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Contribution short abstract:

This paper explores how Tibetan and Uyghur diaspora members in Switzerland use black humour to process memories of repression. Drawing on Žižek, it examines humour as a coping mechanism, a critique of authoritarianism, and a tool to foster solidarity among the diaspora.

Contribution long abstract:

Through the lens of Slavoj Žižek’s psychoanalytic philosophy, this paper examines humour as a tool for processing memories of repression and for denouncing dominant state narratives. Žižek posits that humour operates at the intersection of the symbolic and the real, revealing the gaps in ideological structures and offering a space for sublimated critique. By addressing dissonances indirectly, humour allows individuals to confront the unbearable truths of their socio-political realities while maintaining a critical distance.

Using examples from the Tibetan and Uyghur diaspora in Switzerland, the article examines how humour serves as a coping mechanism in the face of transnational repression. In light of my research, it became clear that Tibetan and Uighur diaspora members were able to extract their experiences of surveillance, propaganda and repression with great wit. The saddest stories were laced with the most amusing details and deliberately told with a great deal of gallows humour. One research participant even said that humour in the face of state repression was not simply catharsis, but a necessity for survival. The humour of the diaspora members transforms violence into stories that resonate with resilience and collective understanding. This humour fosters transnational solidarity, turning trauma into critique while creating a shared space for reflection.

Ultimately, the paper agrees with Žižek, humour has a transformative power and argues argues that it is both a means of survival and a potent tool for political resistance.