“Solutions to our problems may divide us, but this should never override the unifying need for these solutions.”
Those were words uttered by a young Filipino activist who helped lead an anti-dictatorship student movement in the Philippines beginning in the late 1960s. He was Edgar Jopson, fondly known to his comrades as Edjop, an outstanding student who focused much of his efforts on fighting for the rights of his fellow citizens early on his academic career as a student chair of Ateneo De Manila University and then as president of National Union of Students of the Philippines. Though he began as a symbol for moderate student activists, advocating for electoral reform, in many ways his boldness also drew support from the more radical. In fact, many people remember Edjop for asking the former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos to put in writing that he would not run for a third term in office. He was a humble and soft-spoken man whose views many within the student movement reflected on. His charisma had the capacity to unite them.
After a two-year stint in law school at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Edjop moved on to become an advocate for trade unions and workers’-rights groups. Although he was raised in a fairly privileged household, he was empathetic to the plights of the average Filipino during his time. He was convinced that the material he was studying in law school did not benefit them. His ability to bring together the church and the middle class brought him to a high-ranking position in the revolutionary movement of National Democratic Front, a coalition of far-left-leaning political parties, agricultural unions, trade unions, and other related groups in the Philippines. Because of his significant contributions to the movement, Edjop landed on the military’s list of highly wanted political personalities. He was beaten, tortured, and jailed for his mostly underground anti-dictatorship efforts. On September 20, 1982, he was killed in a military raid. Edjop was 34 years old.
The life of Edgar Jopson depicts tremendous heroism, mettle, and strength in character as a youth during such a challenging period in the political history of the Philippines. Jopson’s passion in fighting and ensuring the freedom of his fellow citizens—regardless of age, gender, socioeconomic background, or occupation—is inspirational.
In light of the recent federal election, to see a slight increase in awareness among young voters on the issues affecting the country is comforting—issues such as the sustainability of the government’s social programs, Canada’s participation in Afghanistan, its efforts in improving international climate-change conventions, and its commitment to foreign aid. Since the mass accessibility of the Internet, the youth are becoming more and more interested and involved in politics. They are now actively asking questions concerning the likes of policy, social justice, and economics. Most importantly, they are reflecting on how their own particular identities relate to all these topics.
For many of the children of first-and second-generation Filipino immigrants, the search for identity involves an introspective examination of their ethnic heritage and history, familial background, and the context in which they live. To reconcile their Filipino ethnicity with their being Canadian remains a challenge. Sometimes, many among them struggle to realize where they belong. This feeling of uncertainty often hinder the process of developing a passion for a particular cause. Call it a clash of cultures, if you will. Many young Filipino-Canadians feel an internal conflict in having to side with one particular culture, instead of choosing both. Little do they know that to adopt the positive aspects of both cultures is the better choice.
Most striking in Edjop’s story was his gift to unite conflicting parties, because they were so blinded by their differences, could not see their matching interests. His efforts as a student to bring different sides together were not in vain. In many ways, they contributed to the now historic people’s power movement, which paved way to the historical events of EDSA Revolution and the eventual deposition of Marcos. Edjop’s exploits show that it is important not to limit oneself to having a singular identity. As Filipino-Canadians, we—especially the young ones—must learn to embrace our uniqueness and not be afraid to contribute to society according to our distinctive paradigms and experiences. In reconciling the internal conflict of our various identities, we can move beyond our inhibitions and fully express ourselves, as both an ode to the endeavors of our heroic predecessors and a commitment to our future. [In our current inspiring story, multiculturalism becomes the best epilogue—Ed.].
Acknowledgment: Special thanks to Risa Jopson, who graciously allowed me to interview her in memory of her father.
Johsa Manzanilla is a graduate of Queen’s University at Kingston, where she was the youngest and first racialized female to ever hold the position of Rector. She is now pursuing her Master’s degree in the realm of human rights, in The Hague, Netherlands.
