Philippine Women Centre of BC
Press Release

Art exhibit to break invisibility of Filipinos in Vancouver

March 10, 2010

 
After spontaneous outbursts of patriotism filling the streets, slopes, and arenas of Vancouver’s Olympic Games for the world to see, a ground-breaking multimedia art exhibition is set to challenge the very core of what it means to be Canadian from the perspective of a largely misunderstood and underrepresented population.  Carrying the theme “Shattering our (in)visibility” the show will explore the perceived silence and social exclusion of Filipinos in Canada.

The multimedia display and public dialogue will be presented by the Philippine Women Centre of B.C. (PWC) in collaboration with the Museum of Vancouver.

Saturday, March 27, 2010
Public dialogue 4:30pm (free), Exhibit opening 6:00pm ($30 or $50 with guided tour)
1100 Chestnut Street (near Vanier Park)

“We are valuing and defining for ourselves our place in Canada by tapping into the talent and creativity of local Filipino artists, after many years of being objectified and pushed into the margins of Canadian society,” explained Denise Valdecantos, PWC Chairperson.  “With multiculturalism as a touchstone of national identity and a point of pride for Canadians, we are testing the boundaries of this cultural mosaic to assert and overcome our community’s lack of participation and access to social opportunity,” stated Valdecantos.

The art show aims to raise the profile of the Filipino community which has remained generally invisible in mainstream society.  According to the 2006 Census, Filipinos make up the third largest visible minority population in Vancouver at 78,890.  A recent Statistics Canada study predicts that the Filipino population in Canada could double over the next 25 years and that the visible minority population in Vancouver will actually constitute the majority by 2031.  Despite its relatively large numbers, Filipino-Canadians are underrepresented in social and political affairs.

Over 95% of those entering Canada under the Live-in Caregiver Program, a highly exploitative program that recruits the cheap labour of temporary foreign workers, are women from the Philippines.  These women suffer from all forms of abuse under slave-like conditions, and are sentenced to a lifetime of de-skilling.  Studies have shown that Filipino women make only 52% of the median income of all women in Vancouver.

“Through creative means of expression, a critique of life in Canada will be presented through the everyday stories and struggles of Filipinos in Vancouver,” described Valdecantos. “Overarching themes of migration, labour, family separation and reunification, childcare, and community building will delve into and go beyond the typecast of Filipinos as nurses and nannies,” she continued.

This historic collaboration between the Filipino-Canadian community and the Museum of Vancouver will allow the PWC to showcase its cultural work of empowerment and policy engagement for a wider audience.  The partnership is part of the Museum’s new mandate for development programs that interpret Vancouver by enhancing community collaborations.

The 2-month long exhibit will run from March 27 to May 27.  The event is part of the PWC’s 20th anniversary celebration and funds will support the group’s Building Fund to restore its office (known as the Kalayaan Centre or Freedom Centre) in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

To buy tickets, arrange an interview, or for more information, please contact Leah, Glecy, or Dinah at 604-215-1103.

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