Kapwa (Shared Identity): Filipino American Perspectives and Responses to Educational Leadership

Abstract

Representing the makeup of educational leaders and social structure, the understanding and practice of educational leadership in the United States have centered on Western leadership perspectives. Even with the changing demographics of its population, women and people of diverse backgrounds continue to be underrepresented in educational leadership's highest echelon. The purpose of this study is to enlist Filipino American educational leaders to identify, co-create, and apply their cultural assets to engage in alternative equitable leadership practices. In doing so, we hope to challenge and question the conventional approaches which have supported the ratification and marginalization of many indigenous children. This participatory action research (PAR) study aims to gain insight into the perspectives of Filipino Americans on how their cultural values, as assets, manifest in their personal and professional spaces to serve as an alternative way to lead in education. Examined were four central indigenous Filipino cultural values and the interconnectedness of these values to the Filipinos. Understanding these complex relationships of compromising values can give Filipinos validity of their ability to nurture relationships and provide those outside of the culture access to a model for establishing organizational unity. These findings contribute to empirical research and hold the potential to inform educational leadership practices and preparation, as well as processes designed for cultural development for Filipino Americans and others. These three findings include, first, the influence of family on the development of culture and career choices, how the effects of family and upbringing on Filipino American leaders' career choices, and the acquisition of cultural values form the foundation of their leadership styles. Second, the collectivist values of Filipinos have a profound effect on how Filipinos navigate professional spaces and how these values manifest themselves in how they lead schools. Finally, in the spirit of bayanihan (communal spirit), it is essential for underrepresented individuals to have affinity spaces where they can feel authentic, supported, and vulnerably safe. This research study aims to offer new knowledge and leadership perspectives to challenge the traditional school paradigm by employing the voices and narratives unique to minoritized groups like Filipino Americans.