Immigration History
consider the crisis along the U.S./Mexico border in light of the larger global political economy that drives migration. Please use the following source material for your paper:
• Make detailed, extensive use of The Devil’s Highway being sure to explain and analyze the author’s main argument
• Any relevant course material, such as lectures
• The movie El Norte (a fictionalized account of Guatemalan immigration in the 1980s)
• EITHER two (2) articles of your own choosing from the New York Times on “unaccompanied minors” from Central America (from 2013 to the present) -OR- you may watch and include the documentary Which Way Home
either choose two relevant NYT articles or watch the documentary Which Way Home.
Possible questions to consider include: what is occurring along the U.S./Mexico border? What kinds of risks do migrants take to arrive in the United States? Why do they take such risks? What circumstances encourage them to leave Mexico or Central America? What role has the U.S. played in shaping those circumstances? How is this similar to or different from earlier waves of immigration we’ve discussed? How is the U.S. policing or militarizing its border with Mexico? What are the benefits and dangers of such policing? How are U.S. civilians engaged in this process? What role do you think the U.S.’s immigration system plays in the crisis on the border? What role do you think racism plays in shaping U.S. policy or practices along the border? What legal and ethical responsibilities does the U.S. have towards migrants and prospective migrants?
