Description

Antiracism in the Cosmopolis: Race, Class, and Gender in the Lives of Elite Chinese Canadian Women

This essay argues for merging antiracism with critical transnationalism to seek innovative solidarities with Chinese Canadian elites. Critical transnationalism understands the world as being comprised of competing modernities, each making their own claims to histories of capitalism. In interviews, three young, middle-class, private-sector Chinese Canadian women articulate concerns about racism and sexism in the workforce, but are also impassioned about their careers and relish the challenges of trying to make it in the corporate world. These women express support for social justice initiatives such as antiracism, employment equity, and, more generally, the welfare state. It is argued that antiracism activists may wish to work through ambivalence felt toward private-sector elites and seek collective action with privileged women. Aspects of critical transnationalism can facilitate outreach by antiracism activists to elite Chinese Canadian women to forge new solidarities that are responsive to the contemporary context of globalization and the lives of these women.

antiracism activists, Chinese Canadian elites, attitudes toward antiracism and employment equity, collective action

Citation: Social Justice Vol. 32, No. 4 (2005): 161-179