Locating Race in Migration and Diversity Studies

Abstract Since race was scientifically invalidated in the aftermath of Holocaust, there has been extensive academic debate about its conceptual significance particularly ‘Global North’ where alternative terms and concepts have offered up to classify group differences understand forms inequality societies once structured explicitly by racial regimes. In earlier debates, an focus on ethnicity, culture, class, nationality drew criticism from scholars who saw abandonment discourse as glossing over enduring power structures that perpetuated racism. Today, debates salience now also grapple with how different kinds human mobility (and immobility) are further making complex relations especially diverse immigrant-receiving societies. While older migration, including forced violent movements people transatlantic slave trade through indentured labour migrations, came underlie a colour-line created nation-states principally formed around logics, newer South North migrations either or voluntary well accelerated border crossings, make even more difference. This chapter locates conceptualisations migration diversity studies, drawing intersecting fields scholarship such studies critical theory, comparative research. It traces wider genealogical history term then discusses concept is applicable South’ existing understandings reaffirmed unsettled. demonstrates continued importance considering not just variable, but key discursive framework diversity.