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PLIR 3500: The Politics of Migration

Instructor: Justin Schon ([email protected])

Office: During the pandemic, I’m on Zoom.

Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 4:15-5:00 pm & By Appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION

We will examine and compare migration politics globally and historically, as well as how
ordinary people respond. Immigration, asylum, guest worker, and refugee policies in the United
States will be considered. Then, we will consider these policies across the European Union, Latin
America, Africa, and the Middle East.

We are living at a moment when it is impossible to separate theory and history from human
events and experiences. This does not mean that we should shy away from difficult
conversations; indeed, the very purpose of drawing on a wide ranging and diverse set of
materials is to show that migration is ubiquitous: it is everywhere at once. The content of the
class is intended to provide a foundation for broader discussions and to provide a basis for policy
debate. I encourage vehement but not violent disagreement.

My goal is that students from all backgrounds and perspectives be well-served by this course,
that students' learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity of
experience and viewpoint that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource and a strength
whether that diversity comes from gender identity, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic
status, ethnicity, race, nationality, religion, and/or culture.

Personally, I have had a stutter for my entire life. Those of you who followed the 2020
presidential campaign closely may have learned that the 46th president of the United States, Joe
Biden, has also had a stutter all of his life
(https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/01/joe-biden-stutter-profile/602401/). Fans
of “Star Wars” may also be interested to know that James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader,
had a life-long stutter. Stuttering did not stop them, and it will not stop this class. If you have
your own challenge, please tell me. I can help if I know, and I can’t help if I don’t know.

If you or someone you know is experiencing stalking, partner violence or sexual assault,
please know you are not alone. Our doors are always open, and there are other resources
that can help: http://www.virginia.edu/sexualviolence and
(http://www.virginia.edu/justreportit/confidential_resources.pdf).
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Equity, Free Speech, and Class Discussions

The University of Virginia is a community in which the ideals of freedom of inquiry,
thought, and expression are respected and sustained. The University of Virginia is
dedicated to providing a safe and equitable learning environment for all students.
Discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual
orientation, national or ethnic origin, religion, political affiliation, age, marital status,
veteran status, or family medical or genetic information will not be tolerated. All students
are expected to be respectful of others during class discussions.

COURSE TEXTS

All texts will be provided to you at no cost. I reserve the right to adjust readings as necessary.

ASSIGNMENTS

There will be 5 short writing assignments worth 10% each. These assignments will require you
to summarize one policy issue or migration trend that the class has covered. You will be allowed
to adapt material from these short writing assignments into parts of your longer papers, so you
are encouraged to plan your writing topics to be cumulative. The short essays will all be 5
paragraph essays.

Then, 25% of your grade will be based on a 10 page paper. The final 25% of your grade will be
based on another 10 page paper. For both short writing assignments and major papers, the works
cited list at the end does not count towards your length requirement.

The first major paper will be an essay on a migration policy in the United States. There will be
an Introduction and Conclusion, and then a section each that: 1) Describes the policy; 2)
Describes the migration trend that the policy is responding to; and 3) Describes how migrants
responded to the policy.

The second major paper will be an essay on a migration policy outside the United States. There
will be an Introduction and Conclusion, and then a section each that: 1) Describes the policy; 2)
Describes the migration trend that the policy is responding to; and 3) Describes how migrants
responded to the policy.

Examples of Policies:

 Arizona Driver’s License Bill

 Migrant Protection Protocols
 Border Fence Construction
 EU-Turkey migration treaty
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Examples of Migration Trends:

 Europe’s migration “crisis” in 2015

 Unaccompanied minors from Central America arriving in 2014
 Somali migration to South Africa
 Haitian migration to Brazil in 2010 and then towards the United States in 2016

All of your writing should be in Times New Roman size 12 font with default page margins (1
inch on all sides). Indent the first line for each paragraph, and double space your text. Make sure
that you highlight all text in your document and select “Don’t add space between paragraphs of
the same style” in the Paragraph formatting options. I will deduct 5 percentage points if you do
not do this! We will review how to do this in class. I expect this formatting on short writing
assignments and major papers.

WRITING

I have read undergraduate writing from students across several universities, and there are some
fundamental lessons that I have found are useful to review. We will spend some class time
discussing writing techniques, but I would like to reiterate here Orwell’s 6 rules for writing:

1) Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in
print.
2) Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3) If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4) Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5) Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an
everyday English equivalent.
6) Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

Also, please use the Hemingway App as a tool as you revise your essays for clarity:
http://www.hemingwayapp.com/

SUGGESTED TIMELINES FOR MAJOR PAPERS

As undergraduates, many of you are likely still developing your long-term time management
skills. I am offering suggested timelines for your major papers here. You do not have to follow
these suggestions, but they will help you avoid having to crank out bad writing at the last minute.

February 1: Read the syllabus and save a Word document with a list of topics that you find
interesting.

February 15: Select a topic.

February 24: Outline your entire paper. This means writing down what you intend each
paragraph to do.
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March 1: Fill in some paragraphs in the body of the paper.

March 8: Finish filling in paragraphs. After you fill in the body of the paper, write the
Introduction and Conclusion paragraphs.

March 15: You should have a rough draft of your paper written. Revise and polish the paper this
week. Don’t forget to use the Hemingway App on the Introduction paragraph at minimum.

March 22: Paper #1 Due

March 24: Begin brainstorming ideas for Paper #2.

March 31: Select a topic.

April 5: Outline your entire paper.

April 12: Fill in some paragraphs.

April 19: Finish filling in paragraphs.

April 26: You should have a rough draft of your paper written. Revise and polish the paper this
week. Don’t forget to use the Hemingway App on the Introduction paragraph at minimum.

May 5: Paper #2 Due

Essay Rubric

This rubric breaks down the allocation of 100 points for the two major papers. 20 points will be
allocated for each area below:

1) Writing clarity and grammar. The paper must flow from one point to the next, with clear
transitions and logic. Spelling and grammar errors, as well as typos, must be kept to a
minimum.
2) First Page: I must be able to copy and paste this into the Hemingway App and see that it
has a readability of “Good.” The final one or two sentences of your first paragraph must
clearly state your argument.
3) Discussion of point #1: Evidence and use of course concepts must be numerous and
varied, with relevant facts and details throughout. There must also be a clear
demonstration of the mastery of course concepts.
4) Discussion of point #2: Evidence and use of course concepts must be numerous and
varied, with relevant facts and details throughout. There must also be a clear
demonstration of the mastery of course concepts.
5) Discussion of point #3: Evidence and use of course concepts must be numerous and
varied, with relevant facts and details throughout. There must also be a clear
demonstration of the mastery of course concepts.
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LATE PAPERS: Papers are to be handed in by the beginning of class on the day they are due. I
will deduct a letter grade for each day that a paper is late. For example, an outstanding paper that
is one day late will drop from an “A” to a “B.”

Grading Format

Paper #1 25%
Paper #2 25%
Short writing assignments 50%

Grading scale

95-100 = A 90-94 = A- 87-89 = B+

83-86 = B 80-82 = B- 77-79 = C+
73-76 = C 70-72 = C- 67-69 = D+
63-66 = D 60-62 = D- 0-59 = F

ACADEMIC HONESTY

Students are expected to do their own work. Students caught cheating will be given an F for the
course. If you have any questions about how to properly cite sources please ask me.

I highly recommend using citation software. Download and learn how to use Zotero or
Mendeley. These programs are available for download through the university. They will allow
you to save citation information and make your process of citing sources and creating a reference
list much faster.

The Honor Code: Don’t violate it. For more information:

http://www.scps.virginia.edu/honor_code.htm

MEETING WITH ME

I encourage you to meet with me to discuss any aspect of the course, or your writing for the
course. Weekly office hours are posted above, or I am available by appointment.

ATTENDANCE POLICIES

During the pandemic, I will not add penalties for absences and tardiness. These things will
negatively affect your ability to succeed in the course though, so missing class will carry its own
consequences.

READINGS

We will discuss readings extensively during class. This course encourages you to become an
active and critical reader. You will improve your comprehension of the readings only if you take
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notes on what you read and write down questions about the readings. When you do the readings,
try to think of answers to the following questions:

What is the author’s main argument?

What are the implications of the argument made by the author?
What evidence does the author bring in to support his or her claim?
Can you think of an alternative explanation for the author’s evidence?
How are the readings of the week related?

COURSE SCHEDULE (Subject to Change)

February 1: Introduction to the course. We will review the syllabus and class expectations. We
will also discuss some key terms that we will use and some terms we will not use.

Importantly, we will NOT call people “aliens” or “illegals” or “illegal aliens.” These are
dehumanizing terms that anti-immigration advocates promote. There is a link between the
use of dehumanizing language and inter-group violence, so we must take care in this
course to avoid contributing to that harmful cycle. Instead, we will use more neutral
terms such as “undocumented migrant” or “irregular migrant” to refer to people who do
not follow formally prescribed legal mechanisms for migration.

 READ THE SYLLABUS

February 3: Framing the approach of the course, where we will think about migration politics in
immigration hubs through three dimensions: labor migration, asylum, and refugee resettlement.

February 8: Labor migration in the United States: We will discuss regular and irregular
migration. For regular migration, we will discuss work visas, green cards, and the process of
obtaining citizenship. For irregular migration, we will discuss how the largest amount of
undocumented migrants are people who overstay their visas, and then move into unauthorized
border crossings. Most discussion in the United States emphasizes the Southwest Border, but the
United States has also had to consider this issue for unauthorized migration from the Caribbean
(e.g.- Cuba), on the West Coast (e.g.- Chinese migrants), and on its long border with Canada.

 Massey, Douglas S., Joaquin Arango, Graeme Hugo, Adella Pellegrino & J. Edward
Taylor (1993) Theories of International Migration: A Review and Appraisal. Population
and Development Review 19: 431-466.
 Short Writing Assignment 1: Labor Migration
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February 10: Continued discussion of labor migration in the United States

 Is the H-1B Program a Cynical Attempt to Undercut American Workers?

 Reforming US’ High-Skilled Guestworker Program
 The Green Monster: How the Border Patrol became America’s most out-of-control law
enforcement agency
 I spent the last 15 years trying to become an American. I've failed.
 Short Writing Assignment 1 Due

February 15: Unauthorized border crossings on the Southwest Border. GUEST LECTURE
FROM DR. BRADFORD JONES

February 17: SPRING BREAK

February 22: Discussion of reactions to the guest lecture. We will incorporate this into a
discussion of border deaths and immigration enforcement. We will consider three types of
immigration enforcement: Externalized enforcement, border enforcement, and interior
enforcement.

 The Deadliest Crossing

 Migration Policy Institute article on United States, European Union, and Australia
externalizing enforcement: https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/pushing-out-
boundaries-humanitarian-screening-country-and-offshore-processing
 Programa Frontera Sur: https://www.azpm.org/s/39635-programa-frontera-sur-
interceding-in-southern-mexico/
 Short Writing Assignment 2: United States Immigration Enforcement

February 24: Interior immigration enforcement in the United States.

 Park, K. S. (2018). Self-Deportation Nation. Harvard Law Review, 132, 1878.

 Short Writing Assignment 2 Due

March 1: American refugee resettlement: GUEST LECTURE FROM ANNE C. RICHARD

 Article shared by Anne Richard

 Episodes 5-8 of Displaced: https://www.rescue.org/displaced
 The Story of Abdi: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/560/abdi-and-the-golden-ticket
 Jobs episode on the Resettled podcast: https://vpm.org/articles/6333/jobs

March 3: American refugee resettlement: GUEST LECTURE FROM HARRIET KUHR

 Short Writing Assignment 3: Refugee Resettlement in the United States

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March 8: Migrant smuggling to the United States: Crossing the Southwest Border without
permission

 Sanchez, Gabriella E & Sheldon X Zhang (2018) Rumors, encounters, collaborations,

and survival: The migrant smuggling–drug trafficking nexus in the US Southwest. The
ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 676(1): 135-151.
 Short Writing Assignment 3 Due

March 10: Migrant smuggling to the United States: Long land routes to the USA

 Asian and African migration through Latin America:

https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/extracontinental-migrants-latin-america
 Documentary on traveling through the Darien Gap:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFSoBHMf7co&list=PL-
Hidj6ug0EQP7kDZfV6SqWIPo0z1JczQ&index=299
 Haitian migration from Brazil
 Cubans using land route from Panama or Nicaragua to travel through Mexico into the
United States (2019): https://apnews.com/article/058c2e338b4942faa9bc63f96ca90cb5
 Cubans starting in Ecuador (2017): https://radioambulante.org/en/translation/translation-
the-long-road

March 15: Asylum in the United States

 Protecting the most vulnerable: What it takes to make a case under the US asylum system
 Let Me Be a Refugee by Rebecca Hamlin (Chapter 4)

March 17: Migrant smuggling to the EU

 Special report on migration: http://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/the-21st-

century-gold-rush-refugees/#/niger
 Brachet, J. (2018). Manufacturing smugglers: From irregular to clandestine mobility in
the Sahara. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social
Science, 676(1), 16-35.

March 22: Migrant trends to Australia

 Australia: A Welcoming Destination for Some:

https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/australia-welcoming-destination-some
 Major Paper #1 Due

March 24: Migration trends into the EU

 10 Trends Shaping Migration

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March 29: SPRING BREAK

March 31: Migration trends into Australia: Stuck in transit

 Sampson, R. C., Gifford, S. M., & Taylor, S. (2016). The myth of transit: The making of
a life by asylum seekers and refugees in Indonesia. Journal of Ethnic and Migration
Studies, 42(7), 1135-1152.

April 5: EU immigration enforcement: Border Enforcement

 Little, A., & Vaughan-Williams, N. (2017). Stopping boats, saving lives, securing
subjects: Humanitarian borders in Europe and Australia. European Journal of
International Relations, 23(3), 533-556.
 Short Writing Assignment 4: Immigration Enforcement in the EU and Australia

April 7: NO CLASS. WORK ON ASSIGNMENT AND LONG PAPER.

April 12: Australian immigration enforcement: Border Enforcement

 Australia’s Controversial Migration Policy:

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/04/australia-immigration/480189/
 Short Writing Assignment 4 Due

April 14: EU immigration enforcement: Externalized Enforcement

 Üstübici, A. (2019). The impact of externalized migration governance on Turkey:

Technocratic migration governance and the production of differentiated legal
status. Comparative Migration Studies, 7(1), 46.
 Niger: Europe’s Migration Laboratory:
https://deeply.thenewhumanitarian.org/refugees/articles/2018/05/22/niger-europes-
migration-laboratory

April 19: Australian immigration enforcement: Externalized Enforcement

 Larking, E. (2017). Controlling Irregular Migration in the Asia‐Pacific: Is Australia

Acting against its Own Interests?. Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies, 4(1), 85-103.

April 21: Asylum outside the United States

 Abdelaaty, L. (2020). Rivalry, ethnicity, and asylum admissions worldwide. International

Interactions, 1-28.
 Short Writing Assignment 5: Comparing Responses to Immigration
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April 26: Climate change and migration

 Podcast: https://mpichangingclimatechangingmigration.podbean.com/e/one-billion-
climate-migrants-not-so-fast/
 Kaczan, D. J., & Orgill-Meyer, J. (2020). The impact of climate change on migration: a
synthesis of recent empirical insights. Climatic Change, 158(3), 281-300.
 Dipole Index and how it links Horn of Africa with Australia:
https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2019/10/22/Indian-Ocean-Dipole-flood-
danger-East-Africa
 Short Writing Assignment 5 due

April 28: Immigration’s role in Brexit

 Article in The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/hard-evidence-how-areas-with-

low-immigration-voted-mainly-for-brexit-62138
 Fetzer, T. (2019). Did austerity cause Brexit?. American Economic Review, 109(11),
3849-86.

May 3: Immigration and right-wing politics in the United States, EU, and Australia

 Rise of the Far Right in Germany Part 1:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aokq_u8t5v8
 Rise of the Far Right in Germany Part 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY30O39PB3Q
 Rise of the Far Right in the United States: https://www.aljazeera.com/program/people-
power/2010/9/30/white-power-usa-2/

May 5 (LAST CLASS): Review of the course and final thoughts

 Major Paper #2 Due