|
Filipino Domestic Workers,
Fil-Am Women, and Local Immigrant Communities Find Solace In One Another
this Mother's Day
KABALIKAT and FiRE Celebrate Mother's Day Together
Reference: Valerie Francisco, Chairperson, Filipinas for Rights and
Empowerment (FiRE),fire.nyc@gmail.com
Woodside, NY- Mother's Day was historically founded by Julia Ward Howe in
1870 as a day for mothers to advocate for peace during the Civil War in
the United States. During that time in American history, about 650,000
people lost their lives fighting for the interests of their families'
futures in the face of a changing nation. Currently in the Filipino
community, migrant workers are pressed by the same concern to ensure the
survival of their families' futures in the face of the change promised by
a new administration. Filipinas in the New York City area find new meaning
in Mother's Day by celebrating the mothers who leave the Philippines daily
to seek gainful employment abroad, and supporting the budding population
of Filipina mothers in the U.S. who are thousands of miles away from their
families. Last Sunday, Kalayaan Hall of the Bayanihan Filipino Community
Center was at full capacity, and over 30 mothers from KABALIKAT,Domestic
Workers Support Network, a project under Philippine Forum; and the local
community, including the Jornaleros Unidos, came together to celebrate
Filipina mothers.
Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment (FiRE-NYC) wanted to honor the
mothers of KABALIKAT, who have sacrificed time with their families to
pursue either live-in or full-time jobs as domestic workers and care
givers. Over the four-course meal prepared for KABALIKAT, FiRE also
celebrated their time together with a sharing circle, where participants
talked about their mothers and children, and a special shadow puppet
performance created by members of Anakbayan NY/NJ. During the women's
testimonials, a palpable sense of longing came across Bayanihan Community
Center. It was difficult to hold back the emotions in the room as mothers
evoked the presence of the children, and their own mothers, whom they left
in the Philippines. "Particular to Filipinas, we live in an economy where
financial means determines how we relate to our families in the long run.
Having this space in Woodside with FiRE and KABALIKAT on such a meaningful
day allows us to push through the pain of separation, and convert it to
celebrating those challenges, together," said Bebot Galvan, co-coordinator
of KABALIKAT.
Sunday's guests were also honored by the presence of the Jornaleros Unidos
(Day Laborers United), an organization of immigrant workers from Mexico
and other Latin American countries; as well as John Choe, Chief of Staff
for NYC Council Member John Liu, who announced his electoral campaign for
City Council member at the Mother's Day Brunch. While the FiRE Pinay
Brunch space is usually for Filipinas only, it was amazing to have had
these special guests this past Sunday to enrich the experience, as The
Jornaleros also shared their stories of distance from their mothers and
wives, and one shared a song in Spanish dedicated to all the mothers of
the world.
Cris Hilo, a Southern California native and the current FiRE Vice-Chair
said, "As daughters with our mothers far away, KABALIKAT women have really
filled that gap; we liken them to the mothers we left. They see us as
their daughters. It's an honor to hold that title in the lives of women
who have sacrificed so much." This is the second Mother's Day Brunch
organized in collaboration between KABALIKAT mothers and the FiRE
daughters, many of whom are NYC transplants helping organize a growing
local Filipino community.
"We are also here to celebrate our motherland on Mother's Day," began
Julia Camagong, Co-Executive Director of Philippine Forum,"The Philippines
is in pain because her sons and daugters continue to leave for better
economic opportunities abroad. The Labor Export Policy (LEP) created by
the Philippine government only further encourages her children to leave,
instead of creating opportunities to stay. As migrants, we will continue
to carry the pain of our inang bayan (motherland) with us wherever we
land, as we make sacrifices to ensure the survival of our families. Unless
we find the support of organizations and centers like FiRE,
KABALIKAT,Philippine Forum, and the Bayanihan Filipino Community Center,
and until the Philippine government holds itself to a higher standard, the
separation of families as a result of the highly questionable LEP is the
loss we have to bear on our own."
###
Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment (FiRE) is a mass-based women's
organization serving New York City and its surrounding areas. We connect
the Filipino diaspora to the women's struggle in the Philippines. We are
women of Philippine descent, including those who are migrants, immigrants
and US-born. We recognize Filipino women of mixed heritage and adoptees.
FiRE is a LGBTIQ-(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and
Queer/Questioning) friendly organization that is inclusive of transgender
people of Philippine descent. For more information, please visit
http://www.firenyc.org.
We are a proud member organization of GABRIELA-USA, the first overseas
chapter of GABRIELA Philippines, with babae in San Francisco, Pinay Sa
Seattle in Seattle, WA, and SiGAw in Los Angeles, CA.
FiRE is a member of BAYAN-USA, an alliance of progressive Filipino groups
in the U.S. representing organizations of students, scholars, women,
workers, and youth. To learn more about BAYAN, please visit
http://bayanusa.org/
|
 |
