Genealogy

10 pages, 768 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of the 1742–1743 Plague Epidemic on Global Excess Deaths and Social Dynamics in the City of Santa Fe and Along the Royal Road Between Buenos Aires and Lima

by Jorge Hugo Villafañe

Genealogy 2025, 9(1), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9010022 - 25 Feb 2025

Abstract

The 1742–1743 plague epidemic significantly impacted Santa Fe, a key city along the Royal Road (Camino Real), a vital colonial trade route connecting Buenos Aires and Lima. This study examines the epidemic’s demographic and socio-economic consequences in Santa Fe, focusing on excess mortality [...] Read more.

The 1742–1743 plague epidemic significantly impacted Santa Fe, a key city along the Royal Road (Camino Real), a vital colonial trade route connecting Buenos Aires and Lima. This study examines the epidemic’s demographic and socio-economic consequences in Santa Fe, focusing on excess mortality and its disproportionate impact on marginalized groups, such as Indigenous and African-descended populations. Utilizing parish records, census data, and archival sources, the research quantifies mortality rates during the epidemic and highlights the role of Santa Fe’s strategic position in facilitating the rapid spread of the disease. The findings underscore the intersection of systemic vulnerabilities and territorial dynamics shaped by Bourbon reforms, which exacerbated the epidemic’s effects. Furthermore, this study explores the resilience of local communities, emphasizing how cultural and religious practices contributed to recovery. By situating Santa Fe’s experience within the broader context of the Royal Road, this research provides a nuanced understanding of the complex interplay between epidemics, social structures, and demographic change in colonial Latin America, offering valuable insights for contemporary public health strategies. Full article

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14 pages, 218 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Taking a Cross-Faculty Stand Against Racism and Inequality: What Are Enabling and Inhibiting Factors Influencing the Placement Experiences of Black, Asian, Ethnic Minoritised Students in the Schools of Social Work, Education, and Health Sciences?

by Carlene Cornish, Stephanie T. Jong, Isabella Albarran, Swati Kale, Sarah Brownsword, Cat Playfair, Sophie Vauzour, Tina Odu, Godfrey Lusigi and Virginia Shikuku

Genealogy 2025, 9(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9010021 - 25 Feb 2025

Abstract

Many Black, Asian, and ethnic minoritised students on university courses leading to professional qualifications face racism on placement. Our own institutional review at one UK university highlighted differential placement outcomes for students in the Schools of Social Work, Education, and Health Sciences. To [...] Read more.

Many Black, Asian, and ethnic minoritised students on university courses leading to professional qualifications face racism on placement. Our own institutional review at one UK university highlighted differential placement outcomes for students in the Schools of Social Work, Education, and Health Sciences. To investigate, a qualitative study was conducted between April to October 2024, using focus groups and interviews with 20 students and 19 staff (lecturers and placement supervisors from the NHS, County Council, and schools). Researchers used NVivo to support the thematic analysis of the qualitative data. Key findings identified various enabling factors, including the significance of supervisory placement support and the quality of placement environment. However, our data further confirmed several inhibiting factors, including power dynamics, systemic failures, and broken trust, contributing to racialised and oppressive placement conditions. We recommend that the university and placement providers have a dedicated system for reporting race-specific incidents to a dedicated person/team who are trained and accountable for tackling and preventing racists incidents on placements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tackling Race Inequality in Higher Education)

20 pages, 294 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“My Dad Is Racist as Hell:” Navigating Racism, Monoracism, and White Privilege by Proxy in Multiracial Families

by Chandra D. L. Waring

Genealogy 2025, 9(1), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9010020 - 19 Feb 2025

Abstract

While the dominant narrative of multiracial families in society is that they are atypical, the implicit narrative is that they are racially progressive. In this article, I show how multiracial people with different backgrounds, although all have white ancestry, experience family life in [...] Read more.

While the dominant narrative of multiracial families in society is that they are atypical, the implicit narrative is that they are racially progressive. In this article, I show how multiracial people with different backgrounds, although all have white ancestry, experience family life in nuanced ways that include racial discrimination and unearned privileges. While research has documented racism and monoracism in multiracial families, scholars have yet to analyze how inequality interacts with the unearned privileges that accompany a white parent. This study explores how 30 multiracial people experience racism, monoracism, and white privilege by proxy in their family lives. First, I center my respondents’ experiences with racism and monoracism, and how these experiences are shaped by the role of the family member (i.e., parent, grandparent, etc.). Second, I explain how white privilege by proxy is influenced by the intersectional identities of my participants’ white parent. Lastly, I outline how and under what conditions this form of privilege can be restricted or revoked. These findings present a new narrative of multiracial family life that more accurately reflects the intersectional and complex realities of multiracial people. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Manifestation and Contestation of White Privilege in Multiracial Families)

16 pages, 427 KiB

Open AccessReview

Transforming Academic Literacy: Centering Indigenous Identities in the Classroom

by Oscar Eybers

Genealogy 2025, 9(1), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9010019 - 13 Feb 2025

Abstract

This article explores the transformational potential of centering indigenous identities and heritage within academic literacy instruction in higher education. The dominance of Eurocentric pedagogies in higher education has often marginalized African epistemologies and cultural narratives, limiting students’ engagement and sense of belonging. Drawing [...] Read more.

This article explores the transformational potential of centering indigenous identities and heritage within academic literacy instruction in higher education. The dominance of Eurocentric pedagogies in higher education has often marginalized African epistemologies and cultural narratives, limiting students’ engagement and sense of belonging. Drawing on examples such as the Ma’at and Tewahedo traditions, this work argues that academic literacy should embrace Indigenous Knowledge Systems and the cultural capital students bring to the classroom. By integrating indigenous identities into disciplinary discourses, educators can create more inclusive learning environments that challenge historical power dynamics and elevate marginalized voices. This analysis highlights practical strategies for educators to foster critical thinking, reading, and writing while affirming students’ identities. Ultimately, this article demonstrates that activating Indigenous Knowledge Systems can create classrooms that are inclusive and reflective of African identities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interrogating the Impact of Colonialism(s) on Indigenous Identity, Being, and Belonging)

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14 pages, 224 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identity Negotiation and Conflict Resolution in Contemporary Multicultural Settings: The Contribution of Intercultural Mediators

by Zoe Karanikola and Georgios Panagiotopoulos

Genealogy 2025, 9(1), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9010018 - 13 Feb 2025

Abstract

Research on intercultural communication is closely related to the phenomenon of intercultural mediation, as a means of identity negotiation and conflict resolution in contemporary multicultural settings. This study focuses on the basic dimensions of the role of mediators, whereas the methodology applied was [...] Read more.

Research on intercultural communication is closely related to the phenomenon of intercultural mediation, as a means of identity negotiation and conflict resolution in contemporary multicultural settings. This study focuses on the basic dimensions of the role of mediators, whereas the methodology applied was mainly based on a literature review of secondary sources (laws, official texts and material of international organizations). The data collected, as key codes and from which the thematic axes emerged, concerned, on the one hand, the mediators’ profile and specifically their mindset, skillset and fundamental principles, and on the other hand, the political and legal framing of mediation with an emphasis on laws, professional profile, training standards, accreditation and examples of good practices. Finally, intercultural mediation is recognized as a determining factor in social integration policies and is closely related to common global and fundamental values, such as equity, respect, identity protection, tolerance, active listening and engagement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Identity in Flux: Intercultural Conflict and the Dynamics of Belonging)

23 pages, 1258 KiB

Open AccessArticle

When Distance Keeps Families Apart: The Complexities of Visiting Emigrant Children

by Sulette Ferreira

Genealogy 2025, 9(1), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9010017 - 12 Feb 2025

Abstract

Migration has become an inescapable reality affecting South African families, extending its impact far beyond the immigrant to those staying behind. The geographical separation of parents from their adult children and grandchildren significantly alters family dynamics, creating logistical and emotional challenges. Participants in [...] Read more.

Migration has become an inescapable reality affecting South African families, extending its impact far beyond the immigrant to those staying behind. The geographical separation of parents from their adult children and grandchildren significantly alters family dynamics, creating logistical and emotional challenges. Participants in this study reveal a deeply felt need to physically reconnect with their loved ones, emphasizing the emotional solace derived from in-person interactions. The enduring parent-child bond motivates family members to find meaningful ways to maintain their connections across vast distances and differing time zones. Transnational visits serve as a crucial lifeline, enabling parents to experience their children’s new environments and strengthen bonds with their grandchildren. This article draws upon ongoing qualitative research exploring the lived experiences of South African parents with emigrant children and grandchildren, focusing on the barriers that hinder these transnational visits. It focusses on parents’ unique experiences travelling to visit their emigrant children, rather than return visits. While they are essential for sustaining familial bonds, visits are deeply layered experiences, shaped by financial constraints, the logistical complexities of long-distance travel and the emotional weight of farewells. These factors have the potential to render visits infrequent and emotionally complex. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tracing the History and Intergenerational Relations of Immigrant Families)

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17 pages, 242 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Nepalese Diaspora in Canada: History, Diasporic Experiences, and Contemporary Issues

by Subash Giri

Genealogy 2025, 9(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9010016 - 12 Feb 2025

Abstract

Despite the Nepalese diaspora being a part of the South Asian diaspora in Canada—the largest fraction of Canadian diasporas—systematic investigations into and knowledge about the Nepalese diaspora is strikingly limited. The existing studies centred on the South Asian diaspora predominantly deal with the [...] Read more.

Despite the Nepalese diaspora being a part of the South Asian diaspora in Canada—the largest fraction of Canadian diasporas—systematic investigations into and knowledge about the Nepalese diaspora is strikingly limited. The existing studies centred on the South Asian diaspora predominantly deal with the Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, and Bangladeshi diasporas and often homogenize the Nepalese diaspora with these diasporic groups. This study, as the first scholarly investigation into this group, examines the emerging and fast-growing Nepalese diasporic community in Canada. Based on government data, reports, and in-depth semi-structured interviews, this article presents the history of the Nepalese diaspora in Canada. It also delineates their diasporic experiences as they arrive and embark on a new journey to Canada and some contemporary socio-cultural and intergenerational issues that have arisen in this diasporic community. The article finds a rapid growth in the Nepalese diaspora in about the last two decades. It identifies the quest for a better life, health care, social security, children’s education, and escape from political turmoil and instability in their native country as the chief reasons for this influx of Nepalese in Canada. The article also uncovers dramatic career shifts, adaptation or settlement-related strains, longing for homeland, cultural decline, and growing intergenerational gaps as the key post-immigration challenges encountered by the Nepalese diaspora in Canada. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tracking Asian Diasporic Experiences)

14 pages, 234 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Max Weber and Anthony D. Smith on Race, Ethnicity, and Nation

by Peter C. Mentzel

Genealogy 2025, 9(1), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9010015 - 11 Feb 2025

Abstract

The relationship between the sociological categories of race, ethnicity, and nation, and indeed definitions of these terms themselves, continues to be a lively, if not fraught, topic. One of the first social scientists to engage in the investigation of these concepts was Max [...] Read more.

The relationship between the sociological categories of race, ethnicity, and nation, and indeed definitions of these terms themselves, continues to be a lively, if not fraught, topic. One of the first social scientists to engage in the investigation of these concepts was Max Weber (1864–1920). Though his work on the subject was incomplete at the time of his death, it nevertheless provided a useful starting point for later research. One of the recent scholars whose work echoes that of Weber was Anthony D. Smith (1939–2016). Through an analysis of the work of both on the subjects of race, ethnicity, and national identity, this paper will examine the similarities in the approaches of Weber and Smith and, in the process, suggest ways to continue the exploration of these important concepts. Full article

22 pages, 920 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Soundscapes of Resistance: Delta Blues and the Transcultural Journeys of the African Diaspora

by John Byron Strait

Genealogy 2025, 9(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9010014 - 8 Feb 2025

Abstract

As a distinct musical form, blues music from the Mississippi Delta has been extensively studied across various academic disciplines. While much of this attention has treated blues primarily as an auditory experience, I argue that it represents far more than just sound or [...] Read more.

As a distinct musical form, blues music from the Mississippi Delta has been extensively studied across various academic disciplines. While much of this attention has treated blues primarily as an auditory experience, I argue that it represents far more than just sound or entertainment. This research project examines Delta blues as a comprehensive cultural phenomenon, exploring its evolution through a series of distinct diffusionary pathways that reveal complex global interactions and transcultural exchange. This study posits that Delta blues emerged from a broad cultural milieu, shaped by multiple layers of geographical processes ranging from ancient African trade routes to twentieth-century migration patterns. I position Delta blues within the context of the African diaspora, emphasizing not only its strong roots in African and African American cultural traditions but also its crucial role as a vehicle for cultural resistance and consciousness-raising. By mapping the evolution of blues music and culture through specific circuits of exchange, I illuminate the intricate interrelationships between different peoples and places across time and space. This approach reveals how global interactions generated a unique musical and cultural expression that both embodies and transcends the complex social dynamics inherent in the African diaspora. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Expressions of Identities in African and African Diaspora Communities through Arts)

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25 pages, 710 KiB

Open AccessArticle

White Appalachians: Not a “People of the Mountains” [A Rhetorical Analysis of Recent Journal of Appalachian Studies Issues]

by Jason Hockaday

Genealogy 2025, 9(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9010013 - 5 Feb 2025

Abstract

Previous research has shown that Appalachian Studies as a field, by drawing upon Appalachian Studies scholars and activists such as Harry Caudill, Helen Lewis, and Chris Irwin, misapplied the colonialism model to whites in the region, which resulted in clear remnants of self-Indigenization [...] Read more.

Previous research has shown that Appalachian Studies as a field, by drawing upon Appalachian Studies scholars and activists such as Harry Caudill, Helen Lewis, and Chris Irwin, misapplied the colonialism model to whites in the region, which resulted in clear remnants of self-Indigenization in the field. I show through a rhetorical analysis of recent (2020–2023) editions of the Journal of Appalachian Studies that these critiques have been left largely unaddressed in the field. In reviewing these issues, a tenet of Appalachian Studies is to employ “Appalachian” as an identity (rather than as solely a regional analytic) that is claimable by whites as distinct from other white settler colonizer identities. Applying the peoplehood matrix, which is a theory of that which imbues Indigenous peoples with Indigeneity and sovereignty, I reveal that white Appalachia often rhetorically presents itself as a colonized Indigenous people—though not necessarily as American Indians. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue (Un)Settling Genealogies: Self-Indigenization in Media, Arts, Politics, and Academia)

15 pages, 259 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“When You Are in Rome, You Behave like the Romans”: International Students’ Experience of Integration Policies at a UK University

by Abass B. Isiaka

Genealogy 2025, 9(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9010012 - 4 Feb 2025

Abstract

Set within the context of the calls for a critical approach to the integration of international students, this paper draws on decolonial theories to examine the experiences of international students from Asian and African countries as they make sense of institutional policies designed [...] Read more.

Set within the context of the calls for a critical approach to the integration of international students, this paper draws on decolonial theories to examine the experiences of international students from Asian and African countries as they make sense of institutional policies designed to support their integration. The study uses a phenomenological approach to analyse focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews with international postgraduate students. The findings reveal how international students demand the decolonisation of a “Eurocentric” curriculum and a pedagogical framework that acknowledges their experiences and agencies as epistemic equals. Participants expressed diverse opinions about the institution’s academic culture, while inclusion policies are perceived as “tokenistic gestures” that fail to address racial invalidation and microaggressions. Findings from this study suggest the need for institutions in “post-race” times to transcend superficial equality discourses that commodify diversity as “good business sense”, targeting raced, mobile, and gendered “others” for inclusion by situating EDI strategies within a much longer history of global entanglements shaped by colonial, capitalist relations, rationalities, and subjectivities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tackling Race Inequality in Higher Education)

18 pages, 288 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Beyond the Demands of Integration: African Refugee Resettlement in Contemporary Multicultural Australia

by Kathleen Openshaw, Atem Atem and Melissa Phillips

Genealogy 2025, 9(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9010011 - 29 Jan 2025

Abstract

This paper uses the example of negatively racialised refugees from the African continent to reiterate the racialised nature of migrant and refugee experiences in Australia. This is a context that remains deeply influenced by a violent history of British colonisation and racist migration [...] Read more.

This paper uses the example of negatively racialised refugees from the African continent to reiterate the racialised nature of migrant and refugee experiences in Australia. This is a context that remains deeply influenced by a violent history of British colonisation and racist migration laws, including the restrictive White Australia Policy (1901–1973). Drawing on the authors’ research and personal experiences of working with, and navigating, the Australian resettlement system this article examines the racialised violences inherent in expectations of ‘integration’ for (former) African refugees in a settler colonial country. This paper proffers a principle level re-imagining of refugee resettlement in Australia that challenges patriarchal white sovereignty. It proposes a meaningful consideration of resettlement practices that are community-led, localised, relational and that recognise the agency of refugees who settle in Australia. This paper disrupts dominant tropes of refugees as perpetually vulnerable and deficit, by centering the agency, needs and expectations of a good life as it is lived in community, rather than dictated by the state. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobilities and Precarities)

10 pages, 1005 KiB

Open AccessCommentary

“Boys and Men”: The Making of Senegambian and Congolese Masculinity and Identities in Tropical Africa: A Reflection

by Martha Judith Chinouya and Sarah Lewis-Newton

Genealogy 2025, 9(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9010010 - 27 Jan 2025

Abstract

Our paper focuses on two white pioneering scientists, Dr Dutton, who was English, and Dr Todd, a Canadian, employed by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) to study sleeping sickness in colonial Senegambia, West Africa. We analysed photographs and some published personal [...] Read more.

Our paper focuses on two white pioneering scientists, Dr Dutton, who was English, and Dr Todd, a Canadian, employed by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) to study sleeping sickness in colonial Senegambia, West Africa. We analysed photographs and some published personal letters to help us reflect on some of their constructions of Senegambian and Congolese male identities in tropical colonial Africa. In this paper, we connect with the history of tropical medicine, a precursor to public health. Public health was a research area that was central to Peter Aspinall’s work as he argued for shifts from simplistic hegemonic terminologies to refer to an incredibly diverse Black African population, as failure to do so impacts on service provisions. Within the context of tropical medicine, we reflect on the paternalistic terminology and use of the word ‘boy’ to refer to their unnamed male helpers who they photographed during these expeditions. We hope that by interpreting the photographs and reflecting on the literature and letters, exercises that are influenced by our positionality, we can obtain a glimpse into the past and obtain some insights that contribute to our understanding of the production of colonial masculinities, terminology, and race. As female authors employed by LSTM, we are aware that our positionalities influence the lenses through which we view and interpret the literature and the photos. Our paper contributes towards the ongoing debates on terminology, race, and whiteness in colonial tropical medicine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seeing Ethnicity Otherwise: From History, Classification and Terminology to Identities, Health and Mixedness in the Work of Peter J. Aspinall)

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15 pages, 5523 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Valongo Wharf and Gadsden’s Wharf: A Comparative Approach to Two Sites of Memory of Atlantic Slavery (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Charleston, South Carolina)

by Sergio Gardenghi Suiama

Genealogy 2025, 9(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9010009 - 24 Jan 2025

Abstract

The article presents a comparative analysis between Valongo Wharf in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Gadsden’s Wharf in Charleston, South Carolina, as sites of memory of the Atlantic slave trade. It examines how these sites, both integrated into the UNESCO “Routes of Enslaved [...] Read more.

The article presents a comparative analysis between Valongo Wharf in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Gadsden’s Wharf in Charleston, South Carolina, as sites of memory of the Atlantic slave trade. It examines how these sites, both integrated into the UNESCO “Routes of Enslaved Peoples” project, confront the legacy of slavery and its contemporary implications. The study investigates the prevailing narratives in these spaces, the privileged and silenced memories, and the connection established between past atrocities and present racism. From a comparative historical perspective, the article discusses the social construction of these sites of memory, considering the influences of different social actors, such as Black movements, scholars, and public authorities. The analysis reveals how Valongo and Gadsden’s Wharves have become spaces of dispute for recognition and ambiguities over the memory of slavery and its legacies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Race and Memory: Perspectives from the U.S. and South Africa)

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12 pages, 196 KiB

Open AccessBrief Report

We Not Like Them: Complex Economic Intergenerational Trauma (CEIT) and Black Women’s Economic Resistance

by Tiffany N. Younger

Genealogy 2025, 9(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9010008 - 22 Jan 2025

Abstract

Black women come from a lineage of survivors who have faced threats to their economic livelihoods since the emancipation of slavery. These threats are deeply rooted in the systemic expectation of free labor, which dates to the illegal enslavement of Black individuals beginning [...] Read more.

Black women come from a lineage of survivors who have faced threats to their economic livelihoods since the emancipation of slavery. These threats are deeply rooted in the systemic expectation of free labor, which dates to the illegal enslavement of Black individuals beginning in 1619. A new emerging concept of complex economic intergenerational trauma (CEIT), grounded in Black feminist theory, examines the historical and contemporary economic exploitation of Black women at the intersection of gendered anti-Black racism. CEIT highlights ancestral capital—an essential form of wealth and survival—that has enabled Black women to succeed in a society built through their marginalization. Findings from an exploratory phenomenological study of thirteen Black women’s experiences with wealth accumulation reveal that Black women have thrived beyond the confines of the U.S. economy, despite its design to exploit their labor without providing them benefits. Ancestral capital, rooted in knowledge, values, cultural resilience, and community support, has been key to their survival and success. Today, Black women continue to face significant barriers to true economic security due to ongoing gendered anti-Black racism. However, they survive and adapt. A thematic analysis from the study shows that Black women approach economic security and wealth differently than others, placing a strong emphasis on community, collective organizing, and mutual aid. These approaches stem from a lack of access to traditional avenues of wealth accumulation available to others. Despite these ongoing challenges, Black women persist, drawing on both their inherited trauma and their unique forms of capital to navigate the economic system. This paper underscores the uniqueness of Black women by uplifting their resilience and survival, offering a testament to their ability to thrive beyond traditional financial means and continue their legacy of strength. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shifting Structural Power and Advancing Transformational Changes Among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC): Elevating the Voices of the Community)

28 pages, 290 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Becoming, Writing Home: The Journey Towards Self for Community in Under the Udala Trees and the Binti Trilogy

by Olaocha Nwadiuto Nwabara

Genealogy 2025, 9(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9010007 - 20 Jan 2025

Abstract

This paper focuses on the process of being and becoming as represented in the novels Under the Udala Trees and Binti (series). It draws from Igbo and Kemetan notions of self, identity, becoming, and destiny (chi na eke, khepert) to center the protagonists’ [...] Read more.

This paper focuses on the process of being and becoming as represented in the novels Under the Udala Trees and Binti (series). It draws from Igbo and Kemetan notions of self, identity, becoming, and destiny (chi na eke, khepert) to center the protagonists’ self-determination considering their oppressive environments. The protagonists, Ijeoma and Binti respectively, contend with who they are and are becoming alongside their neocolonial family and community expectations of its daughters. As a result, they are driven into isolation to determine self on their own terms. This paper argues that while they moved in solitude, this process is ultimately beneficial to their families and communities, offering decolonized methods of healing, and of moving towards one’s purpose. Drawing from pre-colonial Igbo cultures and traditions—as the authors are Igbo—the paper positions Under the Udala Trees and Binti as pieces that offer contemporary solutions to the global erasure or suppression of African and Black cultures and ways of existing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Africana Families and Kinship Formations in the Diaspora)

28 pages, 357 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Eurafrican Invisibility in Zambia’s Census as an Echo of Colonial Whiteness: The Case for a British Apology

by Juliette Bridgette Milner-Thornton

Genealogy 2025, 9(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9010006 - 17 Jan 2025

Abstract

In this article, I argue that Eurafricans’ invisibility in Zambia’s national census, history, and social framework is an echo of colonial whiteness stemming from the destructive legacy of illegitimacy perpetuated by British officials in Northern Rhodesia (present-day Zambia) during the colonial era (1924–64), [...] Read more.

In this article, I argue that Eurafricans’ invisibility in Zambia’s national census, history, and social framework is an echo of colonial whiteness stemming from the destructive legacy of illegitimacy perpetuated by British officials in Northern Rhodesia (present-day Zambia) during the colonial era (1924–64), which continues to the present day. This is evidenced by the absence of Eurafricans in the Zambia national censuses. This contribution calls for the British government to apologise to the Eurafrican community for the legacy of illegitimacy and intergenerational racial trauma it bestowed on the community. Zambia’s tribal ‘ethnic’ and ‘linguistics’ census classification options prevent a comprehensive understanding of Zambia’s multi-racial history and the development of a hybrid space that embraces a ‘mixed-race’ Eurafrican (of European and African heritage) Zambian identity. Through an autoethnographic account of my Eurafrican uncle Aaron Milner, I reflect on Zambian Eurafricans’ historical racial positioning as ‘inferior interlopers’, which has contributed to their obscurity in Zambia’s national history and census. However, my reflection goes beyond Milner’s story in Zambia. It is my entryway to highlight how race and colonial whiteness interconnected and underpinned racial ideology in the wider British Empire, and to draw attention to its echoes in various contemporary sociopolitical contexts, including census terminology in Australia and Zambia and Western nations’ anti-Black immigration policies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seeing Ethnicity Otherwise: From History, Classification and Terminology to Identities, Health and Mixedness in the Work of Peter J. Aspinall)

17 pages, 9747 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Role of Fashion and Art in First Nations Healing, Decolonisation, and Cultural Practice

by Treena Clark

Genealogy 2025, 9(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9010005 - 14 Jan 2025

Abstract

This paper explores the intersection of art, fashion, and decolonisation within First Nations communities, focusing on how clothing and adornment are powerful tools for healing, cultural survival, and resistance. Through art programs, fashion workshops, and community-based projects, First Nations peoples reconnect with culture, [...] Read more.

This paper explores the intersection of art, fashion, and decolonisation within First Nations communities, focusing on how clothing and adornment are powerful tools for healing, cultural survival, and resistance. Through art programs, fashion workshops, and community-based projects, First Nations peoples reconnect with culture, land, and history, fostering identity and continuity while addressing the traumas of colonisation. This paper examines how First Nations artists and designers engage with traditional garments, such as kangaroo skin cloaks and shell necklaces, to reclaim ancestral practices and challenge colonial traumas. By reinterpreting colonial clothes and creating new forms of fashion, artists engage in truth-telling, amplify resilience, and promote reconciliation. This paper highlights the role of art and fashion as an aesthetic expression and a strategy for cultural survival and resistance. It concludes by offering recommendations for policies and programs that support First Nations fashion initiatives, fostering economic opportunities, social well-being, and intergenerational healing. Ultimately, this paper advocates for the transformative power of art and fashion as pathways to decolonisation and empowerment for First Nations communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indigenous Well-Being: Connecting to Country and Culture)

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14 pages, 273 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Three-Generation Study of the Prevalence and Comorbidity of Posttraumatic Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Afghan Refugees

by Alveera Habib and Najia Zulfiqar

Genealogy 2025, 9(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy9010004 - 13 Jan 2025

Abstract

Afghan refugees are at the forefront of international attention amidst the unfolding global refugee crisis. Having borne witnesses to the horrors of war, fled their homeland, and endured the tragic loss of loved ones, they suffered a psychological trauma that reshaped their cognitive [...] Read more.

Afghan refugees are at the forefront of international attention amidst the unfolding global refugee crisis. Having borne witnesses to the horrors of war, fled their homeland, and endured the tragic loss of loved ones, they suffered a psychological trauma that reshaped their cognitive and emotional frameworks. This cross-sectional survey explores the prevalence and comorbidity of posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic obsessive-compulsive disorder among Afghan refugees living in Haripur, Pakistan, and the intergenerational transmission of PTSD across their three generations. Researchers collected data from 48 male participants representing three generations of 16 Afghan refugee families using the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised and the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale for DSM-5-TR. The findings revealed a significant positive correlation between posttraumatic obsessive-compulsive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder, indicating a substantial co-occurrence of posttraumatic obsessive-compulsive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. About 79.20% of total participants were diagnosed with posttraumatic obsessive-compulsive disorder, and it was more prevalent among the first generation (87.5%) than in the second and third generations (75.0%) each—additionally, significant variability across generations in the prevalence of PTSD. The first-generation refugees experienced severe and very severe symptoms (12.5%), the second-generation experienced moderate symptoms, and the third-generation experienced mild symptoms (16.6%). These results emphasize the importance of addressing the comorbidity of both disorders in refugee communities to underscore their intergenerational adverse mental health outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Genealogical Communities: Community History, Myths, Cultures)

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