Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance/Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada
Press Release

Members of Filipino Community to Gather Outside the B.C. Supreme Court Today, Show Support for the Lanot Family

July 12, 2006

Vancouver, BC --- As the long awaited sentence hearing for the beating death of Mao Jomar Lanot takes place this morning, Filipino youth in Vancouver will gather at the B.C. Supreme Court (Nelson side) today after the sentencing which will begin at 9:30am not only to show support for the Lanot family, but also expose the role of systemic racism in Lanot’s death. The youth are also calling on Canadian institutions to critically examine the conditions of the Filipino youth and other youth of colour in the school system and to provide genuine support and services for the Filipino community.

“While the sentence handed down today comes after more than two years of waiting for justice, we are here to reiterate that whatever sentence is given, this will not solve the larger problem of systemic racism, which is at the root cause of Mao Jomar’s death,” stated Mildred German of Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada/the Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance (UKPC/FCYA).

Since the unfortunate tragedy of Mao Jomar, UKPC/FCYA has been voicing its position that rather than a simple incident of youth violence, his death is a manifestation of systemic racism in Canadian institutions such as the Vancouver School Board (VSB), Vancouver Police Department (VPD), and Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and the glaring lack of genuine support and services for youth of colour in Canadian society.

“The death of Mao Jomar Lanot is not an isolated case of ‘boys will be boys’ gone wrong or South Asian youth against Filipino youth; it’s about two marginalized communities of colour who have been given little to no chances in this society,” German stated. “The lack of understanding of common issues people of colour are facing is an impact of systemic racism, resulting in being pitted against each other, instead of uniting on common issues,” German added.

On May 29, 2006, UKPC/FCYA sent an open letter to the VSB in regards to the VSB’s statement to the media that the youth group’s allegations of systemic racism in Vancouver schools are ludicrous, and to inform the VSB that UKPC/FCYA remains open to continuing dialogue with the VSB. Up to date, UKPC/FCYA has not received an invitation for dialogue from the VSB.

“The answer Canadian institutions give to our traumatized youth is to feed us their own institutions’ analysis on youth violence and conflict, instead of referring to community groups actively doing anti-racism work. Concepts such as restorative justice is a tool of Canadian institutions which focuses on notions such as victims accepting their situation and offenders recognizing their responsibility. We remain very critical of this, because it paints the picture that youth in our community are offenders, which is not the image we want for our youth,” stated Albert Lopez of UKPC/FCYA.

Systemic racism has intensely impacted the Filipino community. The majority of Filipino youth experience long years of family separation as their mothers are forced to migrate to Canada first under Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s (CIC) temporary foreign worker program --- the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP). After long years of separation, when reunited with their mothers, they are strangers while at the same time they have to contend with adapting to a new life, culture, and society, but with no community-based programs and support services. This process of migration, separation, and reunification is a traumatic experience for the Filipino youth.

“It is therefore not surprising that Professor Geraldine Pratt of the University of British Columbia found Filipino youth have the 2nd highest high school drop-out rate in Vancouver schools, and have one of the lowest grade-point average,” Lopez stated.

Since 1995, UKPC/FCYA has been active in documenting and speaking out against incidents of sytemic racism Filipino youth are facing, and doing grassroots-based anti-racism education and advocacy work locally, nationally, and internationally.

“We will not let Mao Jomar’s death be forgotten. The death of Mao Jomar Lanot reminds us of the harsh reality of what Filipino youth in Canada faces. The justice that the Lanot family and the Filipino community deserve will not be given in full until the root of the tragedy, systemic racism, is done away with,” German concluded.

For more information, please contact: Mildred German or Albert Lopez
Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada/the Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance (UKPC/FCYA)
Telephone: 604.215.1103
Cell phone: 604.773.0185
Email: ukpc_fcya@kalayaancentre.net
Website: www.kalayaancentre.net