The Cultural Journey of Spam

This time of year, right in the middle of the holiday season, there's a beloved, frenzied tradition playing out in Filipino households all around the world, with which reporter Gabrielle Berbey is intimately familiar. A Balikbayan box is a huge cardboard box (often weighing over 100 pounds) that Filipinos living all over the world send to family members who are still living in the Philippines. The word Balikbayan literally means homecoming in Tagalog.

Balikbayan Boxes

Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free. 
Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.