Abstract

What is the relationship between an indigenous diaspora consciousness and the nation-state? Using primary qualitative data composed of life histories of Igorot youth abroad, I argue in this article that an indigenous diaspora consciousness de-centers the nation-state in three dimensions: in the imagination of homeland, in the building of community, and in the construction of identity. This de-centering occurs in and through intergenerational impartation, particularly in the inheritance of homeland histories, in the activities and relations of communities, and in the discourses of indigenous diaspora identity. This article illustrates that the agency of the members of the Igorot diaspora youth is integral to the continued building and maintenance of this group’s indigenous diaspora consciousness.

Keywords: Indigenous diaspora, diaspora consciousness, Igorot youth, Filipino diaspora, diaspora identity

DOI: https://doi.org/10.64743/BDWR8463