BORDER AND ILLEGAL MIGRATION IN LUIS ALBERTO URREA’S THE DEVIL'S HIGHWAY: A TRUE STORY

Abstract

In the last two decades, literature concerning Latin American undocumented migration to the United States has emerged as a significant resource for comprehending the evolving landscape of state authority. The article considers techno-militaristic and the discursive production of the migrant figure in Luis Alberto Urrea’s Devil’s Highway. The author considers how Urrea’s text constructs a notion of migrant subjectivity and how the text participates in the reproduction of the material and discursive conditions by which the undocumented migration is rendered to readers. Undocumented migration is the focus of cross-border migration story described by Luis Urrea. It emphasizes the pervasive impact of global capitalism on migration processes. The undocumented migrants are perceived by the dominant power as a sub-human category. Urrea’s Devil’s Highway describing contemporary undocumented migration allows for a more nuanced comprehension of migrant subjectivity, extending beyond economic injustice. Urrea interweaves the migrant’s journey with the intricate tales of the border. Nevertheless, the physical encounter of crossing the border constantly interrupts their journey. The desert's autonomous power inscribes the men's experiences instead of the men defining the land. Urrea directs the readers' attention to the tangible reality of the human bodies and the vast desert landscapes, crafting a multi-dimensional narrative that immerses the readers in the story. Urrea vividly portrays the brutal impact of the desert on the bodies of the walkers, urging the readers to empathize with their physical ordeal. The article argues that the subjectivity of undocumented migrants needs to be reconsidered in the context of such discourses as negative globalization, human rights, and economic dispossession.