FAQs about Pinayism
by Allyson Tintiangco
Q: What is Pinayism?
A: Pinayism is a place, process, and praxis
Place: Pinayism is a location of Pinay empowerment. Pinayism is a place where Pinays can be the center of the discourse/discussion. It is a place where the complexities of Pinay epistemology (the study of Pinay experiences and perspectives) is critical but also valued and respected. Pinayism is also a place where people who want to improve the lives of Pinays can come together.
Process: Pinayism is pain+love+growth. Pinayism is process that requires us to expose situations that Pinays were/are in and issues that affect us. Then we must review and research Pinay history to explain the formation of our identities, relationships, and treatment. Then we will look at existing positive solutions and explore more ways to improve our lives.
Praxis: Pinayism is theory and practice. Pinayism is a theory that aims to look at the complexity of the intersections where race/ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, spirituality,/religion, body image, educational status, age, place of birth, Diasporic migration, citizenship, and love cross to understand how our perspectives (multiple subjectivities) are bornÖAnd how all these same variables work together to create Pinay identities and situations where Pinays live. In Pinayism Praxis (the merge of theory and practice) these intersections are established as crossroads where Pinays expose and explain conflict, where collectives exist, and where we can explore new creations
Q: Why "Pinay" in Pinayism?
A: Pinay is word that has been rearticulated to connote empowerment, strength, and beauty. A Pinay is a woman of F/Pilipino descent, a P/Filipina in America, and or a F/Pilipina American. The terms Pinay and Pinoy have their roots in Filipina/o American history as early as the 1920s and 1930s. (Mabalon, 1997) Choosing Pinay+ism rather than Filipina Feminism or Pilipina Peminism challenges the traditional debate around P versus F. It also allows us to claim an identity that we have in the U.S. while also providing a forum to make connections to the issues of F/Pilipinas/os in Diaspora.
Q: How is Pinayism different from Feminism and Womanism?
A: The focus of Pinayism does not only look at sexism, or even just race and class oppression. It looks at all of those issues while also providing a space to work on Pinay relationships with each other. Pinayism puts Pinay epistemologies at the center of the discourse, a location that we have never really occupied in Feminism and Womanism.
Q: Where do Pinoys fit in Pinayism?
A: Pinoys can play a viable role in Pinayism because improving the lives of Pinays is a community issue. Pinoys must learn to engage in the conversation on Pinayism so that they may better understand a more complete rendition of the struggle of F/Pilipinas/os in America. Pinayism does not just serve the needs of Pinays. It also serves the Pinay/Pinoy community because domestic violence, mental abuse, unwanted pregnancy, high suicide rates of Pinays are not just "Pinay" issues. Rather, they are community issues.
Please be on the look out for more articles from Dr. Allyson Tintiangco on the topic of Pinayism at the BagongPinay site
Open Forum! Share your stories and opinions on this topic at this Lifestyle and Attitudes Discussion in our MagsalitaKa (Speak Out) Section.
in the Forum on Pinayism and Feminism. Click here.
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