FILIPINO TABLE ETIQUETTE PUNISHED

In a recent article in Montreal's The Chronicle newspaper, a seven-year old Filipino boy was punished for what his lunch monitor calls disgusting eating habits. Here's the article.

I do this and so do my kids...eating by filling the spoon by pushing food on the plate with a fork.

Responses from shool officials include, "Madame, you are in Canada. Here in Canada you should eat the way Canadians eat." And, “If your son eats like a pig he has to go to another table because this is the way we do it and how we’re going to do it every time.”

Yes, very prejudiced and racial it appears. This bothered me.

I didn't sleep well last night. As a father of a second grade boy myself, it disturbed me to hear how that little boy was treated. On the surface at least, this appears to be a blatant disrespect to the Filipino community. So, this morning, I cleared my meetings to make a few phone calls.

First, I called the Commission Scolaire Marguerite Bourgeoy, school board for the Quebec area, to talk to Brigitte Gauvreau who is the spokesman for the CSMB. Second, I called Ecole Lalande primary school to talk to Normand Bergeron who is the principal of the school. Last, I called The Chronicle to talk with Andy Blatchford the reporter of the article. In all cases, I only got voice mail. I left my contact information and let all know that the Filipino community around the world is watching this with great interest.

So I get a phone call back from the CSMB school board and talked at great length with France Pilon, Vice Director General for the CSMB. I suspect the principal called the CSMB spokesman and the spokesman called her boss when I left voicemail messages. I spoke freely and candidly about my concerns of what appeared to many the suppression of Filipino ethnic and cultural practices not to mention my concerns around the poor handling of this issue by the educators of the school.

She assured me that the accounts that were written in the newspaper are grossly inaccurate. The use of the word "Pig" was never used by the principal (according to him) but admits she was not there. The disciplinary action of separation from other students did happen by the monitor but was a result of the boy's behavior not the use of utensils in our Filipino way. According to her, the boy was in a hurry and was stuffing food in his mouth. Food was getting all over him, the floor and other students who were watching and laughing. She was quick to point out that the boy has been in this school for three years and in that time not once was he ever disciplined for how he used his spoon and fork. She also points out that the school system comprises of anywhere between 50-60% immigrants representing at least 30 countries and that the system respects all cultures.

In Ms. Pilon's belief, communication is partly to be blamed as well. On one hand we have a heavy French-speaking community (most I spoke with spoke to me in French first and later with not the best English). And on the other hand they have a newspaper that wants to sell. The mother speaks very little French I was told as well.

Andy Blatchford, the Chronicle Reporter, and I finally spoke yesterday as well. We talked at length and from his perspective, all the details he described in his article are accurate and factual. I told him of the shool board’s denial of the use of “Pig” and their continued assertion that the principal and lunch monitor didn’t discipline based upon how the boy used the utensils in our Pinoy way. Their repeat denials weren’t surprising to him. He contends what he wrote were the facts.

Andy admits that he is surprised by how much attention his article has generated. It may even have attracted the attention of certian Filipino organizations in Canada as well. All good news I think even though in this particular case we may not see satisfaction in the way we'd like. So I think we should be pleased that many Filipinos have stepped forward to voice their disapproval over this matter. Every voice counts when it comes to demonstrating that we are not a silent and passive group.

We did discuss the possiblity of him writing a follow up article focused around cultural sensitivity. It’s a sensitive topic between French and non-French speaking Canadians. And it’s a very relevant topic today in the United States with talks on immigration reforms.

He gave me his personal email address. So if any of you have suggestions, writings, and opinions on how we can help Andy write his follow up article, let me know and I will forward to him.

At this point, without speaking to the principal and the mother, I don't have a complete picture. I do question the media and at the same time I think the Vice Director General has to defend her board. Regardless, I think we need to all keep on our guard when there's even a hint of ethnic or cultural suppression in my humble opinion and question it aggressively and to hold others accountable to at least explain themselves.

If you'd like to call to help drive our message, here are a few key numbers.

France Pilon - CSMB Vice Director General - 514-855-4500
Normand Bergeron - Ecole Lalande Principal - 514-855-4238
Andy Blatchford - The Chronicle Reporter - 514-685-4690

Also, here's a list of online articles on the subject.

Filipino table etiquette punished at local school

Food fight angers Filipinos