This is part of Global Research Workshop series: Developing an Interdisciplinary Research Platform Toward ‘Next Asia’ co-sponsored by Stanford Global Studies.

This study critically examines the discourse of racism “denial” across 16 countries in Northeast, Southeast, and South Asia, through analysis of state reports submitted to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) over a 45-year span. Using critical discourse analysis, this study identifies and classifies patterns of denial—literal, interpretive, and ideological—with inductively developed subcategories. The significance of this work lies in its exploration of denial as more than a rhetorical tool for deflecting accusations; rather, denial functions as a deeply embedded mechanism within state discourses, shaped by social, political, and religious values, as well as by struggles for national liberation, unity, and security. By unpacking these layers in historically and comparatively informed ways, this research reveals how various forms of denial hinder public engagement and intellectual acknowledgment of racism, providing valuable insights that support frameworks for anti-racist policies and advocacy efforts.

Presenter: Junki Nakahara, Postdoctoral Fellow in the Stanford Next Asia Policy Lab, Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, Stanford University

Discussant: Vasuki Nesiah, Professor of Practice, New York University Gallatin School

Discussant: Sharika Thiranagama, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Stanford University