Challenging Racism in a ‘Raceless Country’: Migrant Workers’ Struggles in Western Switzerland

Abstract

In Switzerland, over 40% of the population has a migrant background, and migrants constitute
the majority of trade union members. Yet addressing racism remains a persistent challenge, as
the very notion of race is largely rejected in public discourse. How, then, can racism be
confronted in a country that portrays itself as raceless?
This thesis historicizes race and the processes of racialization in the Swiss context, tracing how
these have evolved across time and shaped social hierarchies. Building on this historical lens,
it explores the antiracist practices and discourses developed by marginalized groups that have
organized and resisted, bridging past and present forms of struggle. Combining historical and
archival research with ethnographic inquiry, this multidisciplinary and polyphonic project
brings to light voices and experiences often silenced in official narratives. At the same time, it
opens a reflection on whiteness and its specific articulations, examining how certain migrant
communities – especially Italians – underwent a gradual process of integration through its
performance. In doing so, the thesis contributes to a broader understanding of the ongoing
redefinition of racial capitalism and the forms of differentiation it produces, while inviting
renewed reflection on the meaning and practice of solidarity.