CFP: Asian American Studies: Violence and its Subject (10/25/03; NEMLA, 3/4/04-3/7/04)

NEMLA 2004 Convention: Pittsburgh, PA; March 3-7

What is the "subject" of violence? I'm seeking papers that explore the =
representation of violence, the violence of representation, the "Asian =
American subject" constituted by violence, the violence constituted by =
the subject.=20

In "Critique of Violence," Walter Benjamin reveals the law of the state =
as founded on and maintained by violence. Citing "militarism" as a =
prime example of the "compulsory, universal use of violence as a means =
to the ends of the state," Benjamin warns of the inevitable consequence =
that any use of violence is a means towards legal ends. Inherent in all =
violence is a "law-making character," such that violence changes the =
very constitution of
the law by sanctioning or condemning the act, as well as a =
"law-preserving" character, such that the conscription of citizens to =
the law founded on
violence maintains the law so demarcated. Thus, the very "character" of =
the law-a character written by violence-remains a morally "ambiguous" =
one: "Law [...] appears, from what has been said, in so ambiguous a =
moral light that the question poses itself whether there are no other =
than violent means for regulating conflicting human interests." As a =
result, even a "totally non-violent resolution of conflicts" in the =
form, for example, of a legal contract, Benjamin cautions, leads to =
implicit violence as redress, since the contract "confers on both =
parties the right to take the recourse to violence in some form against =
the other, should [she or he] break the agreement."

While Benjamin discusses, as he puts it, "contemporary European =
conditions," we see that in the US, in this later stage of late =
modernity, violence
often remains integral to the law and the citizen, agent, or subject it =
establishes. Recently, Viet Than Nguyen, in his book Race and =
Resistance (2002), has suggested that Asian American identity is to a =
large extent established, in "ambiguous" terms, by acts of violence. =
"[I]t is through violence," Nguyen argues, "that Asian American are =
first marked by others, as aliens, and then marked by themselves, as =
Americans" (88). Nguyen ultimately reads this taking up of violent means =
towards political ends as a "symptom," as a "disturbing bond of unity =
among Americans new and old." =20
 =20
Ultimately, some of the questions I would like to explore are: What's at =
stake in the "formation" of Asian American subjectivities or identities =
born out of violence? How might the literary representations of =
violence, for example, function as a point of negativity to the state =
violence and its own forms of representation? In what ways might =
literature or art be considered a "violent" act? Might one represent =
violence without being the "subject" of violence?

Papers need need not at all address these questions or approach the =
topic in this light--in fact, papers coming from various critical =
perspectives are encouraged.

Please send 200-300 word abstracts--via email attachment--to Victor =
Mendoza: victor_m_at_uclink.berkeley.edu.

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Received on Sun Sep 14 2003 - 17:05:39 EDT