Whose History Is It? Kamila Narysheva on Memory and Empire in Central Asia
Description
Kamila shares how her work, which challenged dominant imperial narratives, was often met with bias and even poor grades from professors unable to evaluate her research objectively. The conversation moves beyond academia to the personal - what it means to be a Central Asian woman navigating postcolonial identity, how artificial borders created by empire continue to shape belonging, and why people in the region often identify more with cities and places than with national constructs.
Diana and Kamila also reflect on how lived experience remains undervalued in academic discourse, especially when confronting uncomfortable truths such as the colonial nature of the USSR. The episode is a candid reflection on memory, identity, and the ongoing struggle to reclaim historical narratives in and about Central Asia.
United States
