Migration in a World of Walls and Borders
LAS Faculty Research Symposium
April 13, 2023
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Migration across national borders—documented and undocumented, “voluntary” and forced—has long been a ubiquitous phenomenon in the world. And just as pervasive have been barriers to movement. The symposium will bring together a stellar group of interdisciplinary scholars from UIC and across the country, as well as migrant activists/advocates, to examine migration in the context of a world of walls and borders—of the heightened regulation of movement. We are particularly interested in exploring the repercussions, for migrants in particular, of the restrictive ways in which movement has been regulated in the world (for example, through building walls, restrictive immigration laws, and detention/incarceration). We also want to examine how migrants and their allies have dealt with and sought to mitigate the effects of such restrictive regulation. Finally, we plan discuss strategies and actions—at the local, national, and international levels—that can make for a better migrant world.
The “Migration in a World of Walls and Borders” symposium will take place on Thursday, April 13, 2023. It will feature a keynote speaker and 4 panels (composed of academics and migrant activists/advocates). The working themes of the panels are im/mobility, illegality, carcerality, and sanctuary. UIC Scholars involved in the conference include Soledad Alvarez Velasco, Esmeralda Arrizon-Palomera, Xochitl Bada, Jonathan Connolly, Andreas Feldmann, Anna Guevarra, Jonathan Inda, Lynette A Jackson, Patrisia Macias-Rojas, Nadine Naber, Ivon Padilla-Rodriguez, Naomi Paik, Gayatri Reddy, and Barbara Sostaita. Our keynote will be delivered by Valeria Luiselli.
Date posted
Dec 1, 2022
Date updated
Jan 18, 2023