Filipino News 171

BUHAY
NZ
06 ISSUE 171 | REUNION 2023 | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.migrantnews.nz | Facebook: Migrant News
www.filipinoheroes.nz : Over a 120 Filipino Kiwi Heroes have been recognised over the years by Filipino News NZ.
B y R i c k y M a t t h e w scarcity of Filipino books impetus for
Balancing her role as a Filipino youth that their
and a shortage of literary the birth of
literary advocate with her culture and heritage can
AUCKLAND - Jade resources in general. the Filipino
full-time job, Munoz thrive in the pages of
Ceres-Munoz, a devoted Recognizing this deficiency,
Children's
embodies the idea that pas-
books and in the experi-
advocate for preserving
Munoz embarked on a Library.
sionate individuals can encing of Batang Pinoy
Filipino culture in New
Zealand, has taken an
make a significant impact
on their community. The
events. By actively engaging
with these stories and
innovative approach to
Filipino Children's cultural celebrations they
enriching the lives of
Library and Batang Pinoy embark on a lifelong journey
Filipino youth who are
growing up far from their
not only provide access to
books, but also reignite the through the world of
literature and their rich
ancestral homeland.
joy of reading and cultural heritage.
Munoz, who leads the
appreciation among Filipino News, New
‘Filipino Children's
Filipino youth in New Zealand’s only Filipino
Library’ and organizes
Zealand.
community newspaper,
children's events under the JADE CERES-MUNOZ has been nominated for
Munoz acknowledges recognizes Jade Munoz's
banner of ‘Batang Pinoy’,
the Filipino Kiwi Hero Award 2024 for
that rekindling a love for dedication to promoting
is nurturing the essence of
Outstanding Community Leaders
reading takes time and Filipino culture through
Filipino heritage
Not all superheroes wear capes
the power of reading
by encouraging a
and to reconnecting
love of reading
young minds to the
among the
joy of reading and the
younger generation.
richness of their her-
mission not only to fill the Munoz seized the opportutives
within the communi-
perseverance. Her commititage
through Batang
Munoz's own journey as void for her own family, nity to digitize stories and ty, Munoz highlights the ment to nurturing cultural Pinoy events and the
a literary enthusiast is but for the Filipino community
make them accessible to eagerness with which peo-
identity through literature Filipino Children's
deeply rooted in her family
as a whole. children seeking Filipino ple search for books and and cultural events is evi-
Library. She will be receiv-
background. "I've always "My daughter is the one stories, but lacking access engage with cultural dent in her work with the ing a Filipino Kiwi Hero
been into literature who inspired me to sell to them.
events. Yet, she notes a Filipino Children's Award for Filipino
because I grew up with books," Munoz says, highlighting
The Filipino Children's broader transformation in Library and Batang Pinoy. Community Leaders dur-
books and both my parents
the pivotal role her Library and Munoz's progress. "People are look-
In the multicultural ing the Philippine
are writers," she reveals. family played in steering Batang Pinoy events have ing for books. However, landscape of New Zealand, Independence Day
This profound connection her towards this path of literary
become lifelines for they don't always use Jade Munoz's literary cru-
Celebrations in 2024.
with storytelling and literature
advocacy. Her aspi-
Filipinos in New Zealand books to teach their chilsade
and
served as the catalyst rations led her to import seeking culturally resonant dren," Munoz observes. cultural initiatives
for her unique mission. Filipino books to New literary resources and "This is reintroducing
When Munoz and her Zealand while she worked looking to engage children them to the concept that serve as
family moved to New with the embassy.
in cultural experiences. reading is such a good beacons of
Zealand, they encountered The onset of the COVID- When asked about the experience for kids to grow h o p e ,
a stark challenge: the 19 pandemic provided the reception of these initia-
up with."
reminding
Schools told to ramp up efforts
to stop racist bullying
By John Gerritsen,
RNZ Reporter
The Education Review Office
(ERO) says schools must do more
to stop racist bullying of children
from ethnic communities.
A report the office published on
Wednesday said one in five children
from ethnic backgrounds
reported racist bullying in the past
month, and nearly a third said
their school did not take the problem
seriously.
More than half reported seeing
people being mean to others
because of their ethnicity or culture
and one in five had read
racist messages, the report,
Education For All Our
Children: Embracing Diverse
Ethnicities, said.
Nearly one in five learners said
they had to hide their ethnic identity
at least once or twice a month,
and a third felt lonely at school
every week or day.
"Too many learners from ethnic
communities experience racist
bullying and racial biases," the
report said.
"And when they raise concerns
they are not always acted on. We
must do better. Every school
needs to be able to prevent and
tackle racism."
The report said the education
system could set firmer expectations
for tackling racism, set up a
system for monitoring it, and give
students stronger avenues to complain
when it was not dealt with.
It could also consider teaching
more languages in schools,
changing the way religions were
taught, and helping ethnic communities
set up their own schools
or special units within schools.
The report included comments
from students.
"I see so many teachers and
staff at my school be racist and
don't care about you because
you're a different race - I hate
when it happens, and it irritates
me a lot. I feel like shouting and
screaming every time something
like that happens," said a pupil.
"I still feel kind of weird taking
Indian food to school as you have
to eat it with your hands. One of
my friends - she is Indian too - got
bullied so
badly for her
food that she
became a
loner. And
she tried to
bring sandwiches
to
school even
though she
didn't like
them, but it
was too
late," said
another.
One student said he did not
report schoolmates for saying
"mean things" because he did not
want to get them in trouble.
Another described girls from
different ethnic communities sitting
together at break times and
"Kiwi" girls opting not to join
them.
The report said about 16 percent
of school pupils were from
ethnic communities, most of them
born in New Zealand, and within
20 years they would account for
nearly 30 percent - most of them
from Asian communities.
SCHOOL ZONE: One in five children from ethnic backgrounds reported
racist bullying. Photo: RNZ/ Nick Monro
In Auckland, 43 percent
of school children would
come from Asian backgrounds
by 2043.
The report said 80 percent students
from ethnic communities
believed their teachers treated
them fairly, but more than one in
four said their ethnicity influenced
the courses teachers recommended
for them.
"Stereotyping of what particular
ethnic groups should aspire to
is very limiting and doesn't enable
students to reach their aspirations,"
a community youth leader
told ERO.
The report said learners from
ethnic communities, especially
Asian children, achieved well at
school, but some groups had bigger
gender gaps and
often wanted higher
expectations from
their teachers.
"Education is not
currently always
reflecting what
whanau from ethnic
communities want.
Four in 10 whanau
from ethnic communities,
and nearly
a third of learners,
do not feel schoolwork
is challenging
enough," the
report said.
It said almost
two-thirds of families wanted
their school to support their mother
tongue.
The report said students from
MELAA backgrounds (Middle
Eastern, Latin American, African)
reported much lower wellbeing
than other students.
It said every school needed to
be able to respond to increased
diversity and tackle racism.
The report was informed by
survey results from 1250 families,
558 students, and 263 teachers.
- RNZ