"Race" and "racism" in contemporary Africa-China relations research: approaches, controversies and reflections. Issue 3 (2nd July 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: castillo, Roberto
• Is Part Of: Inter-Asia cultural studies. Volume 21:Issue 3(2020)
• Page Start: 310
• Page End: 336
• Publication Date: 2020-07-02
• Subjects: Race -- racism -- Africa -- China -- research -- methodologies; Culture -- Periodicals; Asia -- Civilization -- Periodicals; Asia -- Social life and customs -- Periodicals; Culture -- Périodiques; Asie -- Civilisation -- Périodiques; Asie -- Moeurs et coutumes -- Périodiques; 303.4095
• DOI: 10.1080/14649373.2020.1796343
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1464-9373

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Over the last five years, as Africa-China relations have moved beyond the honeymoon period and into a more complex stage, a number of incidents have exploded into global controversies about "race, " "racism" and racial hierarchies. Given this context, research on "race" and "racism" in Africa-China relations has been scarce and fraught with methodological issues and challenges. In this article, I first provide a critical analysis of the ways in which the existing body of Africa-China relations knowledge engages with the analytical categories of "race" and "racism." After that, following Monson and Lan, who have both argued for the need of a "triangulation" to better understand "racialisation processes" in the relationship, I introduce the notion of "multiple triangulations" to both analyse these processes and to distance the discussion from Euro-American binaries and dichotomies around "race" and "racism." This is followed by a brief discussion on one of the most recent controversies relating to "race" and "racism" in Afro-Chinese mediascapes. Towards the end of the article, I reflect on the most common methodological issues and challenges in the research on Afro-Chinese encounters. Finally, I discuss the need to develop a global (post-imperial) vocabulary of "race" and "racism, " and indicate what may be the early steps towards doing so.