Kababayan of Care: Growing Our Own Connectedness, Consciousness, and Collective Story

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 32
  In Roundtable Session: Asian American Student Pathways, Support, and Outcomes in Higher Education

Abstract

Despite being the second largest Asian American group, Filipino Americans remain underrepresented in four-year post-secondary institutions, even where the Filipino American population is concentrated. The purpose of this study is to look at the impact that culturally relevant instruction and program design has on Filipino American students over the past 15 years in the Kababayan Learning Community (KLC), a transfer and community support program at Skyline College. Through focus groups, the findings revealed three major themes that defined KLC — “academic success,” sense of self, and sense of belonging. From these themes, three implications emerged about why KLC students succeed: they negotiate their “hyphenated” identities, their cultural capital is valued, and they create community in the classroom and beyond.

Author

• Liza Marie Suyat Erpelo, Skyline College