Chie Ikeya’s 'InterAsian Intimacies' explores race, religion, and colonialism

Chie Ikeya examines inter-Asian marriages in colonial Burma and their lasting political and social impact.

Young Buddhist novices study inside a monastic school in a rural Burmese village, circa 1892-1896. Photo by Universal/Getty Images

By Clarisa Sendy and Novanka Laras

InterAsian Intimacies across Race, Religion, and Colonialism, by Chie Ikeya

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Chie Ikeya’s InterAsian Intimacies across Race, Religion and Colonialism offers a compelling examination of inter-Asian marriages in colonial Burma and their profound political, social, and legal ramifications. While marriage is often viewed as a private matter, Ikeya argues that these unions became central to legislative activism, nationalist movements, and even episodes of collective violence. By drawing from extensive archival research and personal narratives, she presents a nuanced analysis of how intimate relationships were entangled with larger colonial and nationalist struggles.

During the colonial period, Burma was a major destination for migrants, traders, and professionals from across Asia and the Middle East. Rangoon, its bustling capital, was one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the British Empire, attracting a wave of immigrants seeking economic opportunities. However, this migration was largely male-dominated due to restrictive colonial labor policies and the high cost of travel. As a result, inter-Asian marriages—between Burmese women and men from India, China, and the Middle East—became a common phenomenon.

In many cases, these marriages led to religious conversion, with wives often adopting their husband's faith. Yet, by the late 19th century, the dynamics began to shift. More women, both single and married, started traveling to Burma, reducing the necessity for intermarriage. At the same time, growing nationalist sentiments, combined with religious and racial prejudices, fueled a backlash against mixed unions. Burmese society, particularly Buddhist revivalists and nationalist factions, began perceiving these marriages as a threat to religious and cultural identity.

Ikeya highlights how inter-Asian marriages, once commonplace, soon became legal and political flashpoints. Using sources from English, Burmese, and Japanese archives, she explores why these unions transitioned from being personal decisions to matters of imperial concern. The colonial government found itself grappling with legal complexities, particularly when different religious traditions clashed.

One notable case in 1906 involved a Burmese woman, Shwe Me, and her Hindu husband, Doramoswami. Despite living together for 16 years and having six children, Doramoswami successfully sued to deny her legal rights as his wife, arguing that Buddhist and Hindu marriage laws were incompatible. This case, among others, demonstrated how colonial legal systems often failed to protect women in mixed marriages, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and discrimination.

Beyond legal disputes, inter-Asian marriages became the focus of sweeping legislative reforms and nationalist campaigns. Burmese nationalist movements, particularly in the early 20th century, framed these unions as a betrayal of race, religion, and national identity. Women who married foreign men were labeled as traitors, accused of undermining the purity of Burmese Buddhist society. The growing resentment against such marriages played a significant role in the 1937 political separation of Burma from India—a move designed in part to curb further immigration and reduce the prevalence of mixed unions.

While much of InterAsian Intimacies across Race, Religion and Colonialism focuses on colonial Burma, Ikeya draws a clear connection between past anxieties over interracial marriages and contemporary racial and religious tensions. She argues that the deep-seated fears surrounding interfaith and interethnic unions have endured, manifesting in modern-day discrimination.

One of the most chilling examples she highlights is the anti-Rohingya violence that culminated in the 2017 genocide. A key aspect of the propaganda against the Rohingya was the idea of “love jihad”—a conspiracy theory that alleged Muslim men were using marriage to forcibly convert Buddhist women to Islam. Ikeya suggests that this modern fear-mongering is merely an extension of the colonial-era rhetoric that framed Burmese women’s intermarriages as a threat to national and religious purity. She writes:

This is only the most recent iteration of this alarmist imagination of the Burmese Buddhist as an exceptional community perennially imperialized by degenerate foreigners.

The persistence of these narratives demonstrates how colonial anxieties continue to shape contemporary political and social landscapes. Ikeya’s work challenges readers to reconsider how historical debates over race, religion, and intimacy still influence present-day conflicts.

What makes InterAsian Intimacies across Race, Religion and Colonialism particularly powerful is Ikeya’s use of personal narratives to illustrate the broader historical patterns she examines. She draws extensively from the family history of Rosie Hnin Yee and Pondicherry Mohanarajan—close family friends with a rich ancestry spanning Muslim, Christian, Arab, and Indian backgrounds.

By chronicling their experiences across multiple generations, Ikeya reveals how individuals of mixed heritage navigated shifting social and political landscapes. Their lives, shaped by colonial laws and nationalist ideologies, highlight the complexities of belonging in a society that increasingly sought to define identity along rigid racial and religious lines. Through these intimate portraits, Ikeya underscores how intermarriage was never just a legal or political issue—it was a deeply personal reality for thousands of families.

Ikeya’s research is grounded in extensive archival work, drawing from British, Burmese, and Japanese records. Yet, her ability to blend rigorous historical analysis with deeply personal storytelling makes InterAsian Intimacies across Race, Religion and Colonialism a compelling read. The book offers not just a detailed account of legislative battles and nationalist movements but also a poignant exploration of the lived experiences of those affected.

Her work sheds light on the resilience of individuals who forged relationships and communities despite the immense social and political pressures against them. As she notes:

Historians have much to learn from the ingenious ways that people have confronted shifting bodies of knowledge, relationships of power, and terms of social existence to sustain intimacies many find unthinkable.

InterAsian Intimacies across Race, Religion and Colonialism is a crucial contribution to the study of colonial history, nationalism, and identity politics. By examining the intersections of race, religion, and law in colonial Burma, Ikeya challenges readers to think critically about how personal relationships are shaped by larger historical forces.

For those interested in Southeast Asian history, gender studies, or contemporary issues of race and religion, Ikeya’s book offers invaluable insights. It not only illuminates a little-explored aspect of Burma’s colonial past but also forces us to confront how these histories continue to shape the present. In an era where nationalism and identity politics are once again on the rise, InterAsian Intimacies across Race, Religion and Colonialism is a timely and necessary read.