Date of Award

12-2024

Degree Type

Honors Thesis

Major

International Studies

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

International Studies

First Advisor

Brian Dowd-Uribe

Second Advisor

Nora Fisher Onar

Abstract

This research examines the role of Jollibee, a Filipino fast-food chain restaurant, as a vehicle of encouraging identity formation for young-adult Filipinos within the U.S Diaspora. Members of the Filipino diaspora—whichever foreign country it is located in—often face difficulties in exploring Filipino culture without the knowledge of any dialect within the Filipino language, access to Filipino social circles due to geographical placements, and feelings of pressure to assimilate into a mainstream, foreign culture. Existing research on how diasporic Filipinos develop their ethnic identity through various cultural channels remains limited, even as Filipino cultural icons like Jollibee have become increasingly more prominent within the United States and abroad. In fact, it remains unclear whether the global expansion of Jollibee holds any effects on the ethnic identity development of Filipinos in the diaspora, particularly on Filipino Americans. By interviewing twenty Filipino-American participants based in various parts of the United States, the research argues that Jollibee’s effects on identity formation is highly dependent on individual experiences, depending on their existing relationship with the chain but has influences on ethnic identity development to an extent as it provides a point of connection between mainland Filipinos, Filipino-Americans, and non-Filipinos. This research also argues that Jollibee is a significant part of Filipino culture, acting as an icon for the culture which brings both positive and negative implications on the culture as a whole. Overall, the research sheds deeper light onto the struggles that young-adult Filipino-Americans typically face during the assimilation process, while underscoring the importance of community ties and social circles on one’s identity development process.

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