Anthropology, Department of
Nebraska Anthropologist
Date of this Version
2025
Document Type
Review
Citation
Nebraska Anthropologist (2025)
Anthropology Department, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Accessibility-checked PDF
Abstract
The Land of Open Graves: Living and Dying on the Migrant Trail (2015), authored by Jason De León, is a crucial and important read which examines the United States’ contemporary immigration policy. The federal government program, Prevention through Deterrence, aims to prevent illegal immigration through expanding border enforcement. Instead of deterring people, this program pushes them to the hostile terrain of the Sonoran Desert. The author of this text argues that the desert is utilized as a tool of border enforcement as it perpetrates violence to those who attempt to cross the border, as well as their loved ones. Due to the hostile terrain of the desert, many of those who fall victim are not recovered or unable to be identified, thus creating long-lasting emotional trauma. De León successfully highlights the human consequences, through incorporating the heart-wrenching stories of many people who are directly affected by the violence perpetrated by this policy. By incorporating these stories, the author effectively humanizes the many victims, while shining a light on the juxtaposition of the United States’ immigration policy. Overall, this book provides a holistic critique of the Prevention through Deterrence immigration policy through its incorporation of anthropological, archaeological, forensic science, and linguistic data collection and interpretation. The Land of Open Graves is an essential read for anthropologists, sociologist, social scientists, and members of the public who are interested in United States immigration policy.
Comments
Copyright 2025, Maggie M. Klemm. Used by permission