Dr. Conely De Leon

Biography

Dr. de Leon’s current work focuses on collective grief in racialized migrant communities and the pivotal role community care plays in mourning and healing collective losses. His research builds on migrant care work and transnational kinship practices across the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Canada. In response to the heightened grief and loss due to the pandemic, Dr. de Leon is pursuing professional certification as a grief educator and counselor. He co-founded the Pahinga Collective, which represents Filipina/x/o graduate students, community organizers, and service providers from migrant, queer, and feminist grassroots organizations in Toronto. Through his digital kwentuhan (talk story) initiatives, he uses songs, soundscapes, and somatics to contribute to embodied understandings of rest as forms of anti-colonial and anti-capitalist resistance, as well as healing justice. Dr. de Leon's multimodal approach to teaching and collaboration extends his commitment to social justice. He is currently developing a 'Digital Storytelling for Social Justice' curriculum that aims to integrate digital media with community-engaged research, providing hands-on training and skills development for students. This proposed curriculum promises to enhance students’ understanding of digital research action and create opportunities for them to apply their knowledge and expertise to relevant issues.

Research Interests

Experience