Postcolonial migrations

Abstract

In this commentary, we argue for the relevance and importance of postcolonial theory to the study of migration and mobility. Building on a panel discussion at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers, we highlight a number of different ways in which this could take place. We suggest three possible interventions: stretching the boundaries of the spaces of the postcolonial; interrogating the spatial connections that are forged between disparate places through migration; and challenging singular or hierarchical notions of identity and/or place. In these ways, we conclude that postcolonial theory can complicate and enhance our understanding of migration, and that attention to migration research could, in turn, facilitate a 'social turn' for postcolonial geographies.

The geography of transnational adoption: kin and place in globalization

“…Collectively, the contributors to this special issue have explored both the alignments and the infelicities of the adoption -migration nexus, engaging closely with literature on geographies of migration in the process (Blunt, 2007;Crang, Dwyer, & Jackson, 2003;Dunn, 2008;Kelly & Morton, 2004;Mains et al, 2013;Werbner, 1999). De Graeve's conclusion is that adoptees and their parents, in some ways, are like migrants; they belong transnationally and produce ties across borders.…”

“…Nations are, then, produced as good or bad through adoption (compare De Leeuw, 2014;Mains et al, 2013;Martin, 2011;Silk, 2004). In Barbara Yngvesson's article 'Migrant bodies and the materialization of belonging in Sweden,' Sweden is as much produced through the engineering of pluralism in immigration policies as through the engineering of Swedishness in adoption policies.…”

Postcolonial Approaches to Migration in Asia: Reflections and Projections

“…Mains et al (, 133) note that “the potential for post‐colonial theory to fundamentally change how we understand migration is underexplored.” Indeed, while there are existing studies on post‐colonial migration flows from former colonies to the former colonial power – such as migrants from Indonesia and the Indies to the Netherlands (Oostindie ), Caribbean migrants to and from Britain (Chamberlain ; Western ) and Latin American migrants to Britain (McIlwaine ) – these have tended to focus on migrants' experience at the destination countries. Although these accounts of migration and diasporic experiences are situated within the structures of colonialism, there has been little engagement with what a postcolonial lens might uncover for migration studies.…”

“…Postcolonialism has been recently reinvigorated as a useful approach to advance existing migration research (McIlwaine ; Mains et al ; Nair ) . Drawing on a rich foundation in postcolonial theory and postcolonial studies, postcolonial approaches to migration highlight the continued salience of colonial‐institutionalised knowledge, structures and practices that continue to circumscribe migration patterns and experiences for people in and/or from former colonies.…”

“…In this article, I put forth a twofold argument. First, following recent calls for “postcolonial migrations” (Mains et al ) and “postcolonial theories of migration” (Nair ), I consider how postcolonial approaches have been, and can be, usefully applied to migration in Asia. Although the focus of this article is on migration and related issues in the Asian region, this does not mean that postcolonial approaches do not similarly apply to other geographical areas such as Latin America (Bortoluci and Jansen ), Africa, the Antartica (Dodds ) and Europe itself (Ponzanesi and Blaagaard ).…”