This inquiry explores how institutional power can impact Filipino mothers' language use at home in a large Japanese city. Using cultural historical activity theory, the study explores both individual and collective discourses (covering multilingual development, child–parent home conversations, and experiences of Japanese schools ). Collective discourse features soften ruling ideology repercussion and state participants' raised recognition of a supportive parental community. Whilst English paradoxically enables Filipino women in Japanese society, its economic and political power prevents them from employing their first languages at home.