Nandita Sharma and Cynthia Wright

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Decolonizing Resistance, Challenging Colonial States This essay responds to Bonita Lawrence and Enakshi Dua’s arguments in “Decolonizing Racism” that anti-racist theory excludes Aboriginal concerns; anti-racist praxis has contributed “to the active colonization of Aboriginal peoples”; and that “people of color are settlers.” Challenging the conflation between migration and colonialism, this essay argues that the expansion…

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Decolonizing Resistance, Challenging Colonial States

This essay responds to Bonita Lawrence and Enakshi Dua’s arguments in “Decolonizing Racism” that anti-racist theory excludes Aboriginal concerns; anti-racist praxis has contributed “to the active colonization of Aboriginal peoples”; and that “people of color are settlers.” Challenging the conflation between migration and colonialism, this essay argues that the expansion of the category of “settler colonizer” to include all “non-Natives” has emerged within the context of the political consolidation of neoliberalism and neo-racism. It concludes by considering ways to undo the “indigenous”/”migrant” divide by working toward antiracist practices that are fully cognizant of the necessity of anti-nationalist and anti-capitalist decolonization.

settler colonialism, migration, neoliberalism, neo-racism, indigeneity, the commons, nationalism, decolonization

Citation: Social Justice Vol. 35, No. 3 (2008-09): 120-138