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Gerald Roche

@geraldroche.bsky.social
4.4K followers 3.3K following 882 posts

AuDHD & PhD. anthropology, language, power. he/him New book: The Politics of Language Oppression in Tibet www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9… ORCiD: 0000-0002-2410-351X

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Reposted by Gerald Roche
Elias Greig @eliasgreig.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
We have to accept the fact that for a large proportion of voters racism is very attractive and, in Australia, an intellectual and political mainstay. So yes, absolutely, be polite where you can, don't get personal, meet people where they are, but always be anti-racist — that's the fight.
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Reactionary settler colonial discourse 101. It's from Canada, but uses identical tropes to Australian anti-language revitalization discourse.
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Reactionary settler colonial discourse 101. It's from Canada, but uses identical tropes to Australian anti-language revitalization discourse.
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Tereza Hendl @terezahendl.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Here’s a paper of interest that speaks of a hypocrisy experienced far beyond its scope. It resonates deeply with our work with Selbi Durdiyeva on the selective anti-imperialism of much of the Western left in its treatment of Europe’s East & Central Asia. Glad to have come across Dibyesh Anand’s work
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Turquoise Roof @turquoiseroof.org · 26/08/2026
What is language oppression, and how is it intensifying in #Tibet? In this FNVA Talk, @geraldroche.bsky.social examines enforced language loss, Tibet’s linguistic diversity, & the impact of China’s “ethnic unity” policies. www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc6K...
youtube.com
FNVA Talks with Gerald Roche
YouTube video by Foundation for Non-violent Alternatives (FNVA)
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
inside of you are two wolves
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Anna Belew @nabelew.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
grabbed a copy at @powells.bsky.social and the cashier said “I got so excited and curious when this came in because I’m trying to learn my family’s language” so I gave them an @e-l-p.bsky.social button and we both had a pleasant transaction 😌
Copy of How to Kill a Language by Sophia Smith Galer
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
New review of my book says that it is "important but controversial" - I think BUT is an interesting choice of word here. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
The politics of language oppression in Tibet
Published in Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development (Ahead of Print, 2026)
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
New review of my book says that it is "important but controversial" - I think BUT is an interesting choice of word here. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
The politics of language oppression in Tibet
Published in Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development (Ahead of Print, 2026)
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Milk Tea Alliance Calendar @mtacalendar.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Thurs: FNVA hold webinar "Intensifying Language Oppression in Tibet: From Invasion to Ethnic Unity" w/ @geraldroche.bsky.social & Rinzin Namgyal as facilitator & "Solidarity Event!" Join Students4palestineTH & BDS Thailand for an evening of learning, culture & community at Thammasat University. 5/
FNVA Talks featuring Dr. Gerald Roche on the theme:
“Intensifying Language Oppression in Tibet: From Invasion to Ethnic Unity.”
Dr. Gerald Roche is a Lecturer in Linguistics at La Trobe University, Australia, and a linguistic anthropologist specialising in Tibet. He is the author of The Politics of Language Oppression in Tibet, editor of the Routledge Handbook of Language Revitalization, and has published over 30 academic articles. His research focuses on language policy, minority rights, and linguistic justice.
In this talk, Dr. Roche will explore how language policies in Tibet have evolved from the early years of Chinese rule to the contemporary emphasis on “Ethnic Unity,” examining their implications for Tibetan identity, education, and cultural survival.
 Thursday, 20th August 2026
 2:00 PM IST onwards
Google Meet
Please register by scanning the QR code on the poster or contacting via the phone number Join together in solidarity with Palestine 🇵🇸!

This time we’d like to expand our Free Palestine circle to TU
let’s meet & talk & discuss or become a part of S4P & student communities working for a Free Palestine & social justice
 wooden keychain paint & protest signs
 acoustic guitar & reading poems
writing letters to Israeli Embassy 

All activities are free of charge 

20 August, 5.30-8.00 PM
Thammasat University (Rangsit Campus)
 Khum Setthi, Coffee for the People
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Lauren Gawne @superlinguo.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
"language loss is not inevitable" A great @aunz.theconversation.com article from @geraldroche.bsky.social about @sophiasgaler.bsky.social's fabulous book How to Kill a Language & the politics of language oppression: theconversation.com/languages-ar...
theconversation.com
Languages are disappearing, and the problem is political
Language loss is often a reluctant choice made to escape violence, not a willing choice made to gain benefits.
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Anna Belew @nabelew.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Go check out @geraldroche.bsky.social's review of @sophiasgaler.bsky.social's "How to Kill a Language" for a surgical dissection of the history of language oppression denialism, clear and informed reminders of its political nature, and a buncha links to good research (incl. by @chirila.bsky.social):
theconversation.com
Languages are disappearing, and the problem is political
Language loss is often a reluctant choice made to escape violence, not a willing choice made to gain benefits.
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Groundbreaking research from company that sells anti-plagiarism software to universities says that plagiarism at universities is on the rise. theconversation.com/more-than-50...
theconversation.com
More than 50% of Australian university assignments used AI. How should unis respond?
A big challenge for universities is distinguishing whether students are using AI to help or as a substitute for learning.
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
I'll be giving a talk two weeks from now for the Forum for Non-Violent Alternatives. Registration is via the QR code below for anyone who'd like to come along.
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Anna Belew @nabelew.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
The arguments against language reclamation haven't changed much in the nearly 20 years I've been working in this field: "It costs too much." "People are choosing to abandon their languages, so let them." "They have no practical use." "It's just sentimental nostalgia." Fuck All That, a thread:
newyorker.com
Sometimes It’s O.K. to Let a Language Die
When cultural preservation comes at the expense of speakers’ decisions, sometimes it's O.K. to let a language die.
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
I'm really grateful for this generous review of my book, The Politics of Language Oppression in Tibet, from Samar Sinha from Sikkim University. Link to follow below for anyone who would like to read the full review, which includes some good critical engagement with my arguments.
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Endangered Languages Project @e-l-p.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
If you’ve seen this article, you may be sitting with anger, pain, or just exhaustion at dealing with another helping of colonial nonsense. We feel a responsibility to speak back when these colonizing narratives show up, yet again, in such a prominent venue. endangeredlanguages.com/story/respon...
New Yorker article title "Sometimes It's Okay to Let a Language Die" with "Sometimes It's" crossed out in red ink and "IT'S NOT" written above it. To the right is text "A Response to The New Yorker" and the ELP logo.
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David Stroup @davidstroup.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Withdrawal of formal support for language and cultural education is already risks turning minority languages into “kitchen languages” something @geraldroche.bsky.social has written eloquently about (link below). The new law would potentially go further www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501... /8
cornellpress.cornell.edu
The Politics of Language Oppression in Tibet by Gerald Roche | Paperback | Cornell University Press
In The Politics of Language Oppression in Tibet, Gerald Roche sheds light on a global crisis of linguistic diversity that will see at least half of the world's languages disappear this century. Roche....
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David Stroup @davidstroup.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
🧵: This new law, in keeping with previous ones lines the HK National Security Law, asserts that the PRC can extraterritorialize its jurisdiction over speech and actions related to its national unity. Essentially it’s stating that it can police how people abroad speak about ethnic policy. /1
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
In response to the current inquiry into racism, hate and violence directed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, my colleagues and I made a submission focusing on linguistic racism. Link for the full submission in the next post.
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
The Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights is being updated and relaunched, and any institution, entity, group, or community anywhere in the world that works for the defense, promotion, and equality of languages ​​can register to participate in the process: www.dudling.org/en/participa...
dudling.org
Participation in the project – DUDL
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
The Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights is being updated and relaunched, and any institution, entity, group, or community anywhere in the world that works for the defense, promotion, and equality of languages ​​can register to participate in the process: www.dudling.org/en/participa...
dudling.org
Participation in the project – DUDL
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Lauren Gawne @superlinguo.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Very grateful to Gerald for leading the linguistics team at La Trobe on this submission to the inquiry into racism, hate and violence directed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It's important for linguists to use what we know about language to advocate against linguistic racism.
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
In response to the current inquiry into racism, hate and violence directed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, my colleagues and I made a submission focusing on linguistic racism. Link for the full submission in the next post.
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
this is what I think of when I write to you saying "I hope this email finds you well"
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
An autistic rights advocate I know is raising funds for a good cause. Please support if you can, or share if you aren't able to donate at the moment. givewheel.com/fundraising/...
givewheel.com
Walking 630 miles and as far I can go
I completed the South West Coast Path from Poole to Minehead last summer. It was the longest walk and craziest thing I've ever done as I turned 43 on the …
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
love this critique of corporate wellness initiatives from the early 20th century - today we would have an app for that
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Jinghua Qian @jinghuaqian.com · 28/05/2026
Hello, if your instinct is to organise an all-white panel about the rise of the far right, have you considered ... not? Please just go sit down and eat your toast
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
"It was certainly unfortunate to name such a beautiful bird after a mass killer." www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
What’s in a name? The renaming of the pink cockatoo is no small thing in Australia’s violent history | Andrew Stafford
This beautiful bird’s former name represented colonial dominance – and told us nothing about the species
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Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg @theradr.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Apologize to your children when you fuck up. Which you will a lot. Work on doing better. Show them the process. Let them see your humility and your work.
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Glad to be able to submit this testimony in support of proposed changes to strengthen the Language Access Act in DC. Local measure like this are more important now that the executive order declaring English the US's official language has undermined language access
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Some inspiration to start your week, from Emmanuel NGUÉ UM: "A Future of Language Freedom" www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wos0...
youtube.com
Emmanuel NGUÉ UM | A Future of Language Freedom
YouTube video by Endangered Languages Project
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
What happens when we lose a language is that people have their human rights violated and their self-determination denied. They experience in justice and are harmed in multiple ways. So much more is at stake than culture, tradition, and knowledge. www.theguardian.com/science/2026...
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
China is winning its language war in Tibet. thediplomat.com/2025/03/chin...
thediplomat.com
China Is Winning Its Language War in Tibet
Tibet is one of the most linguistically diverse places in the world. Many of those languages are at risk of extinction.
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
What happens when we lose a language is that people have their human rights violated and their self-determination denied. They experience in justice and are harmed in multiple ways. So much more is at stake than culture, tradition, and knowledge. www.theguardian.com/science/2026...
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
If you think everyone deserves an equal chance to live a long healthy life, please, at least, sign a petition opposing the cuts to the NDIS. www.change.org/p/protect-th...
change.org
Sign the Petition
Protect the NDIS: Don’t cut the supports people need to live ordinary lives
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
This is social murder: the creation of conditions in which people "can neither retain health nor live long." www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
The reemergence of Engels’ concept of social murder in response to growing social and health inequalities
In 1845, Friedrich Engels identified how the living and working conditions experienced by English workers sent them prematurely to the grave, arguing …
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Cuts to the NDIS will push thousands of autistic people in Australia back into a state of heightened vulnerability. More autistic people will commit suicide. More autistic people will be exposed to increased chances of premature death.
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Autistic people rely on that safety net to protect us from the ubiquitous structural factors that expose us to violence, undermine our mental health, erode our wellbeing, and constantly push us to an early death.
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
What this shows is that austerity measures erode the safety net - the thing that helps keep us alive - for autistic people and our families.
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
These include: reduction in the level of unemployment support for autistic people; increased economic burden for parents of autistic children; reduced funding for supported living centers; and increased barriers to receiving a disability allowance.
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
This brief report from Autism Europe outlines some of the impacts of austerity on autistic people in the UK, Spain, Greece, and Italy. www.autismeurope.org/wp-content/u...
autismeurope.org
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
So, autistic people already live short lives, characterized generally by greater need for the a safety net. What happens when austerity hits?
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
To that you can add the impacts of unemployment and poverty, as well as barriers to healthcare, etc.
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Why do autistic people die younger? In large part its driven by suicide, which is driven by discrimination, and exclusion, and high rates of violence against autistic people. journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
journals.sagepub.com
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
...this is probably an over-estimate, because the older you are, the less likely you are to be diagnosed. This recent estimate from the UK which accounts for this, puts the difference at closer to six year. That's still a big difference. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
thelancet.com
Estimating life expectancy and years of life lost for autistic people in the UK: a matched cohort study
The findings indicate that there is a group of autistic people who experience premature mortality, which is of significant concern. There is an urgent need for investigation into the reasons behind th...
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Official figures currently state that in Australia "autistic people have a life expectancy 20–36 years shorter than the general population, with over two times the mortality rate." However... www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentar...
aph.gov.au
Chapter 3
Section
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Before we consider how these changes to the NDIS will cut autistic lives short, we need to recognize that autistic people already die earlier than our non-autistic counterparts.
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Gerald Roche @geraldroche.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
In Australia, the cuts to the National Disability Insurance Scheme will specifically impact autistic people. Like me.
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