Muwalladeen and the Struggle for Equality and Justice In and Outside Yemen

This article sheds light on marginalization and activism of the muwalladeen—Yemenis of mixed racial descent, whose parents or grandparents lived abroad, in particular in Africa and Asia. Building on the insights from critical citizenship studies, we explore how intersecting factors (such as race, gender, or legal status) shape experiences of belonging and strategies of resistance. We draw on interviews and conversations with muwalladeen activists in Yemen and the diaspora, to trace the evolution of muwalladeen’s activism within the context of Yemen’s 2011 uprising, the ongoing war and subsequent displacement. If the war narrows down the space for activism in Yemen, exile, we argue may provide marginalized groups with new opportunities to advance their cause. While some muwalladeen have tried to externalize their struggle to seek international support, women in diaspora have increasingly used online platforms to assert their mixed-racial identities, starting debates, from which they had been previously excluded.