Border Imperialism and Community Resistance
Abstract: This paper describes the construction of borders and criminalization of migration under settler colonialism, including the resultant displacement and marginalization of Indigenous and migrant populations. It considers the nature of borders and nationalisms and interrogates their role in creating hierarchies, homogeneity, and social constructions. In contrast, this paper describes how Indigenous performance practices prefigure communities that transgress boundaries, offering alternative modes of connection and endurance. It describes migration as the freedom to move and an innate right for all humans, critiquing the impact of imperialism on the contemporary landscape of nation-states. The subsequent analysis considers art installations and performance projects that challenge colonial adherence to borders. In sum, this paper asserts that performance is a tool capable of prefiguring meaningful resistance against settler colonialism.
Published in Vol. 5 Ed. 1 of the Muhlenberg Academic Review
Adapted from a term paper for THR 483: Theatre of Empire/Decolonizing Theatre, Spring 2021
Professor Ethan Philbrick
Muhlenberg College