Understanding Filipino American Identities Through Kapwa

• In Event: Reading Otherwise: Centering Shared Selves and Collective Knowing in Asian American Youth Adult Literature

Abstract

Purpose
In this paper, we explored the use of Kapwa as a tool for literary analysis to capture the nuances of culture and identity in a selected Filipino American YA text. With an overarching goal of decentering the white gaze in literary criticism, we asked ourselves, How does Kapwa capture the main character’s Filipino and American identities in Randy Ribay’s Patron Saints of Nothing?

Theoretical Perspectives
Grounded in post-colonial theory’s examination of culture and identity in the wake of colonialism (Bhabha, 1994), our study highlights the Filipino concept of Kapwa, 'self-in-the-other' (Reyes, 2015) as articulated by Enriquez (1994). Kapwa is a core Filipino value that embodies an indigenous practice of collectivism and foregrounds interpersonal relationships and community interconnectedness (Enriquez, 1994). By weaving together these ways of being, we illuminate the ongoing cultural negotiations and acts of resistance to disrupt colonial legacies and unsettle fixed notions of identity and power (Go, 2016; Selden et al., 2016).

Methods
Using the nationally acclaimed young adult novel Patron Saints of Nothing (Ribay, 2019), we conducted a qualitative content analysis where meaning is viewed as complex, interpretive, and context-dependent (Schreier, 2012). The story follows 17-year-old Filipino-American Jay Reguero, who, driven by his deep bond with his cousin, Jun, travels to the Philippines to unravel the mystery of Jun’s death in President Duterte’s war on drugs. While he uncovers the secrets behind his cousin’s death, he is confronted by the complexity of his identity as a Filipino-American.

Data Sources and Analysis
We used scenes from the text as our unit of analysis and engaged in three analytical phases. In Phase One, we individually read Patron Saints of Nothing with a Kapwa mindset, independently highlighted resonant passages, and discussed them collaboratively to inform our coding frame. Phase Two involved deductive, concept-driven coding of those passages using Kapwa-derived codes (e.g., pakikitungo, pakikisalamuha) in independent spreadsheets, followed by consensus-building discussions to achieve 100 % inter-rater agreement and the construction of tentative themes through constant comparison. In Phase Three, we conducted close readings of select passages, generated twelve interpretive memos, and incorporated these into our final code book to produce themes aligned with our research question.

Findings
Our analysis suggests Jay finds himself in this “third space” (Bhabha, 1994) where he needs to balance his cultural roots and personal identity amidst the contrasting expectations of his dual worlds. From the lens of Kapwa, Jay oscillates between being ibang tao (an outsider) and hindi ibang tao (an insider) based on varying temporal and spatial contexts. These findings suggest the fluid and situated nature of identity, where characters experience varying degrees of belonging (e.g., pakikitungo [civility], pakikisama [getting along], pakikibagay [conforming], and pakikisangkot [getting involved], a balancing of fulcrums of relationships, and connections across different times and places.

Significance
This paper utilizes Kapwa as a culturally specific lens to unlock a more nuanced and decolonizing approach that honors and elevates Filipino-American ways of being, knowing, and thinking.

Authors

• Eric Claravall, California State University - Sacramento

• Elizabeth Isidro, Western Michigan University