ACAM 447 Journal Reflections
WEEK 1: Sept 17th
This week we discussed Deconstruction and Reconstruction: Systems Thinking in the context of Migrant Mental Well-being.
I really admired using the method of stories and storytelling to change systems. It offers a more accessible way to relate to certain ideas. I’ve always had a hard time understanding concepts and theory but when I hear from the lived experiences from people it becomes more valuable. However, I do see the value in theory. Bell Hooks once talked about how theory is a liberatory practice. She says it is a form of healing practice, an opportunity for someone to make sense of what’s going on in their life. To hooks, theory can be liberation and intervention in an understanding of why situations in our lives occur. This is related to a quote from James Baldwin who said “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read.” This is why I am interestesed in this course. I want to tell my story, listen to others and also apply theory to the experiences so that we could move toward collective healing and liberation.
This week we also watched the film “In the Shadow of Gold Mountain” which uncovered stories from the last survivors of the Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act. I was really surprised to learn about the tax movement that was relevant. It made me think about how we don’t often talk about the stories and narratives of those resistings and enacting change. Or at least I don’t remember these instances. Why do we never hear about everyday people taking a stand? Indeed, learning about the revolutionary history of the Philippines has made me feel a connection to our past, and inspires me to follow in the footsteps of those before me.
In the film, there was a man that had a sign saying “Am I really Canadian?”. This makes me think of something that resonated with me when a friend said “Are you really living the Canadian dream if your people are still struggling?” It adds to what my identity is like here as someone in the Filipino diaspora. Not knowing where to call home and feeling grief about a place that I hardly have spent time living in.
WEEK 2: Sept 24th
This week we talked about Identity Evolution: Experiences of Diasporic Asian Youth. The presentation was facilitated by Ysa who is also Filipina. I enjoyed listening to her anecdotes. This reminded me of the importance of youth mentorship in our communities and how I wish that I had a mentor growing up.
On Wednesday we also watched a very interesting video called Dine with Hasan Minhaj, Eugene Lee Yang, and Michelle Kwan| Recipe for Change. I really enjoyed the concept of this video because food can be a bridge to someone exploring and navigating their cultural identity. For me, the only way I connected to my Filipino culture was through the knowledge of food. Indeed, being second-generation and being born in Vancouver I often feel distant from my Filipino heritage and it was only until in 2020 I started learning more about my heritage and culture. I also really enjoyed how it brought Asians from all different backgrounds. One thing that I feel is often excluded in the conversation is the class analysis and I felt that that video talked mostly about representation rather than liberation. It is important to understand that our liberation is ultimately tied together, we need to unite on issues and uplift the national consciousness.
WEEK 3, Oct 1st
This week we discussed Asian and Queer: Intersections of Gender, Sexuality, and Mental Health. Ethan’s presentation helped me remember the terms and symbols relating to LGBTQ. Personally, I was excited for this conversation and the discussion that was had because I was comfortable in talking about my bisexual awakening and how that has changed how relate to the world. I feel that it was a big change in my life and perspective and is still something that I am exploring. It was reassuring to have a space to discuss these The video we watched was really good and talked about class solidarity and queer resistance. I thought that it would be more of a surface-level documentary but it surprised me to see the criticisms of capitalism. Again, relating to the first journal entry I really enjoyed the visibility of the resistance that happened throughout history.
WEEK 4, Oct 8th
This week was my presentation and it is a topic that I’m passionate about and have a close personal connection with regarding the type of activist work that I’m engaged with.
The article titled “For this generation of Filipino-Canadians, broken policies have left a scar” can lead to family separation. The reality is, no one wants to leave their family. Unfortunately because of socioeconomic conditions, people have no other choice. My mom was the youngest of 7 siblings and she left the Philippines by herself. First going to Singapore and then going to Canada. Until now, all her immediate family is still in the Philippines. I often wonder what she hasn’t told me about her struggle of doing it all alone.
We also had a presenter, Gabes Torres whose words were very resonating. Her presence was inspiring because I have been following her work for a while and we have the same values that are rooted in revolutionary community love. One thing that stuck with me was when she mentioned the memory of those 13 generations before us. Certainly, when I went home that night I asked my mom more about my ancestors and I learned something new, that they were farmers and with this newfound knowledge, I feel that part of my calling is to do more agriculture and know different foods. In addition to our conversations about intergenerational trauma, we talked about decolonizing mental health practices and talked about various medicines such as community. This reassured me that my community can be my medicine.
WEEK 5, Oct 15th
The topic for this week is on Exploring Subjectiviees: Cultural, Ideological, Religious Values and Mental Health. Indeed religious institutions can be a place of community and safe for many immigrant communities. At church they often offer resources.
One thing that Alya mentioned in her presentation is the shame that can come with seeking mental health. We often hear in the community that if we have a problem to just “pray it would go away” this leads to becoming more resilient and not seeking mental health. Indeed, there is so much shame.
My relationship with my religion is difficult. I grew up catholic and went to church, however, I never found the community that I wish I had. I thought that I would be held with care but was met with feeling objective and only subscribing to a list of rules. I was absorbing everything passively and no one had really shown me how to love and care. My parents even put me to do altar serving which became a boring task to do.
I do see the positive of religion and faith in mental health. I particularly follow the line of liberation theology which seeks to lift people out of their socio-economic conditions. Jesus after all was for the poor and oppressed. Therefore, I don’t see why someone cannot adopt those same values and principles. Below are some bible verses on migration that resonated with me as they emphasized the duty to help our neighbours foreign or not. I thought that this was relevant to the topics we discuss in class.
WEEK 6, Oct 22nd
Today we talked about access and representation: “Multicultural Canada” and Mental Health Care for Asian-Canadians, as well as Systems, Thinking Within the University.
Often the University often is a space that is unsustainable in terms of mental health. There is so much pressure as a student. For a research institution with a lot of money, it is ridiculous how little they put into adequate mental health services. For me personally, when I tried accessing a counselling service at UBC I was met with more bureaucratic processes and I didn’t feel like I wanted to carry this out.
In class we also had discussions talking about the high tuition fares for international students. Indeed, Canada is relying more on International student fees and the profit that they may bring. The history of settler-colonial Canada is built on the backs of migrant labour and migrants are seen as an investment. How can we shift the perspective to people over profit?
Canada also prides itself on being a multicultural country however they also directly are complicit in the displacement of Indigenous people in so-called Canada as well as around the world. For example, Canada has many mining companies in various countries in Latin America as well as the Philippines. Indeed, the resistance of the land defenders there is met with repressive forces. Below is an article about Land Defenders in the Philippines who are being killed for protesting Canadian Mining. One of the land defenders who has been targeted is Chandu Claver who is now in so-called and who I work closely within my work with Damayan BC Society Migrant Resources and Education.
WEEK 7, Oct 29th
This week the topic was police systems and community-centered alternatives. This was the topic that felt most invigorating in my opinion. It added the most imagination to my mind as it’s important to think in transformative ways. It wasn’t until the black lives matter protests in the summer of 2020 that I engaged myself in the discourses on prison abolition and informed myself about the prison abolition system. It’s not a coincidence that the U.S has the most people incarcerated. I feel that when you learn more about how these systems work, the more you can relate it to other parts of the world. The systems are all connected
We also had a speaker, Gabes Torres to speak to us about prison abolition. Her words were so resonating and I was sad that this would be the last time we saw her.
WEEK 8, Nov 5th
This week we talked about collective liberation: anti-racist allyship and activism in BIPOC communities. We discussed mutual aid. Also, it’s important that in order to achieve collective liberation, there needs to be Indigenous sovereignty. Unfortunately, I missed the presentation by Michelle but I feel that my own experiences in these activist spaces have given me knowledge about how cross-solidarity and alliance building occurs.
The reading about bad feelings was super interesting to me as it made me think about ways we can ignite feelings in action. I also feel that it is important to have solidarity with Indigenous peoples here. When I look at land acknowledgement statements, I look at it as positioning myself as someone whose migration story is also rooted in colonization. Knowing that Spanish colonization and American colonization in the Philippines is related to the socio-economic condition there.
WEEK 10/WEEK 11, Dec 3rd
This week was a good ending and culmination to the course because the conversation was on healing. Gurleen was great at presenting and delivering ideas about healing. It is also a good reminder of what we should be moving toward as a society.
Also, this was close to the date when my organization had an event called art for healing and liberation for UBC THRIVE. In this event, we discussed mental health as a reflection of our material conditions. Art is a reflection of our material conditions but it can also be a tool to awaken the potential to change our conditions. This makes me think of the other ways in class that we have talked about the ways we can move forward with collective healing and liberation. Healing is not linear and there is so much to do and the conversations that we had in the class can translate to what we do in our everyday life. I’m so appreciative of this class and the people in it.