Episode 146: Taomo Zhou, Associate Professor of Chinese Studies, National University of Singapore

In this episode, host Namfon Narumol Choochan and Carrie Mo, a master's student in Asian Studies, interview Taomo Zhou, Associate Professor of Chinese Studies at the National University of Singapore, about her research on the life of Francisca Casparina Fanggidaej, an Indonesian transnational activist in the Afro-Asian movement and the mother of seven. Because of her involvement with the Communist Party of Indonesia (Partai Komunist Indonesia, PKI), Francisca went into exile in China after the 1965 Indonesia massacre, forcing her to separate from her family for many decades.  By examining Francisca's life and activism in Indonesia, China, and the Netherlands, Prof. Zhou tells us how contested international politics shaped gender roles and expectations, redefining what motherhood meant. Lightning round(Lecture Summary): 4:20 Main interview: 8:12 8:12 – How did you first discover Francisca Casparina Fanggidaej, and how did you piece together her story through archival materials and oral history interviews? 10:17 – Can you walk us through Francisca's background and life trajectory? What led her to political activism? 11:26 – How did Francisca become involved in politics, and what shaped her early political commitments? 13:44 – How does Francisca's life reflect shifting gender ideologies, particularly across the Sukarno and Suharto eras in Indonesia? 16:54 – During her exile after the 1965 political violence, Francisca arrived in Beijing. How should we understand China's role within a more rigid gender framework at the time? 19:54 – In her diaries, Francisca attempts to tell her story to her daughter. How do you interpret these writings in relation to the politics of maternal absence? 23:17 – Why is motherhood a critical lens for rethinking internationalism?   26:27 - How does the case of Francisca become useful to think about the gender roles and expectations in the present, especially for mothers? 27:38 – Your upcoming book, Made in Shenzhen, shifts focus geographically—what drew you to Shenzhen, and are there connections between this project and Francisca's story, particularly around migration? 31:33 – How does the concept of maternal absence reshape our understanding of domestic labor and caregiving? Advice Advice for researchers and recommendations: 33:50 Dr. Zhou's top recommendations:  The Majesties: A Novel by Tiffany Tsao The music on the podcast is from "14 Strings!", a Filipino-style Rondalla group established at Cornell University. Check them out here.   Produced by Neen Yada Tangcharoenmonkong, Adam Farihin, and Cecilia Liu