The Pearl of the Prairies: the History of the Winnipeg Filipino Community
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Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 3-15-2019 1:30 PM The Pearl of the Prairies: The History of the Winnipeg Filipino Community Jon G. Malek The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Bangarth, Stephanie King's University Graduate Program in History A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Doctor of Philosophy © Jon G. Malek 2019 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Asian History Commons, Canadian History Commons, Ethnic Studies Commons, Human Geography Commons, and the South and Southeast Asian Languages and Societies Commons Recommended Citation Malek, Jon G., "The Pearl of the Prairies: The History of the Winnipeg Filipino Community" (2019). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 6193. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/6193 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract and Keywords Canadian historical and national narratives often prize the creation of “White Canada” through immigration from European nations. Significant movements of people from the Asia- Pacific region often get left out of these narratives, even though Asian populations have been in Canada as long as white settlers. Furthermore, the growing body of Asian Canadian literature itself has developed a tunnel vision for East and South Asian immigrants, neglecting myriad other groups from regions such as Southeast Asia. While Chinese, Japanese, and South Asian immigrants have dominated immigration from Asia until recently, other groups such as Filipinos have long been living and working within Canada. Today, the Philippines is the largest source country of immigrants to Canada and yet remains one of the least studied ethnic communities. This dissertation analyzes the history of the Filipino community in Winnipeg to the 1980s, as well as detailing their longer history in Canada. Today, Winnipeg has the third largest Filipino population in Canada, which is the largest in terms of per-capita population. The major research question, “Why Winnipeg?”, forms the heart of this dissertation. What factors in Canada and the Philippines have combined to create the historically vibrant Prairie community? This study first lays out the history of the community to fill a knowledge gap on the Filipino diaspora in Canada, particularly from a historical perspective, analyzing themes of post-Second World War international relations, labour history, and the history of under-development in the Philippines. This analysis argues that a serendipitous confluence of events led to the origins and growth of the Winnipeg Filipino community. After laying this historical foundation, the themes of identity and memory are explored. This dissertation adopts the term “Filipino Self” and the “Filipino Other” to describe how, through the medium of ethnic media, the Winnipeg community negotiated a Filipino identity in the diaspora that directly engaged with the Philippine national identity, demonstrating the tight connection maintained to their Southeast Asian homeland. The analysis then examines the dynamics of historical memory within the community, and the politics that come along with crafting such discussions, through the examination of a museum exhibit celebrating 50 years of Filipinos in Winnipeg. Keywords: Immigration, Ethnicity, Canada, the Philippines, diaspora and transnationalism, ethnic media, history and memory, Philippine State Migratory Apparatus, International Relations, Labour history. ii Acknowledgements I begin by acknowledging that I have researched and written this dissertation while living on Turtle Island, the traditional lands of Canada’s indigenous peoples. While at Western University, I have inhabited the territories of Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Lenape, and Attawandaran peoples. In Manitoba, I have inhabited Treaty 1 lands, which include the traditional territories of the Anishinabek, Assiniboine, Cree, Dakota, Métis, and Oji-Cree, and Métis Nations. Without any doubt, this dissertation and my successes of the last few years would not have been possible were it not for Dr. Stephanie Bangarth. As a new student from out of province, she accepted me into Western with open arms and easy friendship. That has been a very key component – friendship – as we have navigated my development not just as a student but as a professional. Stephanie has shown me the worth of strong values and scholarship, writing about what you believe in, but also all the positive aspects of academia, such as spirited discussion, friendship, and comradery. I came to Stephanie an idealistic student thinking I could change the world, and it is a true testament to her character that I am leaving the program just the same – but no longer a student. Your comments, suggestions, and guidance have led me through this program and made me a better researcher, but your confidence in me and willingness to push me when needed (while giving me the space that is sometimes needed), has made me a better scholar and person. To Dr. Carl Young I also owe a great deal of gratitude. In my first term, the weekly visits for our reading class were intellectually stimulating and personally engaging. Carl has been a strong supporter of my development since our first email exchange. He has come through for me on many occasions and has offered me a Southeast Asian perspective that my iii research has greatly benefited from. Above all, Carl has been a great friend and was there for me during some rocky starts in the program in 2012. His guidance and friendship are greatly valued. My friends, colleagues, and mentors in the Migration and Ethnic Relations (MER) program may never truly know the impact they have had upon me. The nature of the program, and all the people involved – including the numerous colloquium speakers that the program sponsors – limits all the names I can thank, but I must thank Dr. Vicki Esses, Dr. Belinda Dodson, Dr. Stephanie Bangarth and Dr. Teresa Abada. These faculty members helped make MER a welcoming, nurturing, and challenging academic community at Western. All the friendships I have made with MER will never be forgotten, and the lessons I have learned from each of them will forever enrich my life. The interdisciplinary nature of MER and the networks I have forged have enriched my time at Western and shown me the value of stepping outside of my disciplinary comfort zone. My dissertation defense on 31 March 2014 provided me with feedback that set me down the proper path for my research. Dr. Stephanie Bangarth put a lot of effort giving me feedback and comments on my proposal, and comments from Dr. Carl Young and Dr. Shelley McKellar during the defense helped bolster potential weakness in my work as I began my dissertation path. All this research stands on the phenomenal efforts of those who have assisted in its success. On each of my visits to the Library and Archives of Canada, I was also assisted by the ready and pleasant expertise of their archivists. Even the security guards, who without fail helped me open my locker on each visit, contributed to my success. The Provincial Archives of Manitoba and Manitoba Legislative Library were my home for months on end, and not one day did I not feel welcome. I owe particular thanks to Mary Grace Golfo, Martin Julius Perez, Portia Gemma Acuna, and Paul Vincen Avecilla for facilitating my access to Philippine government iv archives. It was not an easy process, but they nevertheless went out of their way to assist me greatly. I have received much institutional support over the last few years. In 2013, I received the Ivie Cornish Memorial Fellowship for receiving the highest standing in comprehensive exams among my batch, and have received other funding from Western such as the Kenneth Hilborn award for conference travel. The University of Manitoba has also offered me significant monetary and institutional support while I conducted research in Winnipeg, such as the Arts Endowment Fund and the J. S. Ewart Memorial fund from the department of history to allow travel to Ottawa for archival research. The University of Manitoba Institute for the Humanities made me a Research Affiliate for three years, which included generous funding and dedicated office space. Without a doubt, David Watt and Paul Jenkins provided a welcome environment and vigorous intellectual opportunities during my time there. There have been countless other people who have helped me think through my project. Dr. Tina Chen from the University of Manitoba has been an invaluable source of ideas and excitement for my research. Even though I was not even a member of the department, she always showed interest in my research, encouraged me to branch out into Asian studies circles, and has supported my development in countless ways. Also at the University of Manitoba, Dr. Adele Perry, Dr. Jorge Nállim, Dr. Mark Gabbert, Dr. David Churchill, and Dr. Roisin Cossar were always willing to hear about my research and give me advice for doing the best I could. At the University of Winnipeg, Dr. Darlene Abreu-Ferreira had long chats with me about the dissertations process as we pored over early modern Portuguese documents. From the Philippines, Dr. Caroline Hau, Dr. Filomeno Aguilar, Jr., Dr. Lisandro Claudio, and Dr. Marita v Guevara each gave me encouragement and advice on how to draw the attention of Philippine based scholars. I have also benefitted from several stimulating conferences where I’ve been able to present my research in various forms of development. The Canadian Historical Association meeting in Ottawa in 2015 provided useful feedback at a time when my research was coming together in a tangible form. The Ateneo de Manila’s Institute for Philippine Culture’s graduate summer school in 2015 gave me a further push into the direction my research has taken by allowing me to share some of my ideas and get feedback on what scholars in the Philippines found relevant and interesting about the Winnipeg Filipino community.