5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

This session invites empirical research addressing the formation or construction of race and ethnicity and the role of (im)migration in the making of racial/ethnic categories or hierarchies in emerging migrant destination contexts in Asia. Under what conditions, what elements and which actors and structures contribute to the processes? What roles do media platforms and policies play at the local, national, and regional levels? How do the general public’s attitudes towards different migrant groups impact the making of these racial or ethnic hierarchies? What are these processes' social and political consequences on race or ethnic relations or the majority-minority boundaries? How do (im)migrant or minority groups with different migration histories within or beyond the country negotiate racial or ethnic boundaries? how do these processes affect the identity of immigrants of different generations?

This session specifically calls for research that shifts away from conventional frameworks based on phenotype or skin color, and (re) conceptualizes race or ethnicity in Asia with context-specific explanations. By doing so, this session provides a platform to rethink and discuss the complex dynamics of race, ethnicity, and (im)migration in 21st century Asia.