A Courageous Journey
March 1973, Manila Airport
I’ve recently absconded this photo from my parent’s home. It’s black and white, an odd size, somewhere between an 8X10 and 5X7. I’ve seen the photo more than a dozen times during the course of my life, stuck to the back of one of the many albums my parents keep with family vacations and grade school pics. I’ve never had any real interest in it before – spending only a minute or two scanning the faces of relatives that have long since passed or with who I have no emotional connection with. But in recent years, I’ve come to realize how fortunate I am and what this photo means and how it was the beginning of my life.
This photo was taken the day my 22 year old mother left the Philippines with her two children, Lynn, my sister, who was just over 1 year old and me, 6 months old. You can find us towards the centre – My fair-skinned, beautiful and tall mom, her hair in a high bun, stands behind my aunt who is holding my squirming sister. I’m the chubby baby nearby with a generous amount of hair, sitting like a lump in the arms of my paternal grandmother/Lola. In 22 hours from when this photo was taken, she would travel alone with two babies to Vancouver then to Toronto where my dad awaited her arrival. He had left our island nation first to find a job and home in Canada before his young family joined him in Hamilton, ON. The job paid less then $1/hour and the home was a one room apartment over a storefront. It was humble beginnings, but a beginning nonetheless.
I won’t go into the entire journey of my parents leaving the comfort of home, family and familiarity of the Filipino way of life to come to Canada where the weather, people and customs were so far from their frame of reference. I cannot fathom the bravery it took to leave it all behind to begin a new life in order to give their children all the opportunity they could ever dream of. I’ve only started appreciating it. I wonder what my life would have been if they let fear take over and we stayed put. Would I be like many of my other cousins today, struggling, with no job, no prospects, married with too many kids?
When I peruse the picture now with new eyes, I see the faces of the dozens of family members that drove more than an hour to see us off at the airport – their expressions are a mixture of joy for their sister/daughter/niece/grandchild/cousin, sadness that they would not see us for years and fear – fear that they were being left behind to an unknown fate, when there was a world of possibilities they would never know across the ocean.
I think about all the immigrants, past and present and the courage it takes for them to travel into unknown territory. I would venture that many of us Canadian-born or raised will ever be compelled to leave this country and sacrifice all we know to go to a foreign land, miles away with no support system, for a better life for the future of our children. When we do leave, it’s usually for adventure.
This photo reminds me to always be patient when I encounter an immigrant who is having a little difficulty understanding Canadian customs or speaking English. I remind myself they also survived a journey here and and I think of the kind of bravery it took for them to start a new life in a new world.
Filed under: Uncategorized | 6 Comments
I think this is a priceless piece of insight into immigrant life, and the struggle of those who choose to come here.
I like the message of patience when dealing with someone who is clearly dealing with a fish-out-of-water issue here in Canada.
Bravo Jho.
And bravo to your parents for bringing me my soul mate.
(From T. Loosh)
Your love of family is so strong – perhaps now, even more – because your heart is open to understand their courage and hope for a better life, not only for themselves, but for future generations.
That is a wonderful family photo
Isn’t it amazing to realize what people have overcome to begin a new life in a foreign country. I wish someone had taken my picture as I climbed off the plan when I landed in Manila when I was 17 and eager to begin my adventures as an exchange student. The culture shock was immense and I have much more empathy for new Canadians and people traveling here, far from their homes, family and just the familiarity of a place you grew up in. Thanks for posting this picture and telling your family’s beginning in this wonderful country of ours.
Jho,
you never cease to amaze me…..the pictures you took first of all are amazingly beautiful…that little girl is just beautiful.
The story you wrote was vary heartwarming and just gives me the the courage to do better and appreciate like you said a foreigner. My parents also left a life that was very comfortable to keep, but where driven by what opportunities would be awaiting them here in Canada. Hard to imagine what life would have been like…Fear can paralyze you if you let it and I am glad our parents overcame it. Now it’s our turn to take chances. If I have learned one thing in life it is that there are no MISTAKES to make in life but rather just lessons learned and from that we gain EXPERIENCE. It is what molds us to be the people we are…I believe we grow up everyday and we never really stop…
Thanks Mary! I guess with age brings wisdom. It does put it all on us. The sacrifice they made us should be a catalyst to live our lives better. Miss you!