Cordillera celebrate Cordillera Day to remember Macli-ing Dulag, tribal chieftain who was killed for opposing the WB-funded Chico River Dam in 1980 together with the Indigenous people. His death fueled more resistance and more organizations rose to oppose the project and other similar projects. Today, the people in the Cordillera continue to defend their land, life and resources against big mining and development projects in the face of militarization and human rights violations by the military and government.  You can learn more from the Cordillera People’s Alliance here!In Mindanao, the ancestral lands rich in mineral resources and forests continue to be defended by the Indigenous peoples, their land defenders, and their organizations. The military, government and security of the big corporations respond with militarization, raids, red tagging, and other human rights violations which have forced huge evacuations from the indigenous communities. In the additional resources below, watch the story of the Lumads driven from their mountain communities by military and developers. Follow their bakwit (evacuation), especially of the Lumad students who found new homes and schools in the University of the Philippines while fighting for their Lumad schools to open. Funded by the UBC Community Engagement Partnership Recognition Fund. Follow @kwentongmigrantepodcast on Instagram to stay up to date with all our episode releases.Find our groups here:Migrante BCWebsite: migrantebc.com Facebook: @MigranteBC Twitter: @MigranteBC Sulong UBCInstagram: @sulong.ubc Facebook: @sulong.ubc Linktree: @sulongubc Damayan BCWebsite: damayanbc.ca Facebook: @DamayanBC UBC Science Undergraduate Society Black, Indigenous and People of Colour Extraordinary Working GroupInstagram: @susbipoc Linktree: @SUS.BIPOC 

Just days before the release of our second episode eight people, six of them Asian women, were murdered in Atlanta, Georgia in a  white supremacist and misogynist killing spree. This act of anti-Asian and anti-sex worker violence is rooted in US imperialism and militarism in the Asia Pacific region, which continues to exoticize, dehumanize, and frame Asian women as open to sexual conquest, as their homelands are also open to occupation and exploitation. As a podcast dedicated to Filipino migrant worker storytelling we emphasize the conditions that push migrant workers out of the Philippines and into vulnerable occupations of feminized labour, such as sex work, domestic employment, and personal care services - conditions caused by ongoing US imperialist influence in the country. Rising anti-Asian sentiment in Canada, backed by this country’s own history of “Yellow Peril” fearmongering and stoked by US Sinophobic rhetoric, has escalated violence towards Asian people generally and poor, working class, and elderly Asian migrant women and Queer people in particular during the pandemic. As we struggle against the forces of US imperialism which devastate our homelands, we also struggle for labour rights and legal status for all migrant workers, including sex workers, in Canada. We mourn these eight people, and all victims of patriarchal and capitalist violence around the world. For more information on organizations supporting im/migrant sex workers in Canada visit SWAN Vancouver and Butterfly.In this episode (Babae, Bangon!/Women, Rise Up!) inspired by International Working Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, we chat with guests Jane and Belen about their personal stories and journeys as migrant women in Canada. They share with us experiences and personal anecdotes of working as nannies in Singapore and in Canada, the importance of finding community, and how they became active and involved in advocating for migrant rights. Tune in for a conversation that speaks to the reality of the feminization of women migrant labour.Funded by the Government of Canada and the United Way Lower Mainland.Follow @kwentongmigrantepodcast on Instagram to stay up to date with all the podcast's episode releases.Find our groups here:Migrante BCWebsite: migrantebc.comFacebook: @MigranteBCTwitter: @MigranteBCSulong UBCInstagram: @sulong.ubcFacebook: @sulong.ubcLinktree: @sulongubcDamayan BCWebsite: damayanbc.caFacebook: @DamayanBCUBC Science Undergraduate Society Black, Indigenous and People of Colour Extraordinary Working GroupInstagram: @susbipocLinktree: @SUS.BIPOC

In our first episode of Kwentong Migrante (aptly named Nandito Kami/We're Here), host Minaho (UBC Science Undergraduate Society's Black, Indigenous and People of Colour working group) interviews mother-daughter duo Erie (Migrante BC) and Lara (Sulong UBC) to talk about how the podcast came to be, our goals for the podcast, and why our groups, including Damayan BC, think a podcast highlighting the stories and issues of migrant workers is so important.In honour of Family Day, we talk about what family means for Filipino migrant workers who are separated from their families for long period of time, the challenges migrant workers face when they reunite, and the found families that migrant workers create in community with other im/migrants when they organize to fight for migrant rights and collectively struggle to address the socioeconomic conditions that lead migrant workers to leave the Philippines in the first place. Funded by the Government of Canada and the United Way Lower Mainland.Follow @kwentongmigrantepodcast on Instagram to stay up to date with all the podcast's episode releases.Find our groups here:Migrante BCWebsite: migrantebc.comFacebook: @MigranteBCTwitter: @MigranteBCSulong UBCInstagram: @sulong.ubcFacebook: @sulong.ubcLinktree: @sulongubcDamayan BCWebsite: damayanbc.caFacebook: @DamayanBCUBC Science Undergraduate Society Black, Indigenous and People of Colour Extraordinary Working GroupInstagram: @susbipocLinktree: @SUS.BIPOC