· 2019
The Land of Open Graves
- 548citations
- 2019year
Short summary
Anthropologist Jason De León uses ethnography, archaeology, linguistics, and forensic science to reveal the deadly human consequences of the US 'Prevention through Deterrence' immigration policy in the Sonoran Desert.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- The US 'Prevention through Deterrence' policy redirects migrants to hazardous areas of the Sonoran Desert.
- This policy has resulted in significant suffering and death among undocumented border crossers.
- De León employs a multidisciplinary approach, including ethnography, archaeology, linguistics, and forensic science.
- The research uncovers stories through objects and bodies found in the desert, illustrating the policy's human cost.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
In his gripping and provocative debut, anthropologist Jason De León sheds light on one of the most pressing political issues of our time—the human consequences of US immigration policy. The Land of Open Graves reveals the suffering and deaths that occur daily in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona as thousands of undocumented migrants attempt to cross the border from Mexico into the United States. Drawing on the four major fields of anthropology, De León uses an innovative combination of ethnography, archaeology, linguistics, and forensic science to produce a scathing critique of “Prevention through Deterrence,” the federal border enforcement policy that encourages migrants to cross in areas characterized by extreme environmental conditions and high risk of death. For two decades, this policy has failed to deter border crossers while successfully turning the rugged terrain of southern Arizona into a killing field. In harrowing detail, De León chronicles the journeys of people who have made dozens of attempts to cross the border and uncovers the stories of the objects and bodies left behind in the desert. The Land of Open Graves will spark debate and controversy.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source., 2019 · DOI ↗
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Field: Cultural Studies
Cultural StudiesSocial Sciences