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Peer Reviewed Papers by Jennifer Hough

Recent migration ‘crises’ raise important geopolitical questions. Who is ‘the migrant’ that conte... more Recent migration ‘crises’ raise important geopolitical questions. Who is ‘the migrant’ that contemporary politics are fixated on? How are answers to ‘who counts as a migrant’ changing? Who gets to do that counting, and under what circumstances? This forum responds to, as well as questions, the current saliency of migration by examining how categories of migration hold geopolitical significance—not only in how they are constructed and by whom, but also in how they are challenged and subverted. Furthermore, by examining how the very concepts of ‘migrant’ and ‘refugee’ are used in different contexts, and for a variety of purposes, it opens up critical questions about mobility, citizenship and the nation state. Collectively, these contributions aim to demonstrate how problematising migration and its categorisation can be a tool of enquiry into other phenomena and processes.

Critical Asian Studies, 2020

This article draws on the public testimonies of North Koreans living in South Korea (t’albungmin)... more This article draws on the public testimonies of North Koreans living in South Korea (t’albungmin) and analyzes the role that these narratives play in South Korean society as mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion. North and South Korea technically remain at war, with South Korea claiming sovereignty over the entire Korean peninsula. While t’albungmin are eligible for South Korean citizenship, they describe feeling excluded from full social membership. Although some t’albungmin seek anonymity, this paper considers those who gain social status by speaking publicly about their lives and denouncing the North Korean regime. In so doing, they distance themselves from North Korea and align themselves with the “good” discourse of human rights. However, their actions reinforce a logic of exclusion, implying that t’albungmin who prefer anonymity are “sympathizers” of the North and consequently restricting their access to social benefits and resources. This case of conditional inclusion illuminates tensions that arise when a sovereignty claim entails the incorporation of people from an enemy state. It also highlights the carefully delineated boundaries of publicly acceptable behavior within which “suspect” citizens must remain as a condition for positive recognition.

Ethnic and Racial Studies, 2021

While racialization is commonly associated with perceived phenotypical differences, this article ... more While racialization is commonly associated with perceived phenotypical differences, this article introduces the phenomenon of co-ethnic racialization via linguistic differentiation. Based on long-term ethnographic fieldwork, I consider the linguistic concerns of North Koreans in South Korea (t’albungmin). Despite South Korean state policy espousing an ideology of ethno-national unity, South Koreans are resistant to the social incorporation of certain diasporic Koreans, who are often identifiable through their accents. I argue that North Koreans’ linguistic anxieties and speech modifications are partly fuelled by a fear of being seen as inherently deficient, and that they adopt linguistic strategies, whether attempting to sound more “South Korean” or accepting their misidentification as Korean-Chinese, as a means of adapting to these implicit (yet shifting) racializing logics. This case not only highlights racialized hierarchies present among Korean co-ethnics but broadens our understandings of racialization by identifying linguistic practice as a site where co-ethnic racialization takes place.

Critical Asia Studies, 2020

This article draws on the public testimonies of North Koreans living in South Korea (t’albungmin)... more This article draws on the public testimonies of North Koreans living in South Korea (t’albungmin) and analyzes the role that these narratives play in South Korean society as mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion. North and South Korea technically remain at war, with South Korea claiming sovereignty over the entire Korean peninsula. While t’albungmin are eligible for South Korean citizenship, they describe feeling excluded from full social membership. Although some t’albungmin seek anonymity, this paper considers those who gain social status by speaking publicly about their lives and denouncing the North Korean regime. In so doing, they distance themselves from North Korea and align themselves with the “good” discourse of human rights. However, their actions reinforce a logic of exclusion, implying that t’albungmin who prefer anonymity are “sympathizers” of the North and consequently restricting their access to social benefits and resources. This case of conditional inclusion illuminates tensions that arise when a sovereignty claim entails the incorporation of people from an enemy state. It also highlights the carefully delineated boundaries of publicly acceptable behavior within which “suspect” citizens must remain as a condition for positive recognition.

Recent migration ‘crises’ raise important geopolitical questions. Who is ‘the migrant’ that conte... more Recent migration ‘crises’ raise important geopolitical questions. Who is ‘the migrant’ that contemporary politics are fixated on? How are answers to ‘who counts as a migrant’ changing? Who gets to do that counting, and under what circumstances? This forum responds to, as well as questions, the current saliency of migration by examining how categories of migration hold geopolitical significance—not only in how they are constructed and by whom, but also in how they are challenged and subverted. Furthermore, by examining how the very concepts of ‘migrant’ and ‘refugee’ are used in different contexts, and for a variety of purposes, it opens up critical questions about mobility, citizenship and the nation state. Collectively, these contributions aim to demonstrate how problematising migration and its categorisation can be a tool of enquiry into other phenomena and processes.

Critical Asian Studies, 2020

This article draws on the public testimonies of North Koreans living in South Korea (t’albungmin)... more This article draws on the public testimonies of North Koreans living in South Korea (t’albungmin) and analyzes the role that these narratives play in South Korean society as mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion. North and South Korea technically remain at war, with South Korea claiming sovereignty over the entire Korean peninsula. While t’albungmin are eligible for South Korean citizenship, they describe feeling excluded from full social membership. Although some t’albungmin seek anonymity, this paper considers those who gain social status by speaking publicly about their lives and denouncing the North Korean regime. In so doing, they distance themselves from North Korea and align themselves with the “good” discourse of human rights. However, their actions reinforce a logic of exclusion, implying that t’albungmin who prefer anonymity are “sympathizers” of the North and consequently restricting their access to social benefits and resources. This case of conditional inclusion illuminates tensions that arise when a sovereignty claim entails the incorporation of people from an enemy state. It also highlights the carefully delineated boundaries of publicly acceptable behavior within which “suspect” citizens must remain as a condition for positive recognition.

Ethnic and Racial Studies, 2021

While racialization is commonly associated with perceived phenotypical differences, this article ... more While racialization is commonly associated with perceived phenotypical differences, this article introduces the phenomenon of co-ethnic racialization via linguistic differentiation. Based on long-term ethnographic fieldwork, I consider the linguistic concerns of North Koreans in South Korea (t’albungmin). Despite South Korean state policy espousing an ideology of ethno-national unity, South Koreans are resistant to the social incorporation of certain diasporic Koreans, who are often identifiable through their accents. I argue that North Koreans’ linguistic anxieties and speech modifications are partly fuelled by a fear of being seen as inherently deficient, and that they adopt linguistic strategies, whether attempting to sound more “South Korean” or accepting their misidentification as Korean-Chinese, as a means of adapting to these implicit (yet shifting) racializing logics. This case not only highlights racialized hierarchies present among Korean co-ethnics but broadens our understandings of racialization by identifying linguistic practice as a site where co-ethnic racialization takes place.

Critical Asia Studies, 2020

This article draws on the public testimonies of North Koreans living in South Korea (t’albungmin)... more This article draws on the public testimonies of North Koreans living in South Korea (t’albungmin) and analyzes the role that these narratives play in South Korean society as mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion. North and South Korea technically remain at war, with South Korea claiming sovereignty over the entire Korean peninsula. While t’albungmin are eligible for South Korean citizenship, they describe feeling excluded from full social membership. Although some t’albungmin seek anonymity, this paper considers those who gain social status by speaking publicly about their lives and denouncing the North Korean regime. In so doing, they distance themselves from North Korea and align themselves with the “good” discourse of human rights. However, their actions reinforce a logic of exclusion, implying that t’albungmin who prefer anonymity are “sympathizers” of the North and consequently restricting their access to social benefits and resources. This case of conditional inclusion illuminates tensions that arise when a sovereignty claim entails the incorporation of people from an enemy state. It also highlights the carefully delineated boundaries of publicly acceptable behavior within which “suspect” citizens must remain as a condition for positive recognition.