Mahalaya: Building Community in the Filipinx Diaspora through Solidarity Journalism

Unethical approaches to storytelling in professional journalism continue to shape public discourse around the diverse experiences of Asians and Asian Americans. This paper analyzes the origins and impact of ethnic news media, specifically the rise of Filipino and Filipino American press in the United States, and the ways journalists of color continue to challenge traditional practices of professional journalism that perpetuate anti-Blackness and maintain white supremacy. Filipino and Filipino American newspapers in the early twentieth century provide historical insight into the issues, debates, and conversations transpiring at the time and highlight the community’s ongoing response to the misrepresentations of their experiences in mainstream media. Ultimately, I emphasize the need for a critical understanding of the history and foundation of professional journalism. Using this project as an example, I propose a shift toward a thick solidarity approach to newsgathering and mediamaking in both professional and community journalism