ABSTRACT This qualitative study explores how roads affected remote villages in northern Thailand. The research focuses on one Lahu and one Hmong upland villages and one Tai community in the lowlands. Despite poor road access and strict land conservation policies, villagers have found ways to succeed through cash cropping, such as oranges and cut flowers, and turn a profit. However, efforts have often been limited by land ownership restrictions and policies that prevent opening new fields. Interestingly, demographic trends show a stable or even growing population in the Lahu and Hmong communities – compared to the decline seen in other rural areas of northern Thailand. These non-Tai communities display a commitment to maintaining their identities, languages, and religious practices. Are these communities resisting integration into the Thai nation? The study highlights a complex relationship between development, cultural preservation, and identity, challenging simplistic notions of progress and assimilation.

ABSTRACT This rejoinder gives me the chance to reflect on the four commentaries on Antiracism: A Critique. I address the main points raised in these commentaries and propose paths for future discussions about antiracism today. All four commentaries highlight important issues that should be part of ongoing conversations about the history and future of antiracism, and I engage with their core arguments in this rejoinder. However, I also stress the need for further research and dialogue on how we can progress in understanding the possibilities and limits of antiracism in the current context.