Undesirable: Passionate Mobility and Women's Defiance of French Colonial Policing, 1919-1952

Archival research into policing and surveillance of migrant women in France, Senegal, and Cambodia reveals the stories of hundreds of women labeled "undesirable" by the French colonial police and society in the early twentieth century. These women used advocacy and supplication to challenge surveillance efforts and pursue autonomy, security, companionship, or a better existence. The research illuminates pressing contemporary issues of migration and violence.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 27 October 2022
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

Archival research into policing and surveillance of migrant women sheds light on pressing contemporary issues. By examining little-known policing archives in France, Senegal, and Cambodia, Jennifer Anne Boittin uncovers the stories of hundreds of women labeled "undesirable" by the French colonial police and society in the early twentieth century. These "undesirables" were often women traveling alone, women who were poor or ill, women of color, or women whose intimate lives were deemed unruly. To challenge the label and gain freedom of movement, they resorted to various strategies. Some emphasized their "undesirable" qualities to suggest that they needed the care and protection of the state to support their movements. Others used the empire's laws around Frenchness and mobility to challenge state or societal interference. These women navigated a delicate balance between advocacy and supplication, summoning intimate details to transcend, contest, or confound surveillance efforts. Boittin refers to this practice as "passionate mobility," highlighting the ways in which ordinary women pursued autonomy, security, companionship, or simply a better existence in the face of surveillance and control.

In exploring the experiences of these women, Undesirable sheds light on the broader issues of migration and violence. It raises questions about the power dynamics at play, the marginalization of certain groups, and the struggles for autonomy and dignity in the face of surveillance and control. The stories of these women remind us of the importance of challenging dominant narratives, advocating for justice, and promoting human rights for all individuals, regardless of their migration status or background.

Weight: 434g
Dimension: 228 x 151 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226822259