The Transformation of Diaspora Political Subjectivity through Social Movement Participation: A Case Study on Young Chinese Feminists Organising in Japan
Keywords: political subjectivity, diaspora, feminist activism, identity
Recent data has shown increased immigration from China to Japan since COVID-19, especially after the “A4 revolution” outburst against strict COVID-19 infection control policies at the end of 2022. Against the backdrop of these events in the past few years, diasporic Chinese feminist networks have emerged on social media and organised various offline protests and assemblies in cities of liberal democracies, including Japan, while such activities are severely prohibited in China. Unlike earlier generations of diasporic Chinese activists, young feminists not only protest about Chinese domestic issues but also advocate for local and transnational movements. Existing literature contends the transformative effect on individuals through social movement participation. Based on insights from previous studies and interviews with participants, this study presents young Chinese feminists’ reflections on their personal experiences before and after social movement participation in Japan after 2020. This study constructs the analysis through the concept of “political subjectivity”, which is closely related to belief, worldview, sense of belonging and identity, and argues that diasporic young Chinese feminists’ political subjectivity is shaped by the intersection of opportunities for activism in liberal democracies, experiencing new agency, interaction with different authorities and concerns for personal safety. This study concludes with the potential social impacts that the emerging diaspora political subjectivity can bring.