Homecoming field school
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Balikbayan Program
Online story-sharing drop-in classes for all peoples in diaspora seeking connection to their ancestral roots and those building solidarity across communities. We focus on the intersections and complexities of cultural identity and solidarity, specifically among Indigenous communities, those living in their homelands, and those who are Balikbayan or in diaspora as they seek to re-root themselves into and/or strengthen the embodiment of their ancestral lineage.
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Vision
Our vision is to offer and harness ‘third spaces’ for collective learning, healing, and cultural and political education amongst members of historically marginalized communities. These third spaces—rooted in place, community-generated knowledge, and lived experience—are incubators for communities of practice, nurturing, belonging and solidarity that transcend boundaries of identity, generation, or circumstance.
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Mission
The Balikbayan Program is not just a response to current needs, but a commitment to reimagining what is possible—now and in the future: cultivating joy, healing, and solidarity as everyday practices. Ultimately, we aim to spark a ripple effect, where the knowledge, relationships, and practices generated through our work help build bridges across our communities in which every person can thrive with dignity, joy, and a deeply rooted sense of home.
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Who this is for
Although Balikbayan is a Tagalog term from the Philippines which literally translates to “return (to) homeland”, these drop-in classes are not just for Filipinos in diaspora; these conversations are open to anyone seeking to reckon with, reclaim, return and reconnect with “home.”
topics we cover
story-sharing as bridge
Story-sharing through intentional conversations as a bridge to connect all peoples in diaspora with those from homelands.
spotlight indigenous movements
Spotlight the journeys of those back home who are Indigenous, have Indigenous lineage, and/or work closely with Indigenous communities defending their ancestral homelands.
humanize the complexity of solidarity work
Humanizing the complex experiences and solidarity work of the diaspora, while also being in direct conversation with those defending our homelands amidst ongoing colonial violence and imperialism.
build and sustain authentic connections
By cultivating these gatherings, we offer participants an opportunity to build and sustain authentic connections to themselves, their cultures, and each other—laying the groundwork for a broader movement towards justice and collective action.
watch our first balikbayan class!
Our first Balikbayan online class will feature Marian ‘Ayan’ Sanchez (she/they), who is part of the Unlearning Community School (UCS) as a Community Member and Co-(Un)Learner. Ayan is a Community Development worker, Indigenous woman, and self-taught visual artist.
She is a board member of the Cordillera Women’s Education Action Research Center (CWEARC), a grassroots organization focused on empowering women through education, action, and research as a means for advocating and advancing the collective rights and self-determination of Cordillera peoples.
Ayan is currently a guest at ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ (Amiskwacîwâskahikan),Treaty 6 Territory, in Alberta, Canada completing her PhD in Public Health. She works with the Cordillera Poeples Alliance- Kalinga and the Sumkad para iti matagoan, para iti karbengan, daga ken dayaw Movement documenting local resistance to development aggression and articulating Indigenous land connection as critical health promotion.
Watch the class here and use Passcode: EpK?04R4