Immigration Politics and Motherhood

Abstract

Although anti-immigrant sentiment is a constant across the U.S. political landscape, it ebbs and flows with larger political and economic shifts. The current wave began in the 1990s, was energized by 9-11, and has now reached epic proportions. While 9-11 was a major tragedy in its own right, it also spawned a whole series of secondary tragedies for racially-subordinated immigrant groups, including Muslims, Arabs, Asians and Latinas/os. The violation of both the human and civil rights of Muslims and Arabs is inexcusable. At the same time, the hardship that has befallen Latina/o, and especially, Mexican immigrants, is the less visible collateral damage of the post-9-11 fallout. Through both Immigration, Customs and Enforcement's (ICE) draconian policies and the larger criminalization of immigrants, Mexican-origin families are suffering some of the most inhumane forms of punishment possible—forced separation. This can be seen in the ICE raids, deportations, and in the women, who, in response, have taken-up s...