John Maerhofer, a former professor at Hofstra University and current professor at Rutgers University, gave a fast-paced, informative lecture regarding imperial citizenship and global fascism on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
During his presentation, Maerhofer touched on the phenomenon of “walling” between nations and its implications on various sociocultural issues. Among the topics discussed were activism on behalf of migrant laborers, race management and the migrant crisis; climate apartheid and the question of militarized borders; imperial citizenship and global neo-fascism; and transnational solidarity in the era of capitalist crisis.
When discussing President Trump’s frequent stereotyping of Mexican immigrants, Maerhofer explained that his language “isn’t simply an off-the-cuff rant of a certified racist madman … [it is] rather a conscious and deliberate attempt to solicit the involvement of a history-calibrated white working class in the practice of racial oppression.”
“[Maerhofer] had a great background [on the topic] and a great speaking voice,” said freshman Elias Salmeron, whose major is currently undecided.
Maerhofer discussed difficult but important issues during his lecture. He defined racism as “a universal structural feature [meant] to exploit, involving discrimination and oppression.” Maerhofer also explained how “corporations get megaprofits from labor, and use racism as a form of profit.”
While these were tough topics, Maerhofer left a good impression on the audience. “It’s interesting that he presented a new field of thought because nobody has ever connected labor exploitation to the migrant crisis before,” said freshman political science and global studies double major Maheen Safian. “I thought it was really interesting how he connected the rise in neofascism to migration movements, because I’ve never really heard that train of thought before.”
“It wasn’t what I expected, but he was really well spoken,” said Kaithlyn Sanchez, a freshman Latin American studies and political science double major. “The points he made are really interesting and should be explored.”
Maerhofer also discussed how the information in his lecture is part of a larger project he is working on. “This project is geared toward understanding the dialectic between racialized borders and imperial citizenship in the contemporary era of capitalist crisis and neo-fascism,” Maerhofer said.
While all of Maerhofer’s own words were very influential and left a lasting impact, he chose to end his speech with a quote from Mallory Klein: “As I write this, it’s not clear what will emerge from these liberated spaces, or if what emerges will be hardly enough to withstand the mounting attacks from the police and military as a line between terrorist and activist is deliberately blurred. The question of what comes next preoccupies me, as it does everyone else who has been part of building this international movement. The question punctuates a very old and recurring story – the one about people pushing up against barriers that tried to contain them, opening up windows, breathing deeply and tasting freedom.”