In her 1996 article in Cultural Anthropology, Liisa Malkki argues that refugees are “speechless emissaries.” Draw from Malkki’s article, lectures, and tutorials to explain this argument. Your explanation should address the following questions:
How do Malkki’s research participants relate to and/or perform refugee identity stereotypes? Be sure to answer this question both from the point of view of the refugees with whom Malkki conducted fieldwork and the refugee administrators whom she met at the end of her fieldwork.? (4)
Malkki argues that refugees are often seen as "speechless emissaries" because they are expected to embody certain stereotypes and narratives about their refugee identity. In her research, Malkki found that refugees often feel pressured to perform their refugee identity in a way that aligns with dominant stereotypes held by both Western societies and refugee administrators.
For the refugees Malkki conducted fieldwork with, she describes how they struggle to navigate the expectations placed upon them to share their traumatic experiences and present themselves in a way that will garner sympathy and support from aid organizations and host communities. This pressure to conform to a certain narrative of victimhood can be oppressive and limiting, as it reduces refugees to mere embodiments of suffering and trauma, overlooking their agency and diverse experiences.
On the other hand, Malkki also explores how refugee administrators, who are often tasked with categorizing and managing refugee populations, also play a role in reinforcing these stereotypes. These administrators may expect refugees to fit into predefined categories of deserving and undeserving, legitimate and illegitimate, based on their ability to perform a certain type of refugee identity. This can lead to a dehumanizing and objectifying approach towards refugees, where their individuality and complexity are overlooked in favor of fitting neatly into preconceived notions of what it means to be a refugee.
Overall, Malkki's argument highlights the complex dynamics at play in the construction of refugee identities, which are heavily influenced by societal expectations and power dynamics. By framing refugees as "speechless emissaries," Malkki sheds light on the ways in which refugees are often forced to navigate and perform these identities in order to navigate systems of aid and support.