Recent geopolitical events in Eastern Europe — such as the war in Ukraine, persecution of the Roma, or the incarceration of Syrian and Afghan refugees in the Balkans on their way to the EU — have generated continuous reportage and commentary from journalists and analysts. While these events are taking place in locations at a remove from each other, they are connected by the imperial strategies and histories of racialization in the region. This course explores — through both theoretical and cultural texts — the historical and contemporary issues of race, empire, and gender in the region.