Date of Publication

4-2024

Document Type

Bachelor's Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts in Southeast Asian Studies

Subject Categories

Asian Studies

College

College of Liberal Arts

Department/Unit

International Studies

Thesis Advisor

Evangeline Katigbak-Montoya

Defense Panel Member

Royce Lyssah M. Malabonga

Abstract/Summary

This paper examines the importance of cultural products and practices in connecting transnational communities to their homelands. Drawing on the case of Tatak na Apat na Alon, a US-based organization of Filipino transnational migrants, we look at how cultural products, particularly tattooing traditions, and the cultural practice of acquiring transnational migrants link to their homeland. We do this by examining three key themes: community development and recognition, social and cultural meanings associated with the tattooing tradition, and cultural identity and recognition. To address the paper's objective and questions, we interviewed five members from Tatak ng Apat na Alon. Our findings show that traditional tattoos serve as visual markers of their cultural identity and community belonging for members in the transnational space by creating a specific process for the tattooing process of the organization's members, both on a community and individual level. Moreover, it highlights the shifting purposes of Philippine traditional tattoos, wherein the meanings of the tattoos now become self-expression that documents personal experience instead of replicating past patterns. It connects to the concept of cultural products, creating a physical link to their ancestral roots and fostering a sense of pride and belonging in Filipino heritage.

Abstract Format

html

Language

English

Format

Electronic

Keywords

Transnationalism; Tattooing--Philippines

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Embargo Period

5-1-2025

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