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The Diaspora Experience: Politics, Ethics, and Aesthetics of Emigrants from the Chinese BorderlandÌý

10–11 October 2024Ìý

University of California, DavisÌý

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UC Davis East Asian Studies, Global Hong Kong Studies @ the University of California, and America-China Talk at UC Davis invite scholars and PhD students to submit original research papers for the above interdisciplinary conference. We welcome proposals from a diversity of theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches. ÌýÌý

In this age of globalization, diaspora studies offer critical insights into the massive dispersal of peoples from their homelands as a political, cultural, and moral force in the modern world. Challenging the methodological nationalism permeating social theories and area studies, research on diasporas has grown by leaps and bounds in the past decades. The diasporas originating from China’s borderlands, however, have received little systematic and comparative attention, even though the Chinese diaspora has long been an object of inquiry for historians, literary scholars, and social scientists. Ìý

This interdisciplinary conference spotlights the diasporas fromÌýHong Kong, Taiwan, Tibet, and Xinjiang, and explores how these communities might be shaped by their political, ethnic, and religious marginalization and conflicts in relation to the Chinese Mainland. We examine modalities of political engagement, cultural and artistic practices, and ethical and ideological formations of the dispersed peoples. Hence, politics, aesthetics, and ethics as the main themes.ÌýTopics of interestÌýfor paper proposals include, but are not limited to, the following:Ìý

Politics of the diasporasÌý

·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýcross-border political mobilization and advocacy networksÌý

·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýencounters with transnational repression Ìý

·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýintergroup conflict and solidarity Ìý

·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýbelonging and emigrant citizenship Ìý

·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýissues of race, gender, class, religion, and sexuality within and among diasporasÌý

·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýlong-distance nationalism Ìý

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Aesthetics of the diasporasÌý

·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýart forms and practices, sensibilities, and theorization of art producersÌý

·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýmeaning-making through literature and visual and digital culturesÌý

·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýcollection and curation of arts and memoriesÌý

·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýpersonal and collective identitiesÌý

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Ethics of the diasporasÌý

·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýpolitical theory of exiles, statelessness, and nationalismÌý

·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýmoral considerations of the diasporic conditionÌý

·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýethics, rights, and responsibilities of exilesÌý

·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýtransnational solidarityÌý

·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýcosmopolitanism and communitarianismÌý

·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýmajority and minority rights among exilesÌý

Submission GuidelinesÌý

Submit an abstract of 300 to 500 words that explains the research and its significance and a short CV byÌý15 September 2023Ìýto Eddy U (eu@ucdavis.edu). Ìý

Confirmations of acceptance of presentation of full papers will be sent by 15 October 2023.Ìý

We encourage contributions fromÌýearly career scholars and PhD students. We aim to publish a selection of the papers from the conference as a Special Issue in a peer-reviewed journal.Ìý

We reimburse travel cost to presenters coming from within the US. Depending on funding, we may fully reimburse the travel cost of presenters coming from outside the US. We provide two nights of hotel accommodation.ÌýÌý