Resistance is action or argument in the face of something unacceptable, with the aim to reclaim power in the face of an oppressor. Sozan Savehilaghi, quoted in Harsha Walia’s Undoing Border Imperialism, sums up resistance as it relates to transnational feminisms by stating: “Reclaiming our power - as racialized people, refugees, and immigrants - by organizing around issues that affect us is a profound act of dissent”. Resistance in the context of transnational feminisms, then, can be defined as the organization around the issues faced by marginalized peoples in order to disrupt or upset the oppressive hegemonic forces acting across and within state borders.
The term resistance helps us to better understand transnational feminist thought by describing the underlying current in transnational feminist discourse – the critical analysis of hegemonic power, and a refusal to accept the ‘status quo’ as defined by the state or some other oppressive force. Understanding the importance of resisting colonial power, white supremacy, and patriarchal structures (among other oppressive forces) is key to understanding transnational feminisms and the aims of the movement. This definition and quote help the reader to understand what resistance means for a racialized person, refugee, or immigrant who is pushing back against oppression from the state and under hegemonic powers.
Source: Walia, H. (2019). Waves of Resistance Roundtable. In: H. Walia, ed., Undoing Border Imperialism. AK Press, pp.205-246. URL: https://www.akpress.org/undoing-border-imperialism.html Author: deroo
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