Episode 226 – Filipino American Masculinity

For generations, society has taught Filipinos and Filipino Americans what our specific gender roles should be. For men, masculinity is usually associated with ideas of strength, competition, emotion-less, family responsibilities, and protection. At times, these concepts can create narrow definitions of manhood and can pigeon-hole heterosexual men into certain prescribed racial, classed, and gender identities. How can Filipino men navigate an increasingly isolating, brutal, and hyper-masculine society particularly in the United States? How do men make room for different forms of masculinity? How do men reject notions of toxicity, violence, and domination as they remake and redefine heterosexual masculinity for ourselves?

In this TFAL episode, Joe talks to Don Martinez, a Marriage and Family Therapist based in Pasadena, and Joseph Reynoso, a psychoanalytic clinical psychologist based in New York City. They get into a deep conversation about masculinity among Filipino American men, cultures of domination, familial obligations, ideas of success and failures, and so much more. They barely scratch the surface on this initial conversation, but we hope you find the conversation fresh, interesting, and thought-provoking.

NOTE: This was another feeble attempt by Joe to record and edit the episode without the almighty Producer Mike (who was still in the Philippines). Please direct any hate mail to him.

Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on ThisFilipinoAmericanLife.com, or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever your favorite podcasts are found.

Do you have thoughts on Filipino American masculinity? Let us know and maybe we’ll have further discussion on a future episode! Leave us a voicemail at (805) 394-TFAL or email us at thisfilipinoamericanlife@gmail.com.

As referenced in the episode, here is Joseph Reynoso’s latest work, Sports and Psychoanalysis, an edited volume of essays that explores the intersection of sport and psychoanalysis.