Description
In this paper I trace the expressively colonial genealogy of borders to better appreciate the function of borders today. Too often migration studies and a less extent critical border studies has focussed on the national orientation of border. regimes – as central to the modern Westphalian state. This has the dual effect of ignoring the expressively colonial and imperial orientation of borders and with it. producing an inadequate account of the re-adaption and ‘duress’ of colonial racism. To counter this trend I offer a series of ‘snapshots’ from the colonial archive which demonstrate how borders/bordering were central to imperial and colonial rule. Throughout I explore how claims to ‘family’ where bound to contingent forms of race-making and how this shaped the dehumanisation of colonised people. I end by considering how ‘family’ and ‘borders’ provide a particular conduit for colonial rule today in (post)metropoles such as Britain.
