‘Pinoy Town’ in Vancouver draws mixed reactions
Posted at 01/11/2012 5:12 PM | Updated as of 01/11/2012 5:12 PM
VANCOUVER BC – A campaign to designate an area as “Pinoy Town” in Vancouver is receiving mixed reactions from the Filipino community.
More than 3,000 signatures of support have been gathered by the “Pinoy Town” campaign. Many Pinoys said they are excited to finally have a place they can call their own.
“It’s a point of pride. Sasabihin mo na meron tayong lugar, gaya ng Chinatown or Little Saigon. So, magkaroon din ng Pilipino Town,” said local restaurant owner Jocelyn Domingo.
However, Tomas “Tatay Tom” Avendano, of the Multicultural Helping House Society, is not happy with the idea.
Avendano said having a designated area called “Pinoy Town” is divisive and Filipinos should try and focus on embracing their new life as Canadians.
“There are only four or five Filipino-owned stores on this street. There are so many stores that are non-Filipino. What would they think?” said Avendano.
For his part, Jojo Quimpo, a community organizer spearheading the campaign, explained that they don’t mean to exclude non-Filipinos.
He explained that Filipinos, as the third biggest ethnic population in British Columbia, deserve to have a place that will showcase their business and culture.
Quimpo said that everyone will have a chance to be heard when they begin consultations with the different sectors of the community before forwarding their proposal to the Vancouver City Council.
A newspaper report earlier said that the Vancouver City Council urged the proponents of Pinoy Town to have a clear idea of what they want.
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