Connecting Home and the Diaspora through Hip Hop: Responding to Deep Foundation’s “Children of the Sun” in Conceptualizing the Filipino Identity

Abstract

The study brings Deep Foundation’s song “Children of the Sun” to Filipino students enrolled in Philippine Literature (2nd semester, SY 2014-2015) in Silliman University to examine how the Filipino Americans’ constructions of home and identity are received from those within the nation’s borders. Students responded to the song by watching the video and reading the song lyrics. In analyzing the listeners’ perception of the song and their reflection about Filipino identity, the paper drew from theories about nationalism, postcolonial identity, the “in-between space,” and diaspora. To set the background, the paper also discusses the role of Hip Hop among Filipino Americans in asserting their Filipino identity. The study reveals the following perceptions of the respondents about the song:1) the overall message is to proclaim that the artists are Filipinos, 2) the artists view the Philippines as having a long history of struggle for independence, and 3) the respondents connect themselves to the country by identifying with heroes, popular culture icons, Filipino qualities and physical attributes as well as pointing out the problem of colonial mentality. Most respondents also agree with the song in taking pride of one’s country and identity as well as recognize the problem of colonial mentality. The study found that both Filipinos and Filipino Americans celebrate and critically assess their identity. With these results, the study seeks to encourage more exploration on how to connect the diaspora and home—Filipino Americans and Filipinos—both in the fields of research and the Philippine literature classroom.