The Language of Displacement: Identity and the Power of Words

Who gets to belong? Join the Institute for Advanced Study for the first conversation of the 2026-2027 (In)Justice Series on Data & Power as we examine how the language of displacement shapes public perception and functions as a form of power. Whether due to exile, removal, genocide, or the search for a better life, or called immigrant, refugee, migrant, settler, or expatriate, the language we use becomes a form of data. A panel of scholars and community members whose lives are shaped by migration and displacement will explore who has the authority to name communities, how those labels shape public narratives, and when diaspora becomes a cultural, historical, or political identity. Drawing from the experiences of diasporic communities that have found a home in Minnesota, our panelists invite audience members to consider what the language of migration reveals about race, citizenship, colonialism, class, and belonging. Who benefits from the categories we use? And what happens when communities reject, reclaim, or redefine the names imposed upon them? The 2025–27 (In)Justice Series on Data & Power presented by the Institute for Advanced Study at the University of Minnesota critically examines data: how it's collected, who controls it, and what it reveals (or conceals) about power, identity, and justice. Accessibility & Accommodations Institute for Advanced Study (In)Justice Series events include accessible seating in the Best Buy Theater at Northrop and are available online via Zoom. Some disability accommodation requests may take us time to arrange, so please make requests for this event by Thursday, October 15, 2026. If you are registering after this date, please still reach out to us so we can explore available options. Contact: Carolina Maranon-Cobos, IAS Programming Manager: [email protected].