The Global Refugee Crisis

Worldwide there are more refugees and displaced people today than in any other period of human history. More than 90 million people across the planet have been forcibly displaced from their homes in recent years. How do we account for this crisis? And how might we imagine altering its trajectory? This course explores the varied forces, from war to climate change to narcotrafficking, that have uprooted these populations. It also seeks to understand the politics of migration by focusing on the experiences of refugees narrated by themselves. We analyze films, memoirs, novels and scholarly literature. Students will have the option of producing papers and/or audio and visual projects.Readings include:Viet Than Hguyen, ed., The DisplacedReyna Grande, The Distance Between Us Behrouz Boochani, No Friend But the MountainsEmmanuel Mbolela, RefugeeLeila Abdelrazaq, Badddawiand others