Practicing Social Justice in Our Own Communities: Serving Filipina/o American Students

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

We examine the educational experiences of Filipina/os and argue they are manifestations of American imperialism and colonialism in the Philippines, and racism in the US. These systems of oppression severely impact the ways Filipinas/os live and learn, and that our communities must turn toward social justice approaches in education to productively challenge such conditions. Through an overview of contemporary issues affecting Filipina/o youth, including examinations of intraethnic microaggression between Filipinas/os, the role of undocumented status on educational opportunities, and the need for critical and innovative community partnerships that foster youth empowerment, we demonstrate that social justice education in our communities represent what Renato Constantino (1970) refers to as a “vital weapon” to enact deep transformative change.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Critical Educators for Social Justice

Chair

• Edward Ryan Curammeng, University of California - Los Angeles

Papers

• Stop Hatin’: Combating Intraethnic Microaggressions to Strengthen Community Organizing - Jessica Petalio, San Francisco State University; Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, San Francisco State University; Tracy Lachica Buenavista, California State University - Northridge

• The Voices of Filipinos “Out of Status”: Students Defining an Undocumented Student-Receptive Culture - Tracy Lachica Buenavista, California State University - Northridge

• Deimperializing Pedagogy: Teaching and Learning Filipina/o American Studies With Urban Youth - Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, San Francisco State University; Edward Ryan Curammeng, University of California - Los Angeles

• The F.O.B. Project: Reclaiming “Fresh Off the Boat” - Patricia E. Halagao, University of Hawaii - Manoa; Elena Clariza, University of Hawaii - Manoa; Diane Tom-Ogata, Farrington High School

Discussant

• Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, San Francisco State University