Kultivating Kapwa: Episode 3.22

Kultivating Kapwa: Decolonizing Parenthood Episode 3.22

"Loosening and Tightening the Knots of Intergenerational Relation"

In this episode, we are joined by Karen Buenavista Hanna. We discuss various blessings and challenges of having grandparents involved in her child's life, wanting to become a mom to understand her own mom better, wanting positive rather than transactional relationships between her child and her parents, and more.

Hailing from a diverse and loving lineage of ancestors, including those of Hiligaynon, Masbateño, Pangasinense, and Teochew descent, @sophiethecat27 (she/they/siya) is the daughter of Ben and Marlo Hanna and granddaughter of Flora and Florentino Buenavista of Bacolod, Negros Occidental and Tingseng Eng and Sai-Tiang Tang of Chiangmai, Thailand and Guangdong, China. She is also the proud mother of 1-year-old Florentino "Tino," who was born at home after 15 hours of active labor with skillful midwife Andrea Diamond, doula Myla Flores (and Janeé Aiken in spirit), birth assistant Shalawn Facey, and partner Victor Sta. Ana by their side. Together with Victor and Tino's maternal and paternal grandparents and a village of immediate and chosen family, Karen raises Tino and cat Sophie on the lands of the Lenape (Queens, NY), Eastern Pequot, Mashantucket Pequot, and Mohegan people (New London, CT). 

Karen, who identifies as queer and chronically ill, is a long-time educator of nearly 20 years and is currently Assistant Professor of Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectionality Studies at Connecticut College. There she teaches courses on social movements, migration, queer and feminist theory, and critical disability studies. Prior to her doctoral studies, from 2003 to 2011, Karen was a New York City public school teacher, pre-GED instructor with the Brooklyn Public Library, and community organizer working alongside Filipina/o/x immigrant youth as a member of Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan and the domestic workers of Damayan Migrant Workers Association. These experiences inform her approaches to research and pedagogy, which center the collective resistance of marginalized people in determining their own liberation. She is fiercely devoted to building queer- and trans-inclusive self-actualized spaces of healing and solidarity for womxn and femmes of color. Karen founded Brown University's first women of color student organization, the Women of Color Writing Circle, in 2002, and co-founded UC Santa Barbara’s Women of Color Circle in 2012. 

*Episode Notes: This episode contains brief instances of profanity.*

You can listen to this podcast on the Center for Babaylan Studies website (centerforbabaylanstudies.org/podcast), Spotify (https://tinyurl.com/KultivatingKapwaSpotify), PodBean (centerforbabaylanstudies.podbean.com), Google Podcasts, or Stitcher. 

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Hosted by Jana Lynne Umipig//
Produced by Olivia Sawi//
Co-Produced by Annie Aarons-Sawi//
Music by AstraLogik