The notion of Kapwa amid Asian hate

Abstract

In a letter to the editor, the author has expressed how a Chinese notion of ren is a powerful tool to negate the stigma of racial discrimination among Asian people. I would argue that within the Filipino psyche, the notion of kapwa or “shared self” can be an equivalent socio-normative ideal that can be utilized towards not just countering the ill effects of social discrimination but also fostering deep communal and group solidarity among people, regardless of race, color and ethnicity.

To the Editor

Balingue proposes in earlier correspondence the Confucian concept of ren as a cultural parallel to the notion of solidarity which is argued by the author as a powerful counter-response to the emerging social and racial discrimination against the Chinese people and those of Asian descent specifically during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.¹ He believes that embedding the social response within the cultural framework of a Confucian ideal can easily facilitate communal solidarity among everyone, especially among the Chinese people. While Chinese individuals have reported more hate incidents compared to other Asian Americans in the USA, Filipinos have also been a target of assault and harassment. In a national report by the organization Stop AAPI Hate, about 65.2% of the reported incidents between March 2020 and March 2021 are of verbal harassment or name-calling and most of these take place in public streets and parks.² There were reports of a Filipino journalist who was verbally harassed in a New York subway³; a physical assault involving a 61-year old Filipino in a Manhattan subway; and a 65-year old Filipina who was repeatedly kicked and stomped on her face.⁴ The rise of Asian Hate-related assaults has already been tagged as a “secondary contagion.”⁵

Within Filipino (indigenous) psychology is a concept called, “kapwa,” which is roughly translated as the “other.” However, its more nuanced translation is a “shared self” where the very essence of self is tied up with others in an inclusive way. “By default, the dispositional intention of kapwa is to connect, relate, and share.”⁶ It tends to see the person beyond his/her social roles and status; whether or not the kapwa is an Asian or an American, or rich or poor, but fundamentally as a human person. To see the other not as different but as an essential extension or reflection of oneself allows a more communal-oriented disposition that values more the spirit of oneness and connectedness rather than differences and social/racial hierarchy.

As researches have shown a significant link between anti-Asian discrimination to increased levels of anxiety, depression and sleep problems,⁷ it is important to create an ambiance of social connectedness not only within the Asian community but also even across all races and ethnicities. One of the identified strategies to address this problem is to invest in community-based efforts that will create, develop and increase awareness on the stigma of hate crimes to its victims, particularly on their mental health and wellness.⁸ By infusing a strong kapwa paradigm in any community-based approaches, Filipinos and other ethnicities may look at one another not by hate or through it but by care, compassion, and solidarity with and among them. Any attempt to nurture social connectedness by treating the other not as entirely different from the self but as an extended self or a shared self allows an ambiance of communion which is essential towards communal recovery and healing.

Conflict of interest

The author declares no conflict of interest in this paper.