Politics 110: Introduction to the Politics of Migration and Immigration

The movement of people across national borders has emerged as a central nexus of politics around the world—from the rise of anti-immigrant populist movements in Europe and the United States, to the global spread of hyper-militarized border enforcement regimes; from fierce debates about race, religion, and nationalism in receiving countries, to the ways out-migration transforms the economies and societies of sending countries. This course combines a global overview of migration politics with a focused introduction to the U.S. immigration system. Topics addressed include: colonialism, imperialism, and the historical roots of contemporary migrations; the political economy of migration on a local and global scale; race, nationalism, and nativism; the rise of militarized border enforcement; immigrant rights and anti-immigrant social movements; climate change and migration; and the history and workings of U.S. immigration law and policy.