“I was just thinking last week that out of all the (recent) immigration to Canada it is the Filipino people that I love the most,” Judge David Chow said to a round of applause.
Judge Chow was speaking to about 450 people at the Moose Jaw Filipino Community’s annual Family Day Basketball Tournament on Saturday morning.
“Your culture meshes so well with that of the Canadian culture because you are hard working. You are humble, and you are kind; qualities that Canadians cherish,” he said.
Judge Chow spoke about his family’s roots as immigrants to Canada and how things are so much better today than before the turn of the century.
In the past there were policies and laws discriminating against Chinese immigrants, something which directly impacted the Chow family.
He told the story of his great grandfather - Charlie Chow - who came to Canada 125 years ago. Charlie had come to Canada as a 20-year-old with his older brother.
Judge Chow said the older brother had stayed in Vancouver and ran a business while Charlie “for some reason came to the Prairies to Moose Jaw, and that was before the province of Saskatchewan was a province.”
“His reasons for coming out west have been lost in time. We can only imagine now what the driving force was to come here.”
The family did know that during the time of Charlie moving to Canada, it was almost exclusively men who immigrated from China.
“The doors were essentially closed to women and children, because in the minds of the government of Canada Chinese women and children were not conducive to the growth of labour, industry and the economy,” he said.
Judge Chow said it is hard to imagine how lonely it was for the Chinese men to be alone in a strange country and “unable to speak the English language and often mistreated by the white European population.”
The laws only changed in the 1940s and 1950s making possible family unification.
“In Charlie’s case he had already been in Canada for 50 years by that time. He had left his wife and baby daughter in China before 1900 and he had never returned.”
The length of separation had Charlie finding someone else in Canada.
“By 1950, by the time his wife and child could have come to Canada, he had already been married to his Romanian wife for 40 years, and helped raised his six Canadian born children,” Judge Chow said.
Judge Chow said for the Filipino community, things are much different today.
“You have the wonderful fortune of being able to come to this country with your spouses, your children, your siblings and your parents,” he said, adding “and to come to a country that is much more accepting as well than a century ago.”
“What a tremendous opportunity to share the experience of a new country and a new life together with your loved ones.”
Judge Chow said it was “fantastic” to see people coming out and spending time together as families and a community.
“It is the family bond that makes us all stronger and gives us comfort and stability.”
Judge Chow encouraged the Filipino community to be more active in the wider community.
“I encourage you, as difficult as it might seem, to occasionally step out of that comfort zone of that immediate family and get involved in the greater community of Moose Jaw.”
Judge Chow said his great grandfather had to adapt and come out of the box to have a life in Moose Jaw.
“In Charlie’s case, he had no choice but to learn the language and blend into Canadian culture because he had no family with him here in Moose Jaw.”
He said despite the difficulties for his great grandfather, his efforts benefited his children and subsequent generations as they were accepted in both the Chinese and white cultures.
“If you haven’t built a bridge or formed that relationship with other Canadians, I would begin.”
Judge Chow said he strongly believed “we owe what we have to the struggle of our parents and our ancestors.”
“That is something we must honour as young people, by working hard to make a difference for the generations to come and not squander the opportunities we have been given,” he said.
“This city is thrilled to have you. You make Moose Jaw a better place.”
