The Philippines ft. Isabel Bagsik

Welcome to who we are, a multicultural storytelling podcast hosted by Maya Kalaria. We share decolonization stories and healing journeys of cultural reclamation, finding identity and belonging in the wake of colonialism. We explore social justice through reclaiming our own narratives. In this episode we explore the goddess mythology around Mayon volcano from Isabel’s ancestral lands. She shares more about growing up in America as a Filipina and how she started learning about the colonization of the Philippines. We dive deeper into how she started reclaiming her culture and heritage, as well as some of the nuances of being brought up in so-called ‘developed’ countries. We discuss the Christian colonization of the Philippines and how that’s impacted the culture. and we end with words of encouragement for those who may also feel removed from their ancestral cultures and lands and are working on reclaiming their roots. You can find Isabel's work here and @unconventionalbliss