Urban Babaylan / Decolonial Pin@ys
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This collection features archival materials created by some members of the community group Urban Babaylan and its offshoot group Decolonial Pin@ys.
Urban Babaylan first began as a group of Filipina women based on the island of Oʻahu, who were concerned about the unfolding of the Iraq war and how to respond from their position. Since their first gathering, they defined their intentions during full moon gatherings and rituals where they provided mutual support to one another. The group was made of mothers, daughters, and community members navigating ways to publicly confront and discuss issues of colonialism and militarism, in Hawaiʻi, on Kanaka Maoli, the Filipino community, other islanders and peoples of color. Some members of Urban Babaylan were part of anti-war and demililitarization activist networks based in Honolulu, and supported the campaigns of American Friends Service Committee-Hawai'i. Members of Urban Babaylan mentored and built relationships with other community members, sharing their values as Filipina/x in Hawai'i, and methods of community organizing, which led to the creation of other groups, such as Women's Voices Women Speak and Decolonial Pin@ys.
Decolonial Pin@ys is a group of diasporic Filipin@s in Hawai’i committed to demilitarization, decolonization, healing and creative liberation. They are allies to creating a free and independent Hawai’i. They believe that Filipinos can tap into their lakas ng loob (inner strength) to build allyship for a free and independent Hawai’i. Like the Banyan tree with multiple roots, Filipinos in the diaspora remember our own resistance traditions in the Philippines to globalize love, liberation, and connection.
Urban Babaylan first began as a group of Filipina women based on the island of Oʻahu, who were concerned about the unfolding of the Iraq war and how to respond from their position. Since their first gathering, they defined their intentions during full moon gatherings and rituals where they provided mutual support to one another. The group was made of mothers, daughters, and community members navigating ways to publicly confront and discuss issues of colonialism and militarism, in Hawaiʻi, on Kanaka Maoli, the Filipino community, other islanders and peoples of color. Some members of Urban Babaylan were part of anti-war and demililitarization activist networks based in Honolulu, and supported the campaigns of American Friends Service Committee-Hawai'i. Members of Urban Babaylan mentored and built relationships with other community members, sharing their values as Filipina/x in Hawai'i, and methods of community organizing, which led to the creation of other groups, such as Women's Voices Women Speak and Decolonial Pin@ys.
Decolonial Pin@ys is a group of diasporic Filipin@s in Hawai’i committed to demilitarization, decolonization, healing and creative liberation. They are allies to creating a free and independent Hawai’i. They believe that Filipinos can tap into their lakas ng loob (inner strength) to build allyship for a free and independent Hawai’i. Like the Banyan tree with multiple roots, Filipinos in the diaspora remember our own resistance traditions in the Philippines to globalize love, liberation, and connection.
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Recent Submissions
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ItemA Decolonial Pin@y's Journey( 2016-03)Chris Lipat, a member of Decolonial Pin@y, shares her account on the work and accomplishments of this Filipina/x led organization based in Honolulu, Hawai'i.
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ItemTalk Story among Filipina/x in Hawaiʻi: Our Movements, Archives, and Memories( 2021-10-19)This talk story documents the work of Filipina/x in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, in the co-founding of Urban Babaylan, Women's Voices Women Speak, and Decolonial Pin@y. They discuss the inspirations that led to the creation of these groups, the intersections across Filipin@/x, Kanaka Maoli, Oceanic, and other marginalized communitiesʻ movements for decolonization & demilitarization, and their aspirations for education in Hawaiʻi, the Philippines, and internationally.
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ItemA Herstory of Urban Babaylan( 2013)This essay describes the founding of Urban Babaylan, the culture of the group and their inspirations. It discusses their philosophies of community organizing as Filipinas in Honolulu, Hawaii during the Iraq War.
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ItemDecolonial Pin@y Talk on Settler Colonialism with University of Toronto Students( 2016-02-22)This is a oral recording of a talk led by some Decolonial Pin@y members and visiting students and faculty from the University of Toronto. The talk discusses Filipino and Asian settler colonial positionality in Hawaiʻi, how it relates to Indigenous rights issues in Hawaiʻi and in the Philippines, and various strategies of engaging in working class, community, and family activisms. The University of Toronto students provided their responses on their own experiences in Canada. This event was co-sponsored by Roots Cafe, at Kokua Kalihi Valley, and the Department of Ethnic Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
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ItemDia de los Muertos: In Memory of Jennifer Laude / Remembering Lost Beloveds / Honoring our Continued Survivance( 2014)This script documents the program for an event to commemorate the death of Filipina trans woman named Jennifer Laude by the hands of a U.S. military personnel, in Olongapo, Philippines. This murder was linked to the killing of a Native Hawaiian man named Kollin Elderts who was shot by a U.S. Federal Agent during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, in Honolulu in 2011. The script is a ritual eulogy to make links of solidarity across communities who grieve because of the people they lost due to militarization of their lands. The script also presents Ashliana Hawelu-Fulgoni, the co-founder and Executive Director of Kulia Na Mamo, who spoke on the issues of mahuwahine and how they are impacted by militarization and military personnel.
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ItemUrban Babaylan First Full Moon Gathering( 2003)This email message invites the first group of Filipina women who would form Urban Babaylan. The email message includes some of the values and intentions of the group. It provides a quote by Filipina poet Aimee Suzara on what the word "babaylan" means to this group and their gathering.
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ItemRespect Land, Respect Labor Flyer( 2015)This flyer documents Decolonial Pin@yʻs analysis on how the Thirty Meter Telescope will negatively impact Native Hawaiian rights and the ecology of Mauna Kea, and how this relates to hotel workers, particularly those advocating for labor rights through the Unite Here! Local 5 union. The flyer then discusses opportunities for communities to learn more through a series of events to learn more about Hawaiian independence, such as Nā Hua Ea, La Hoʻi Hoʻi Ea, the Waikīkī Demil Tour, and the Aloha ʻĀina Unity March.
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ItemDecolonial Pin@y Principles( 2015)This statement documents the principles of Decolonial Pin@y, a Filipina/x community group based in Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi working on issues of demilitarization, decolonization, healing and creative liberation. The statement defines their use of these terms, which informs the work that they do.
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ItemThe Vagina Workshop(Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline, 2006)This script provides translation between pidgin and english about how Hawaiʻi-based Filipina women narrated seeing their vaginas and experienced orgasms.
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ItemSome "Proud to be Pinay" Thoughts Regarding V-Day Pinay Hawaiʻi(Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline, 2006)This is an essay written by Jennifer S. Rose, who served as the Director of Community Building and Program Development at the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline, during the production of V-DAY Pinay Hawaiʻi. She provides a context of Eve Ensler's work, the Vagina Monlogues, in relation to Filipina women's work to reclaim our bodies and the protection of women, because of the history of violence in the Philippines and in Hawai'i. The essay highlights the work that has been done to address gender based violence in Hawaiʻi, and discusses the significance of the V-DAY Pinay performance as an example of ongoing community based work to change the culture of violence against Filipina women.