AMST 3420

Migrant Families in Detention: Intersections of Feminist Theory and Practice

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2015-2016.

In 2014, 60,000 children and mothers fled Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, seeking refuge in the U.S. because of gang threats, domestic violence, and child abuse.  The Obama administration responded by detaining these families in prison-like conditions for months, often denying them release on bond and inhibiting their ability to apply for political asylum.  This course examines these issues in historical, political, and social contexts, analyzing U.S. immigration policy and activist responses to this current crisis.  We will work in conjunction with a group of lawyers who represent families held in detention centers in Texas, and will integrate readings from within the fields of transnational feminism, critical legal studies, and immigrant activism, with a focus on ways theory and practice productively inform and redefine each other.

View Enrollment Information