Since first arriving in Canada, the Filipino community has contributed invaluably — and too often invisibly — to the fabric of Canadian society. In this anthology of Filipino-Canadian writing, Magdaragat explores the diverse intricacies of these growing yet underrepresented peoples, continuing the vital work of recognizing and celebrating their cultural contributions.
The forty-three contributors to this anthology hail from across Turtle Island. They provide their singular yet universally resonating insights through stories of new homes and old homelands, of untangling internalized racism and championing solidarity, of the chasms within intergenerational households and the work of repairing them, and more. Poems, essays, short fiction, plays, and speeches — their works collected here showcase a wide breadth of Filipino-Canadian experience.
Through stories of sacrifice, violence, and discrimination interspersed with stories of success, recovery, and solidarity, Magdaragat delves into Filipino-Canadian history, the joys and struggles of its present, and the hopes and aspirations for the future.
“Magdaragat: An Anthology of Filipino-Canadian Writing arrives at a pivotal moment when Filipinos in Canada, especially artists, are radiating their talent and sharing diverse experiences with the globe. We are more than prepared; our cultural vitality is in full bloom, at its most potent.”
“By striving to come up with this anthology, the editors and contributing writers have embraced the challenge to speak from their hearts and in the process they have truly become ‘mystic wanderers in the land of perpetual departures.’”
“Magdaragat provides ample and eloquent proof of the Filipino-Canadian’s desire to reconnect with the homeland while charting their own course in the new country … The Fil-Cans have spoken, and theirs are voices worth listening to.”