ABOUT US
OVERVIEW
The Lannang Archives (TLA) comprises professionals and scholars who are interested in language and cultural hybridity, documentation, revitalization, and community empowerment in a Lannang context. The organization is committed to working with Lannang communities in the Philippines and around the world as well as local and international organizations that uphold its advocacy. It does this by facilitating community-led events, seminars, workshops, and training programs in collaboration with these organizations.
MISSION
To preserve, revitalize, and empower Lannang culture and heritage, with particular emphasis on languages, approaching "Lannang" and "Lánnang-uè" as distinctively blended constructs that emerged out of a shared Lannang experience in the Philippines.
To celebrate languages like Lánnang-uè in ALL its forms.
FACETS OF OUR MISSION
Awareness and relevance
01
To increase the awareness of the emotive and cultural significance and relevance of Lannang languages and varieties within and beyond the Lannang communities, and consequently, spotlighting the Lannang heritage and identity.
Attention
02
To highlight Lannang languages and other Sino-Philippine varieties to linguists, scholars, and enthusiasts as varieties worthy of scholarly investigation at par with other Philippine languages.
Understanding
03
To foster accurate beliefs and values about the Lannangs as well as the languages and varieties they speak among all Filipinos; to foster understanding of the need to protect the shared history between Lannangs and the Filipinos.
Development
04
To increase the rate at which Sino-Philippine, particularly Lannang, languages, varieties, and phenomena can be enhanced and developed such that it can be used in the full range of modern activities in and beyond the Lannang communities.
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The Lannangs gain an awareness of the existence, distinctiveness, and diversity of varieties in their communities.
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Non-Lannangs become aware of the existence of Lannangs.
PHASE 1 : Awareness
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The stigma attached to the Lannang varieties and languages, if any, are lessened within the community. Lannangs may or may not actively advocate these but still do not use them.
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Non-Lannangs acknowledge the value of Lannang (heritage) languages in society.
PHASE 2 : Appreciation
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Lannangs positively accept the existence, distinctiveness, and diversity of Lannang varieties. They use them increasingly.
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Non-Lannangs regard Lannang (heritage) languages as part of the greater Philippine cultural fabric.
PHASE 3 : Acceptance
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The robust use of the Lannang varieties expand beyond the home. The language is passed on to future generations.
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Non-Lannangs attempt to learn Lannang varieties and languages.
PHASE 4 : Application
VISION
Individuals with or without Lannang heritage using, developing, and/or actively investigating Lannang varieties and languages.
OUR CREED
Gûn-e Creêd/ Gún-e sîn-tiaú
ENGLISH
We empower the Lannang and what it stands for: a hybrid sociocultural identity rooted in Southern Chinese heritage and deeply shaped by the Philippine experience. Not wholly “Chinese,” but something new, grounded, and whole. We affirm Lannang as a proudly Filipino identity.
One language, many styles.
One people, many experiences.
One heritage, many roots.
We embrace variation. From different accents to diverse sentence structures, from Hokkien-dominant utterances to hybrid blends involving Philippine languages and English, across the Philippines —our language reflects our journeys.
We reject the idea of a single standard. Instead, we honor Lánnang-uè in all its forms: conservative, hybrid, emergent, and evolving.
We believe that diversity is our strength, not a flaw to be erased.
We value every voice, every story, every language choice, every lived experience.
We uplift the everyday speaker, the hesitant learner, the fluent elder, and the disconnected reclaimer alike.
We commit to:
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Revitalizing and sustaining our language, without erasing its variation.
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Creating spaces where Lannang identity can be lived, shared, and reimagined.
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Building archives, events, resources, and research that are community-rooted and forward-facing.
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Affirming the dignity of hybrid lives and the power of collective memory.
We are not fragments. We are not in-between. We are Lannang: full, complex, and enough.
Together, we build a future where our language lives… messy, beautiful, and ours.
LÁNNANG-UÈ (mixed-style, Manila)
Translation by Timothy Lima & Wilkinson Gonzales
Gûn kay-empowèr hî-ge Lánnáng káp ī só’ taî-piaû e: tsi-ge hybrîd-e sociocultural identity na ti Tng-suāⁿ Lam-hōng e bun-huà roôt-le kâp ho’ Huī-di-pīn-e experiencê íng-hiông--tiòh. Ī m-si tsuān e “Chinesê”, pero si sīn--e, groundêd-e, kôh bu-ò-e sīn-hùn. Gûn affìrm na Lánnáng si tsi-ge proudly Huī-di-pīn-e sīn-hùn.
Tsi-ge gí-gién, yá-tsue mga stylè
Tsi-ge tsok-kún, yá-tsue experiencê
Tsi-ge heritagê, yá-tsue ugât
Gûn tsiâp-siu pagka-bo-sáng. Galing pa-de pa-de mga accênt kaû-â pa-de pa-de sentence structurê, galing khâ phiên Hokkien-uè e mga utterancê kaû-â khâ halô-e blênd na kasamà Hui-di-pīn e mga gien-gî kâp Ieng-bún, across Philippinês, gûn-e gien-gî reflect gûn-e mga journèy.
Gûn kay-rejêct hî-ge ideà ng tsi-ge singlè-e standârd. Insteâd, gûn honòr Lánnang-uè kâp lóng-tsòng ī-e mga fòrm: khâ pó-siû--è, halô--è, sīn--e, kâp ti-ti evolvê--e.
Gûn siōng-sîn na pagka-bo-sáng si dân-e strêngth, m-si tsi-ge flàw na dapât tioh kay-erasê.
Gûn valuè muí-tsi-ge siāⁿ-īm, muí tsi-ge kô’-sì, muí tsi-khuán gí-gién suán-tiák, muí tsi-ge sng-uah-e experiencê.
Gûn sang-khuân uplîft hî-ge everyday speakèr, hesitânt-e learnèr, diu-dì-e tiong-puè, kâp hî-ge disconnected reclaimèr.
Gûn commît na gûn e:
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Revitalizê kâp sustaìn gûn e gí-gián habang bo-lê erasê ī-e mga pagka-bo-sáng
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Tshông-tso ho’ lang pó-tshí, shàre-e, kôh kê-tsaî imaginè-e Lánnang sīn-hùn e mga spacê
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Kiên-dip archivês, mga uah-tāng, tsī-guán, kiaū gién-kiù na roôt-le community kâp hiông futurè-e
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Affìrm hî-ge dignity ng mga hun-hap sîⁿ-mià kiaū collective memory-e lat-diòng
Dân m-si tsap-tshuì--e, kôh m-si ipît ti tiōng-thaù-e láng. Dân si Lánnáng, uan-tsîng, hôk-tsáp, kôh kaû-giáh.
Dân sāⁿ-kâp buîld tsi-ge futurè na dân-e gí-gién, kahit na yá messy, suî kâp dân-e e kê-siok uáh--lòh-khi.
LÁNNANG-UÈ (conservative-style)
Translation by Marvin Sy
Gûn bêh tsn̄g-kiong Lánnáng e nng-diák, kôh khńg-tîng ī só’ taî-piaû e: tsiu-si kun-guán ti Tng-suāⁿ Lam-hōng e bun-huà i-sân, di-tshiáⁿ ho’ Huī-di-pīn e kīng-diák tshīm-khiâk íng-hiông--tiòh e tsih-khuán sia-hue-bun-huà e hun-hap sīn-hùn. Ī m-si tsuān e “Tiōng-huá”, ī huán-tn ̂ g si sīn--e, ún-tìng--e, kôh uan-tsîng e tsih-khuán sīn-hùn. Gûn khâk-din Lánnáng si tat-dít ui ī kiaū-ngò’ e tsih-ge Huī-di-pīn sīn-hùn.
Tsih-ge gí-gién, yá-tsue hōng-keh
Tsih-ge tsok-kún, yá-tsue kīng-diák
Tsih-ge i-sân, yá-tsue kūn-guán
Gûn tsiâp-siu tshā-i.̀ Tsng bo-sang khiūⁿ-khaû kaû tsīn-tsue khuân e kû-huât kiétkiò, tsng í Hók-kiên-uè ui-tsû e kóng-huât kaû u tshām Huī-di-pīn e kók-tsiông gígién kâp Īng-bún e hun-hap piaú-tát, gûn e gí-gién huán-îng gûn kīng-diák e kêthíng.
Gûn ki-tsuat ui-ît piaū-tsûn e kuān-diàm. Gûn huán-tng tsūn-tiong Lánnanguè e kôk-tsióng hing-siâk: pó-siû--è, hun-háp--è, sīn-hīng--e, kâp ît-tit ién-pièn--e.
Gûn siōng-sîn, tō’-guan-huà si gûn e lat-diòng, m-si pít-iaû siaū-tí e khiâm-khuât.
Gûn tīn-siôh muí tsih-ge siāⁿ-īm, muí tsih-ge kô’-sì, muí tsih-khuán gí-gién suántiák, muí tsih-ge sng-uah kīng-diák.
Gûn sang-khuân khńg-tîng dit-sióng e sí-iong-tsiâ, lê tiuⁿ-tî e hak-sip-tsiâ, diu-dì e tióng-puè, kâp tsīn-sīm lê tshe gí-gién dien-tsiâp e láng.
Lân suān-sê:
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Tsîn-hīng kôh ui-tshi lân e gí-gián, bo siaū-ti ī e tshā-ì
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Tshông-tso ho’ lang pó-tshí, hūn-hiông, kôh kê-tsaî sī-khóⁿ īn e Lánnang sīn-hùn e khōng-kān
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Kiên-dip í sia-khū ui kūn-kī kôh hiông bi-laí e tông-àn, uah-tāng, tsī-guán, kiaū gién-kiù
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Khńg-tîng hun-hap sîⁿ-mià e tsūn-gién, kiaū tsip-thê kî-iâk e lat-diòng
Lân m-si tsap-tshuì--e, kôh m-si guêh ti tiōng-eūng e láng. Lân si Lánnáng, uan-tsîng, hôk-tsáp, kôh kaû-giáh.
Lân sāⁿ-kâp kiên-dip tsih-ge bī-laí, ân hiá lân e tsíh-gê hun-duàn--e, suî--è, siok-ī lân--e gí-gién e kê-siok uáh--lòh-khi.
OUR HISTORY
Conserving Lannang heritage and language through the years.
Empowering Lannang-heritage communities and greater Philippine society.
ORIGINS
An account of the organization's formative years from the perspective of the founder, Wilkinson Daniel Wong Gonzales.
It all started as a research initiative in 2017. Back then, The Lannang Archives was known as “Chinese Filipino Language Documentation Initiative” (http://lannangarchives.org/about-us). I created the Facebook group with the hopes of posting content related to Lánnang-uè. Starting out, I wanted to platform, but I did not have the following or means yet. I only knew that I wanted to make people, particularly the Lannang community, aware of their own unique languages.
My first step of action was to create a post analyzing SoAsian Comic’s first comic: “the bo pa ba?” comic, where I argued that the “pa” and the “ba” are not Hokkien but actually Lánnang-uè words sourced from Tagalog and English. After that post, I continued to post Lannang-related things, but I was operating the group on my own.
It was not until late 2018 to 2019 that The Lannang Archives (at that time, The Chinoy Scribe, then The Chinoy Archives), began to expand. During that time, it still was not an organization. It was more of a research group of audio data transcribers. I was only looking for assistants to help me transcribe audio interview and narrative files in Lánnang-uè for my qualifying research paper. My goal has expanded from just seeking awareness to also creating output that the community can use – a databank of Lánnang-uè speech. I was holding workshops here and there – once in De La Salle University and twice in UP Diliman. Luckily, I was able to find a group of individuals interested in conserving Lannang heritage through language. Actually, 2020 was the year that The Lannang Archives became an organization. Specifically, June 3, 2020.
The reason why I decided to convert it from an initiative to a full-fledged organization was because my team and I saw the potential for it to become a platform. A lot of people were asking how they can be more involved in heritage conservation and language documentation. Some did not just want to be research data transcribers but wanted to volunteer by creating posters, doing research, among others. This really excited me, as it is my lifelong goal to create an organization like this. So without any hesitation, I decided to establish The Lannang Archives. The organization’s mission is to conserve Lannang heritage, particularly languages, across the Philippines to empower Lannang-heritage communities and greater Philippine society.
In a nutshell, I saw TLA’s potential to become a platform for spreading awareness, empowering the Lannang community, and bridging the cultural gap between the Lannangs and non-Lannang groups.