Citizenship and Empire

Citizenship as a social, political, legal structure is usually associated with the nation state, but this form of membership emerged in a world of empires. From the struggles of the Haitian revolution to conscription of colonial soldiers for the metropole, the technology of citizenship is entangled with colonial power. This session seeks to denaturalize the relationship of citizenship and nationhood and capture struggles for citizenship on the part of colonized people and diasporas. We invite papers that investigate the construction and political consequences of second-class imperial citizenship, the predicaments of colonized subjects in seeking recognition or independence, or explore the challenges faced by diasporic communities in the former metropole. We also welcome work that uncovers the colonial origins of citizenship or considers decolonial forms of membership.