Kapwa as a Literary Theory for Interpreting Filipino Young Adult Literature: Leveraging Students’ Cultural Experiences and Identities

Abstract

This article explores the use of the Indigenous Filipino concept of Kapwa in interpreting a young adult literature written by a Filipino American author for Filipino Americans. Through a qualitative content analysis of Randy Ribay's Patron Saints of Nothing, the findings suggest that Kapwa illuminates themes of belonging, collective ways of being and knowing, and a critical call to action. Furthermore, Kapwa as a framework captures the characters’ movement along the spectrum from ibang-tao (outsider) to hindi ibang-tao (insider), revealing the relational negotiations that shape hybrid Filipino American identities. The concept of the fulcrum of cultural identity illustrates this dynamic balancing between Filipino heritage and American influence. By centering Kapwa, the study disrupts the dominance of Western interpretive lenses and positions Filipino American youth to read, interpret, and reclaim literature through culturally sustaining and decolonial perspectives, affirming the visibility and vitality of Filipino worldviews in literary analysis.

Keywords

non-Western literary theory Indigenous framework decolonizing pedagogy young adult literature Kapwa

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