Renisa Mawani
Professor, Canada Research Chair in Colonial Legal Histories
About Renisa Mawani
Renisa Mawani is a Professor and Canada Research Chair in Colonial Legal Histories at the University of British Columbia's Department of Sociology.
Her research primarily explores critical theory and legal history, focusing on colonial dispossession concerning Indigenous peoples and restrictions on 'Asiatic' migration. Her notable works include Colonial Proximities (2009), which examines legal encounters on Canada's west coast, and Across Oceans of Law: The Komagata Maru and Jurisdiction in the Time of Empire (2018), which reorients the Komagata Maru journey to a global and maritime legal history.
Her current project, Enemies of Empire, investigates colonial control of maritime and land borders during World War I. She also researches the legalities of nature, exploring the intersection of science, law, and history.
Mawani has received numerous awards, including the Killam Research Prize (2023) and the Association for Asian American Studies Book Award for Across Oceans of Law (2020). She is affiliated with the Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies Program and the Social Justice Institute.
References & Credits
Image Credits
- Profile photo: Photo courtesy of UBC Sociology
Key Publications
Colonial Proximities: Crossracial Encounters and Juridical Truths in British Columbia, 1871-1921 (2009), Across Oceans of Law: The Komagata Maru and Jurisdiction in the Time of Empire (2018).
Awards and Honors
Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) (2022-2029), Killam Research Prize (2023), Association for Asian American Studies Book Award (2020), Finalist, Socio-Legal Association (U.K.) Theory and History Book Prize (2020).