Critical Kapwa: Decolonizing Pedagogy and Praxis for Filipina/o Americans

• In Event: Roots of the Colonial: Reframing and Reimagining Change in Educational Research

Abstract

In his groundbreaking essay, “The Miseducation of the Filipino,” Constantino (1982) connects Woodson’s (1933) analysis of American imperialistic pedagogical practices on Black and Native American students in the United States to the way American education and schooling were imposed on Filipina/os in the Philippines. This “miseducation”--rooted in acts of colonial violence that are internalized and perpetuated by family and community members--had and still has devastating effects on Filipina/o American youth today (David, 2010; Nadal, 2009; Strobel, 2005). Additionally, the American school system acts as a tool of colonialism that further oppresses the individual and stifles well-being of the mind, body, soul, and spirit through perpetuating constructions (Bowles and Gintis, 1976; Duran and Duran, 1995; Miheshua and Wilson, 2004; Rendon, 2009; Valenzuela, 1999). Psychological and social issues affecting Filipina/o American youth are rooted in the multiple forms of colonialism imposed on the Philippines. For these youth, colonization is more than a historical period but it has a daily presence in their lives, which many do not recognize; it directly impacts their access to and engagement with education.
In response to colonialism’s continual influence on Filipina/o American identity, there has been a development “critical kapwa,” a pedagogy and praxis that emphasizes reading the world through decolonizing epistemologies. This paper has three inter-related objectives: 1) to expose colonialism’s influence on Filipino Americans’ internalized racism, colonial mentality, and feelings of alienation from their families or communities, 2) to examine the praxis of Filipino Americans who have reclaimed pre-colonial Filipino cultural forms and practices as tools for decolonization (Enriquez, 2005; Strobel, 2005), and 3) to explore the rearticulation of Filipina/o and Filipina/o American identities that is rooted in a more critical analysis of colonialism; valuing how they reconcile their identities as Filipina/o American against the homogeneous, hegemonic construction of the American Dream trope that dominates most immigrant narratives. By examining their processes, “grounded pedagogy” emerged with a philosophy that emphasizes healing and well-being on a physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and communal level (Freire, 2003; Duran, 2006; Rendon, 2009). This pedagogy is rooted in lived experience, ancestral and tacit knowledge, and oral history as a way to validate the individual student and to empower his/her healthy participation within his/her family and community (de Guia, 2010; Strobel, 2010). Critical Kapwa was informed by qualitative data from ten Filipina/o Americans examining their experiences with hegemony, colonialism, school, family, community, and identity. Their praxis in becoming strong community members laid the foundation of this pedagogical philosophy. This pedagogy also drew inspiration from a 5-year autoethnography of my work with a Filipina/o American History course through Pin@y Educational Partnerships (PEP) in San Francisco. I have used Critical Kapwa to inform my pedagogical praxis as a PEP teacher and coordinator at Balboa High School. Centering Filipina/o American curriculum around decolonizing epistemologies allows for students to envision a greater amount of possibilities for themselves. Additionally, the possibility of multiple and alternate realities allows for greater understanding and collaboration on intraethnic, interethnic, and intergenerational levels.

Author

• Maharaj Desai, University of Hawaii - Manoa