Exploring Kapwa As a Culturally Embedded Construct of Social Connection: Promoting Protective Pathways and Health Equity for Pilipinx Americans

Background and Purpose: Colonial mentality, a contemporary psychological condition rooted in colonialism’s oppressive legacy, is linked to adverse health and well-being outcomes amongst Pilipinx Americans (PA). The Indigenist Stress Coping Model posits that cultural factors buffer the relations between stressors (e.g., historical trauma) and health. Kapwa is a core Pilipinx cultural value meaning a “shared identity,” and it refers to one’s spiritual connection with others, transcending social categories. Although kapwa has been hypothesized to be a buffer against stressors such as colonial mentality, its potential as a protective factor has yet to be examined. While many scholars have conceptualized kapwa, these approaches remain fragmented, and no scale exists to assess kapwa’s role in addressing the health disparities facing PAs. This study presents qualitative findings from the first phase of a larger project to develop a psychometric measure of kapwa. It aimed to explore: 1) What does kapwa mean to PAs? 2) What does kapwa feel or look like? and 3) How has kapwa shaped PAs’ health and well-being?

Methods: Semi-structured focus groups and interviews were conducted with PAs and immigrants from the Philippines as part of a larger scale development study. Participants were recruited via PA organization listservs, social media, and professional networks. Eligible individuals participated in 90-minute Zoom sessions. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and consensual qualitative research methods.

Results: Thirty PAs (Mage = 35.6, SD = 15.1 ) participated in semi-structured focus groups and individual interviews. 60% self-identify as female, 90% had a college degree, and 73% were born in the U.S. Four themes were developed to capture PAs’ meaning-making of kapwa and how kapwa shaped their well-being.

• Theme 1: Mutual Recognition of Shared Identity – Participants described kapwa as an intrinsic sense of collective identity, extending the self to include others.
• Theme 2: Belonging & Psychological Security – Kapwa fostered acceptance and inclusion, enabling emotional safety and self-expression.
• Theme 3: Interdependence – Described kapwa as reciprocal reliance for well-being, emphasizing mutual responsibility.
• Theme 4: Embodied Relational Resonance – Participants shared how kapwa was felt physically through deep interpersonal attunement and trust.

Overall, kapwa promoted relational trust, emotional resilience, and confidence in navigating challenges. Additionally, participants described how kapwa mitigated stressful somatic responses.

Conclusions and Implications: In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General emphasized the importance of social connectedness in promoting health, noting that low social connection is linked to adverse outcomes, including psychological distress and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Findings from this study suggest that kapwa, a culturally rooted form of social connection, may play a critical role in the health of PAs—a priority population for both suicidality and CVD. This study offers foundational knowledge for the development of a culturally valid measure to assess protective cultural factors for PAs. These insights also inform the creation of culturally responsive mental health interventions, which remain largely absent in social work practice for this community. Integrating kapwa into social work shifts the field toward culturally grounded, relationally driven care, and decolonized approaches to healing in the Pilipinx diaspora.