diwa malaya

Josephine F. Villanueva, also known as Diwa Malaya , is a transdisciplinary creative and cultural worker currently based in the South Bay Area – the ancestral land territory of the Ohlone, Muwekma and Tamien Nations.

Born, raised, and educated in the Philippines, the Ilokan@ in the diaspora thought she had a solid understanding of her identity and the Philippine h*story until she force migrated to the United States where her worldview was challenged. Currently stepping back from all her political community organizing involvements, Diwa is flowing through the process of decolonizing the mind and self-healing from intergenerational trauma.

She has awakened to “dismantle the master’s house” (Lorde, 1979) by grounding herself rooted in ancestral wisdom and inspired by kapwa stories. Diwa, a fiery womxn who serves as a bridge for Filipin* settlers abroad being called to reconnect with the motherland, is hoping and dreaming for a better Philippines – respecting the humanity, beauty and richness of all its peoples.