Hi and welcome to my newsletter!
I decided to create sa hangganan to give myself a space in which I could share my thoughts and reflections on what I’ve been reading, watching, and working on (instead of compulsively tweeting my thoughts the minute they come to me). For the past few years, I’ve been longing for somewhere to practice my writing and to develop my views and analysis on issues I’ve been working on like migration, borders, identity, politics, history, etc.
Every month, I’ll write a piece analysing or reflecting on something that’s been on my mind. Some of the things I’m planning on writing about are: the relationship between land and identity, charity work and NGOs as anti-revolutionary, imperial memory through public space, and critiques of “refugee / migrant” and “anti-trafficking and modern-day slavery” discourses. I also want to do some fun things like interviews and book and film reviews.
You might be following me on here through franexplainshistory on Instagram, where I made videos about (anti/post-)colonial history and theory. As lockdowns lifted and I started a new job, I found I had less time and energy to research and make videos. I also grew increasingly self-conscious about how I came across in my videos. I feel like I never managed to strike the right tone between earnest, engaging, and serious. I also found the demands and expectations of producing content regularly too exhausting to keep up with — I had just over one thousand followers and I was already overwhelmed. So, sa hangganan is the next chapter of franexplainshistory. It will be a new way for me to share and connect on these themes, in a more manageable and contained way (hopefully).
I also want this newsletter to be a space to share interesting resources. I’ve already started to compile some here, in my decolonial history reading list, and I’ll be sharing what I’ve been reading and watching at the end of every newsletter — partly as a way to make sure I stick to my reading.
Finally, I’m starting an oral history project on Filipino migration to the UK, in the view of writing a book and creative an archive that will be publicly accessible. I’m really excited but also scared! I’ll be sharing updates and reflections on the project on here as I go.
The meaning behind the title
I wanted a title to convey my interest in borders — not just national but also political, national, cultural: how they’re formed, what we push to the margins, where they intersect, what thrives at the borders between ideas. I knew I wanted something in Tagalog because for some reason an English title felt pretentious and a French title was out of the question and would be even more pretentious. I suppose bringing in Tagalog is also pretentious and diaspora angsty, but it feels right. I asked my mum and two friends, Luisa Pineda and Rogelio Braga, for advice, as my Tagalog is too basic for this kind of thing. Rogelio offered me this beautiful definition of “hangganan”: “Hangganan is edge or border but acknowledging there is something on the other side, part of a whole but there is hangganan between us.” Rogelio is a talented author and playwright so I’m not surprised they gave me such a poetic definition.
“Hangganan is edge or border but acknowledging there is something on the other side, part of a whole but there is hangganan between us.” — Rogelio Braga
“Sa hangganan” translates to “at the boundary” or “at the limit”. It could also mean “at the border,” but the Philippines doesn’t have a firm border in the way that other countries do, which is why the word border per se doesn't exist in Tagalog. The Philippines is an archipelago — scattered and fragmented through its geography and through its huge diaspora that expands the Philippines beyond its national territory. The sea is the hangganan that is both the separation and the connector to the outside world. The Filipino border or boundary with the world shows us how malleable and arbitrary all national borders are: the West Philippine Sea / South China Sea dispute has been raging for years, and colonial-era borders between the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia (all island nations) have forced the Bajau, a seafaring indigenous community who don’t identify as fully Filipino, Malaysian or Indonesian, into statelessness. The border is an absurd concept with devastating consequences.
This newsletter won’t be Philippines-focused, but the Philippines is an important part of my identity and of the work that I do, so it will probably feature frequently. That’s also something I’ve been trying to work out recently — how I can engage with Filipino identity and culture without making it my full time job or my whole identity.
wrote about grappling with a similar work/identity dynamic in relation to trans-ness and gender in a way that I found really compelling and I’ve thought a lot about it since.What I’ve been reading, watching, listening to
Here are some things I’ve been enjoying recently — like I said this will partly be for #accountability. I won’t always share across all three categories, as I don’t want to report Below Deck Med every month in my watchlist lol.
Reading
The Hundred Years' War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi — you can order it here from an independent bookshop from the UK or here from the US
The Funambulist issue 51: “Undocumented International”
The Woman In Me by Britney Spears — the man at the bookshop I bought this from was really rude about the book, he said he was shocked that so many people were interested in “that woman.” I wish I could go back to the bookshop and force “that man” to read it. Britney’s book is a shocking indictment of the entertainment industry and how it exploits women and then throws them out to rot. It’s really hard to read at times, Britney is a braver and stronger person than I’ll ever be.
Watching
Sandra Hüller in The Zone of Interest and Anatomy of a Fall — both incredible films. I think Zone of Interest is one of the best films I’ve ever seen about colonialism or the Holocaust. Anatomy of a Fall’s success has become an anti-Macron meme after the film received five Oscar nominations despite the French government not putting it forward as France’s official entry for best foreign film at the Oscars, following director Justine Triet’s public criticism of Macron at the Cannes Film Festival.
Below Deck Med — I don’t know what it is about this show but when I start, I can’t stop. It’s so compelling and addictive: the workplace drama, rich obnoxious guests with no taste, and unhinged personalities make it the perfect binge watch.
Listening
As The Seasons Turn podcast by Ffern and Lia Leendertz — a monthly almanach in podcast form
La Vie Partout — a French podcast about nature and the seasons
Time To Say Goodbye! — a progressive Asian American political podcast
On the Nose — Jewish Currents’ podcast
A bit about me
I’m assuming you’ve subscribed because you already know who I am but if you don’t here’s some info about me. I’m Francesca, I’ve been working and organising for migrant liberation in London for the past few years. I’m Filipino-British and grew up in Paris. I’m really interested in history — international, folk, oral… I’ve written for openDemocracy, Novara, and gal-dem. I also enjoy drawing and making prints! Here’s one I made below, which I’m selling as a fundraiser for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (I will try to figure out if I can sell them through here?).
Thank you SO MUCH for reading all the way. I hope you enjoyed sa hangganan!
If you have any feedback (topics you’re interested in, accessibility, etc.), please let me know! I’m still figuring these things out and I want to hear constructive feedback on how I can make it better as I go.