Migration and Mortality: Social Death, Dispossession, and Survival in the Americas

Migrants face physical danger, legal, social, and economic mortality during border crossings between Central and North America. Restrictive immigration policies and capitalist systems of exploitation and inequality contribute to this, stripping migrants of their personhood and resources. This anthology examines border deaths, detention economies, asylum seeking, and the public health and mental health of migrants, highlighting their collective resistance and resilience.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 25 June 2021
Publisher: Temple University Press,U.S.

Death looms large over migrants who brave the perilous border crossings between Central and North America, not only risking their physical well-being but also facing legal, social, and economic mortality. This tragic reality is deeply rooted in the histories of colonialism and conquest, where exclusionary policies and practices are deliberately designed to target racialized and dispossessed individuals during their transit. Once they arrive in their new land, migrants are subjected to a web of systems that erode their personhood, deny them essential resources, and perpetuate barriers that hinder their ability to thrive.

These systems encompass various aspects of their lives, including work, home, healthcare, culture, and justice. They strip migrants of their dignity, rob them of opportunities, and impose additional hardships that limit their full enjoyment of life. The contributors to Migration and Mortality, an insightful anthology, delve into the restrictive immigration policies and the broader capitalist systems of exploitation and inequality that perpetuate these hardships. Through their examination, they shed light on the resilience and collective resistance of migrants, highlighting their unwavering determination to survive and thrive in the face of adversity.

The case studies presented in this timely collection offer a poignant glimpse into the realities of border deaths, detention economies, asylum seeking, and the public health and mental health of migrants. These examples of oppression and survival serve as a powerful testament to the broader movements for life and justice in the Americas. They remind us of the urgent need to address the systemic injustices that perpetuate these hardships and work towards a more inclusive and equitable society for all.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781439919774