Lionel Migrino on Life as a Filipino-Canadian Living with Cerebral Palsy

Meet Lionel Migrino

My name is Lionel Migrino, and I identify myself as a Filipino-Canadian living with cerebral palsy. I am proud of my Filipino roots and to be a member of the disability community. I recognize that I am different, and I have a unique lived experience. I have a passion for photography. As a photographer, one of my goals is to show people that obstacles should never stop you from going on adventures and chasing your dreams. My other passion is social advocacy. I enjoy speaking out on social issues concerning marginalized populations and spreading awareness on inclusivity and equity within my community.

I think I was born into anti-racism/decolonization work. I grew up in the North West, so there was only a handful of People of Colour in school. Growing up in a predominantly white area, I noticed that people treated me differently because of my skin colour. When I started university, I had a formative experience in which I had applied for a guest services position. Management told me that they could not hire me because I could be a liability due to my Cerebral Palsy. They didn’t allow me the opportunity to showcase my skills and talents. The experience opened up a lot of insecurities within myself. I felt that I was not good enough, and people only saw my disability instead of my abilities. I became depressed and anti-social, which is hard to imagine if you know me.

My self-doubts have impacted my self-confidence, personal relationships and my school work. At this point, I realized I needed help. My social worker counselled me to be a better advocate for myself and be a better advocate for the disability community. I had the privilege to be a part of the University of Calgary Faculty of Social Work’s “Strength in Unity” project as a guest speaker. During my time in this project, I spoke to various groups of men from the Asian community about the importance of mental health. I shared my experience with the job interview and how this situation affected my mental health. That’s how I got involved in anti-racism and decolonization work because of one discriminatory incident.

Lionel is our Community Development Storyteller at CDLI. You can keep up with him on Instagram @lmigrino or through this website at lmigrino.info