Little Manila Toronto

I had NO IDEA Filipinos love to play basketball.

But it turns out, basketball has been integral to bringing Filipino immigrants together since the sport was introduced to the Philippines in the early 1900s. 

When I visited Toronto’s Little Manila, I met up with my new friends, Aia and Patty, who helped me understand just how important basketball is to our history both in the Motherland and across the diaspora.

I assumed it was like the Little Manila communities I've visited across the U.S. Many of them are at least 50-100 years old, and most of them had highways built through them or have disappeared to make way for new developments. 

But I was shocked to hear that Filipinos had only recently established this area in the early 1990s, mainly as a result of the 1992 Live-In Caregiver Program.

When new Filipino immigrants arrived, many established themselves in the neighborhoods surrounding Bathurst Street and Wilson Avenue, which is now considered to be the Little Manila of Toronto.

Oh, and if you love Filipino food or have never had it and are curious about what it looks like, you’ll REALLY enjoy this episode.

We filmed our conversation over a delicious Filipino meal at Sampaguita Village Family Restaurant located in the heart of Little Manila, à la Anthony Bourdain style.

During our time together, they revealed to me an immigrant story about Filipino-Canadians I never knew existed.

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