The Renfrew-Collingwood neighborhood of Vancouver must have been so proud of their own Cultural Connector Liaison, Crecien Bencio for being a recipient of the British Columbia Multicultural Awards 2015 – Youth Category.
The 22-year old Bencio’s mission to help new immigrants with issues regarding isolation and inclusion drove him to build productive projects that celebrate diversity through literacy, visual, and performing arts.
Determined to empower the youth through a book in collaboration with the Renfrew-Collingwood Food Security Institute, his work showcases resilience and cultural resources by sharing stories in the idea of food.
The Government of British Columbia honored and celebrated over 200 individuals, organizations and businesses from various cultural diversity and indigenous communities from all over BC. Inspirational Filipino Canadian nominees such as MetroVan Independent News publisher Luisa Marshall, Dr. Anna Wolak, Ria Jade, Annette Beech, Ruth Lee to name a few from all over the province were honored at a dinner gala at the Pacific Ballroom, Fairmont Hotel, Vancouver.
Here’s an email interview with Crecien Bencio:
MVI News: What inspired you to promote multiculturalism in BC?
Crecien: I am inspired to promote multiculturalism in BC because as a second generation Indigenous person (My parents are both Ibaloi, an indigenous tribe from the northern Philippines), I advocate for individuals to accept, celebrate, and honour their heritage and their historical roots. In the understanding that the Philippines have faced waves of colonization and the resulting diaspora, my people (and many other Indigenous groups) have been fractured. I continue to learn about my own heritage and find connections within my Indigenous community. I believe it is imperative that youth have the opportunities to explore and find value in their identities or their cultural and historical assets of their heritage will be eroded and eventually disappear. This is what drives me towards advocating and delivering for opportunities where youth can share and learn from each other. Through this process, together we build healthier and inclusive communities.
MVI News: Why do you think that the youth is important in the process of integrating to British Columbia’s multicultural society?
Crecien: I believe that even though youth face forms of marginalization (such as ageism), we have the power to bring meaningful change to our communities. I grew up feeling very isolated and I felt that I did not have much to contribute but from volunteering in organizations such as Collingwood Neighborhood House and Kathara Pilipino Arts Collective I had opportunities where I could contribute and feel valued in my community. Youth have so many different skills and assets that they can bring forward but in this understanding, there needs to be an environment where youth are nurtured and valued for what they can contribute.
MVI News: Is it true that you somehow focused on anti-oppression amongst the “indigenous” in your community work? What type of abuse do you see and what do you do about it?
Crecien: Anti-oppression means addressing the oppression that happens against certain people, based on their identities, and then working towards a way to end the mistreatment, oppression, and violence toward that particular group. In my community development based work in Renfrew-Collingwood in Vancouver, I focus on undoing the oppression of colonial based trauma and providing a space where we can share our stories in whatever form this may take (maybe one day it is a “community kitchen” where we are sharing recipes together, or a creative writing circle where we are talking about how we individually and our history experiences racism, or performing and finding honour in indigenous based traditions or movements). Along with common forms of racism I also want to bring forward conversations on how colonization is like a ripple effect throughout time and relationships, affecting my history, my parents and myself. Through these dialogues we are initiating conversations and questioning our own identities and asking, who are we when we are not who the colonizers say we are?
MVI News: What do you say to the Filipino youth to inspire them to be productive and instrumental into helping others, especially newcomers to integrate in our multicultural society?
Crecien: I was born in Vancouver and my parents were born in the Philippines.
I realize that there are challenges in our relationships because we grew up in two different worlds. My parents do not understand the complexity in the work that I do, and I do not understand the sufferings that they face to give me a life of privileges. We have different ideals, different values, and different goals. To work towards belonging communities, I believe we have to start with our own families. This means learning from one another. This means having the courage to challenge your parents and strive towards your own ideals and goals. Youth are powerful, but we need the freedom explore if we want to work together to bring forth meaningful change and our family needs to be there to support us. Growing up I wanted to be a writer and an artist. I didn’t want to go to university and I wanted to explore and try different things after high school. These thoughts are not very traditional but my parents have always supported me and gave me the freedom to grow and dream.
British Columbia Multicultural Awards 2015
The Government of British Columbia, with advice and support from the Province’s Multicultural Advisory Council, organizes the British Columbia Multicultural Awards (previously known as the Provincial Nesika Awards) to honour and celebrate British Columbia’s cultural diversity and indigenous communities.
The Awards recognize individuals, organizations and businesses whose exceptional work helps bring our diverse cultures together.
2015 British Columbia Multicultural Award Recipients:
- Individual – Henry Yu
- Organization – Vancouver Co-Operative Radio
- Business – Nana’s Kitchen and Hot Sauces Ltd
- Youth – Crecien Bencio
- Multicultural Excellence in Government – Royal BC Museum
