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Migrant Deaths and the US/Mexico Border

Dr. Victor Braitberg


University of Arizona
The Honors College
Fall 2015
Since 2001 it is estimated that over 4,000 migrants have died trying to
clandestinely cross into the United States from Mexico. While the border with
Mexico is 1,933 miles long, the majority of these deaths have occurred in the
Sonoran desert of Southern Arizonamany of them just an hours drive away from
the University of Arizona campus. It may be tempting to view these deaths as the
fatal confluence of risky choices made by individuals and a harsh, unforgiving
terrain. What this fails to consider however are the social, political, and economic
factors that structure the choices of individual border-crossers and the border
enforcement policies of the US government which rely on tactics that structure the
journeys of migrants along exceptionally dangerous routes. Taking a broad
interdisciplinary perspective on migrant deaths and the US-Mexico border, this
seminar will provide students with the necessary background for understanding the
political, economic, social, and cultural forces that have converged to create the
conditions of structural vulnerability contributing to to the deaths of thousands of
undocumented migrants in Southern Arizona.
The seminar includes a practicum with The Colibri Center for Human Rights, a Non
Governmental Organization that works with the Pima County Medical Examiners
Office to help match reports of missing migrants with forensic reports of human
skeletal remains and personal effects found in the Sonoran desert. The Colibri
Center works to organize and centralize such information for the entire border,
providing human rights assistance to families and support to local counties
investigating the deaths of migrants. As part of their practicum with Colibri,
students will be involved in research, data entry, analysis, and database
management that will require a commitment of 2 hours per week.

COURSE DESCRIPTION FOR CATALOG


Taking a broad interdisciplinary perspective on migrant deaths and the US-Mexico
border, this seminar will provide students with the necessary background for
understanding the political, economic, social, and cultural forces that have shaped
conditions of structural vulnerability leading to the deaths of thousands of
undocumented migrants in Southern Arizona. The seminar includes a practicum
with The Colibri Center for Human Rights, a Non Governmental Organization that
works with the Pima County Medical Examiners Office to help match reports of
missing migrants with forensic reports of human skeletal remains and personal
effects found in the Sonoran desert.

REQUIRED BOOKS (Available from the UA Bookstore)


Peter Andreas (2009) Border Games: Policing the US-Mexico Divide, 2nd
Edition. Cornell University Press
Luis Alberto Urrea (2005) The Devils Highway: A True Story. Back Bay
Books
Julie A Dowling and Jonathan Xavier Inda (2013) Governing
Immigration through Crime: A Reader. Stanford University Press
GRADES
Participation
D2L Posts
Presentation
Colibri Journal
Final Paper
A
B
C
D
F

100 pts | 10%


150 pts | 15%
150 pts | 15%
300 pts | 30%
300 pts | 30%
Total: 1000pts

= (1000-900)
= (890-800)
= (790-700)
= (690-600)
= (below 590)

COURSE OBJECTIVES
Increased understanding of the social, political, economic, and cultural
forces that have shaped immigration patterns and law enforcement
along the US-Mexico border.
Increased understanding of the social, political, economic, and cultural
forces that have contributed to the deaths of undocumented migrants.
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Increased understanding of the human rights dimension of migration


along the US-Mexico Border.
Increased understanding of the human rights dimension of identifying
deceased and missing migrants along the US-Mexico Border.
Enhanced ability to apply insights from historical and social science
scholarship to understand contemporary problems pertaining to
immigration, law enforcement, and human rights along the US-Mexico
border.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Define the nation-state and discuss its social, cultural, and politicaleconomic dimensions.
Define capitalism and discuss its social, cultural, and politicaleconomic dimensions.
Identify and distinguish between major political-economic events that
have shaped the US-Mexico border from the 19th to the 21st centuries.
Identify and discuss the social, cultural, and political-economic
dimensions of the push and pull factors shaping patterns of
immigration from Mexico and Central America to the USA.
Identify and discuss the social, cultural, and political-economic
dimensions shaping patterns of US immigration law and border
enforcement policies and tactics.
Identify and discuss the human rights dimension of immigration and
border enforcement.
Describe and discuss the mission and operations of The Colibri Center
for Human Rights.
COURSE ACTIVITIES AND ASSESSMENT (Rubrics for all course
activities will be posted in D2L)
PARTICIAPTION 10% Of Grade (100PTS)
This is a discussion-based class. You will be expected to contribute to class
discussion frequently.
At the end of the semester I will look at the following criteria and issue a grade by
assessing whether you have done the following:
Attends class regularly. (Missing no more than three classes).*
Brings the reading to class. Quotes relevant passages to illustrate or support their
question or comment.
Participates in discussion by contributing topic-relevant comments and/or questions.
Questions and or comments demonstrate that the student has done the reading and
given it some thought. Relates previous class discussions, course assignments,

other classes, readings, media, personal experience or other materials to the


discussion in ways that are focused, relevant, and insightful.
Builds upon/paraphrasing what others have said or asks for clarification. Cites
comments and/or questions made by classmates.
Stays focused on assigned question and/or tasks when asked to do group
discussion/activity.
*Note that attendance will be based on a pass/fail basis. Three or fewer absences
will equal full credit. More than three absences will equal 0 credit.
D2L POSTS 15% of Grade (15 x 10PTS =150 PTS)
Posts should be between 300-500 words.
Excellent postings those receiving an A will not only engage fully with the
prompt but succeed in using specific examples to make relevant and thought
provoking connections with our readings, films, current events, and your internship
at The Colibri Center.
Prompts will be posted by 5pm on Sundays and will be due the following Sunday by
5pm.
COLIBRI JOURNAL 30% of Grade (300pts 15 x 20pts =300pts)
You will write journal entries every week beginning with week 2. They should be
between 300-500 words. They will be due by 5pm on Fridays and should be
uploaded to Dropbox.
Criteria for Colibri Journal entries: Describe what you did during the week.
What were your tasks? What was challenging and or enjoyable about what you
did? What did you learn? What questions do you have? How do your tasks and
activities relate to our readings and discussions for the week? Be specific and
provide examples.
FINAL PAPER 30% of Grade (300pts)
The length and scope of this assignment along with the deadlines for the draft and
final product will be defined in consultation with the interests of individual students
and with the needs of The Colibri Center. These parameters and grading criteria will
be provided no later than the 3rd week of class.
PRESENTATION 15% of Grade (150pts)
The presentation will be based on the final paper and will occur during the last two
weeks of classes. Criteria for grading the presentation will be provided no later than
the 3rd week of class.

COURSE CONDUCT AND CAMPUS POLICIES (BE FAMILIAR WITH ALL


CAMPUS POLICIES)
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1.

Please follow classroom rules regarding food and beverages in the classroom.

2.
In that this is a safe environment for sharing and generating unique ideas,
please try to be open to diverse perspectives and learn from others who may pose
views that differ from your own. At times, course material might seem offensive,
but try to wrangle with new ideas and consider a variety of perspectives instead of
simply rejecting ideas posed in course-related discussion. When sharing your own
ideas, do not subject others to inappropriate language or problematic assumptions
about social groups.
3.
Rules on academic dishonesty will be strictly enforced. Plagiarism is literary
thievery, taking the words or ideas of another and representing them as your own.
Do not copy another students work, pull text from online sources, or turn in the
same work for this class that you have used in another class. All work turned in
must be original and specific to this course. Students who violate University rules on
scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties (e.g., failing grade or
removal from the University). Students are encouraged to share intellectual views
and discuss freely the principles and applications of course materials. However,
graded work/exercises must be the product of independent effort unless otherwise
instructed. As previously mentioned, students are expected to adhere to the UA
Code of Academic Integrity
http://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/codeofacademicintegrity .
Arrangements can be made if you have a physical challenge or condition that could
impair your participation and/or performance in this course. Please notify the
instructor immediately if you need accommodation, and register with Disability
Resources so that I can make accommodation: Disability Resources Center, 1224
East Lowell Street, Tucson, AZ 85721, (520) 621-3268, FAX (520) 621-9423, email:
uadrc@email.arizona.edu, http://drc.arizona.edu/. You must register and request
that the Center or DRC send me official notification of your accommodations needs
as soon as possible. Please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office
hours to discuss accommodations and how my course requirements and activities
may impact your ability to fully participate. The need for accommodations must be
documented by Disability Resources.
The Arizona Board of Regents Student Code of Conduct, ABOR Policy 5-308,
prohibits threats of physical harm to any member of the University community,
including to ones self. See: http://policy.web.arizona.edu/~policy/threaten.shtml.
All student records will be managed and held confidentially.
http://www.registrar.arizona.edu/ferpa/default.htm
Information contained in the course syllabus, other than the grade and absence
policy, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by
the instructor.

Schedule OF Readings
UNIT ONE: IMMIGRATION, CAPITALISM, AND THE NATION STATE

WEEK ONE: Immigration and the Nation State


Read Zolberg, A Nation By Design (Intro and conclusion)
Watch PBS Latino Americans: episode One Foreigners in their Own Land &
El Norte.

WEEK TWO: Immigration and the Nation State


Watch: Life and Debt & Who is Dayani Crystal

UNIT TWO: SOVEREIGNTY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND IMMIGRATION


WEEK THREE: Sovereignty, Human Rights and Immigration
Read Wallerstein: States, Sovereignty and the Dilemmas of Capitalists in the
Age of Transition.

WEEK FOUR: Sovereignty, Human Rights and Immigration


Read: Purcell and Nevins, Pushing the State Boundary: State Restructuring,
State Theory and the Case of the US Mexico Border Enforcement in the
1990s.

WEEK FIVE: Sovereignty, Human Rights and Immigration


Read: Nevins: Thinking Out of Bounds: A Critical Analysis of Academic and
Human Rights Writings on Migrant Deaths in the US Mexico Border Region.

WEEK SIX: Sovereignty, Human Rights and Immigration


Read: Menjivar and Abrego, Legal Violence: Immigration Law and the Lives of
Central American Immigrants.

UNIT THREE: GOVERNING IMMIGRATION THROUGH CRIMINALIZATION


WEEK SEVEN: Governing Immigration Through Criminalization
Read: de Genova, The Legal Production of Mexican/Migrant Illegaility.
Read: Stumpf, The Crimigration Crisis: Immigrants Crime and Sovereign
Power.

WEEK EIGHT: Governing Immigration Through Criminalization


Read: Chacon, The Security Myth: Punishing Immigrants in the Name of
National Security.

WEEK NINE: Governing Immigration Through Criminalization


Read: MccHeyman, Constructing a Virtual Wall: Race and Citizenship in USMexico Border Policing.

WEEK TEN: Governing Immigration Through Criminalization


Read: Chavez, Spectacle in the Desert: The Minuteman Project on the USMexico Border.
Watch: Crossing Arizona

WEEK ELEVEN: Governing Immigration Through Criminalization


Read: Doty, Bare Life: Border Crossing Deaths and Spaces of Moral Alibi.
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WEEK TWELVE: Governing Immigration Through Criminalization


Read: Bacon and Hing, The Rise and Fall of Employer Sanctions
Read: Saenez, Arizonas SB 1070: Setting Conditions for Violations of Human
Rights and Beyond.

WEEK THIRTEEN: Governing Immigration Through Criminalization


Read: Gilbert, Immigration as Local Politics: Re-Bordering Immigration
Through Deterrence and Incapacitation.
Read: Hernandez, Persuant to Deportation: Latinos and Immigrant Detention.

UNIT FOUR: IMMIGRANT CONTESTATIONS


WEEK FOURTEEN: Immigrant Contestations
Read: Cisneros, (Re)Bordering the Civic Imaginary: Rhetoric, Hybridity and
Citizenship

WEEK FIFTEEN: Immigrant Contestations


Read: Gonzalez, Left Out But Not Shut Down: Political Activism and the
Undocumented Student Movement

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