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Jason De León

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The Land of Open Graves: Living and Dying on the Migrant Trail (Volume 36) (California Series in Public Anthropology) Paperback – October 23, 2015

by Jason De Leon (Author), Michael Wells (Photographer)

406

Part of: California Series in Public Anthropology (48 books)

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In this gripping and provocative “ethnography of death,” anthropologist and MacArthur "Genius" Fellow Jason De León sheds light on one of the most pressing political issues of our time—the human consequences of US immigration and border policy.

The Land of Open Graves reveals the suffering and deaths that occur daily in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona as thousands of undocumented migrants attempt to cross the border from Mexico into the United States.

Drawing on the four major fields of anthropology, De León uses an innovative combination of ethnography, archaeology, linguistics, and forensic science to produce a scathing critique of “Prevention through Deterrence,” the federal border enforcement policy that encourages migrants to cross in areas characterized by extreme environmental conditions and high risk of death. For two decades, systematic violence has failed to deter border crossers while successfully turning the rugged terrain of southern Arizona into a killing field. Featuring stark photography by Michael Wells, this book examines the weaponization of natural terrain as a border wall: first-person stories from survivors underscore this fundamental threat to human rights, and the very lives, of non-citizens as they are subjected to the most insidious and intangible form of American policing as institutional violence.

In harrowing detail, De León chronicles the journeys of people who have made dozens of attempts to cross the border and uncovers the stories of the objects and bodies left behind in the desert.

The Land of Open Graves will spark debate and controversy.

Part of series

California Series in Public Anthropology
Print length

384 pages
Language

English
Publisher

University of California Press
Publication date

October 23, 2015
Dimensions

6 x 0.9 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

0520282752
ISBN-13

978-0520282759
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Land of Open Graves is an invaluable book, one full of rich ethnographic accounts of migrants, sharp analysis, and beautiful photographs by Michael Wells (as well as some by the migrants De León encounters). It is a strong indictment of the violence migrants face, particularly of a structural sort, and it calls us to "better understand how our worlds are intertwined and the ethical responsibility we have to one another as human beings." It deserves a broad audience."--NACLA Report on the Americas

From the Inside Flap

"De León confronts us with a vivid indictment of the killing fields on the US-Mexico border and reveals the brutality of global inequality in all its goriness and intimate suffering. A self-described refugee from archaeology, De León is revitalizing the field of anthropology by blowing apart the traditional subdisciplinary boundaries. With no holds barred, he offers new paths for theory, methods, and public anthropology." --Philippe Bourgois, author of Righteous Dopefiend and In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio

"Jason De León has written a remarkable book. I know of no other ethnography of life and death on the borderlands that is more moving, theoretically ambitious, or powerful than this eagerly awaited work." --María Elena García, author of Making Indigenous Citizens: Identities, Education, and Multicultural Development in Peru

"This book sears itself into your memory. You literally can't put it down." --Stanley Brandes, Robert H. Lowie Professor of Anthropology, UC Berkeley

"An impressive piece of scholarship, The Land of Open Graves is a brilliant and important book that humanizes the realities of life and death on the migrant trail in southern Arizona."--Randall H. McGuire, author of Archaeology as Political Action

"Jason De León has written that rare and precious book--a masterful deployment of tools from across the broad spectrum of anthropology." --Danny Hoffman, author of The War Machines: Young Men and Violence in Sierra Leone and Liberia

"The Land of Open Graves is a politically, theoretically, and morally important book that mobilizes the four fields of anthropology to demonstrate beyond a doubt how current US border defense policy results in deliberate death. Beautifully written and engaging, it is a must-read for the general public and students across the social sciences." --Lynn Stephen, author of Transborder Lives: Indigenous Oaxacans in Mexico, California, and Oregon and We Are the Face of Oaxaca: Testimony and Social Movements

From the Back Cover

"De León confronts us with a vivid indictment of the killing fields on the US-Mexico border and reveals the brutality of global inequality in all its goriness and intimate suffering. A self-described refugee from archaeology, De León is revitalizing the field of anthropology by blowing apart the traditional subdisciplinary boundaries. With no holds barred, he offers new paths for theory, methods, and public anthropology."—Philippe Bourgois, author of Righteous Dopefiend and In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio

"Jason De León has written a remarkable book. I know of no other ethnography of life and death on the borderlands that is more moving, theoretically ambitious, or powerful than this eagerly awaited work."—María Elena García, author of Making Indigenous Citizens: Identities, Education, and Multicultural Development in Peru

"This book sears itself into your memory. You literally can’t put it down."—Stanley Brandes, Robert H. Lowie Professor of Anthropology, UC Berkeley

"An impressive piece of scholarship, The Land of Open Graves is a brilliant and important book that humanizes the realities of life and death on the migrant trail in southern Arizona."—Randall H. McGuire, author of Archaeology as Political Action

"Jason De León has written that rare and precious book—a masterful deployment of tools from across the broad spectrum of anthropology."—Danny Hoffman, author of The War Machines: Young Men and Violence in Sierra Leone and Liberia

"The Land of Open Graves is a politically, theoretically, and morally important book that mobilizes the four fields of anthropology to demonstrate beyond a doubt how current US border defense policy results in deliberate death. Beautifully written and engaging, it is a must-read for the general public and students across the social sciences."—Lynn Stephen, author of Transborder Lives: Indigenous Oaxacans in Mexico, California, and Oregon and We Are the Face of Oaxaca: Testimony and Social Movements

"The Land of Open Graves is an invaluable book, one full of rich ethnographic accounts of migrants, sharp analysis, and beautiful photographs by Michael Wells (as well as some by the migrants De León encounters). It is a strong indictment of the violence migrants face, particularly of a structural sort, and it calls us to “better understand how our worlds are intertwined and the ethical responsibility we have to one another as human beings." It deserves a broad audience."—NACLA Report on the Americas

About the Author

Jason De León is Professor of Anthropology and Chicana/o and Central American Studies, UCLA; a 2017 MacArthur Fellow; Executive Director of the Undocumented Migration Project; and President of the Board of Directors for the Colibrí Center for Human Rights. In 2010, he hosted American Treasures, a reality-based television show on the Discovery Channel about anthropology and American history. He is currently organizing a global participatory exhibition called “Hostile Terrain 94” that will be installed in 150 locations simultaneously on six continents through the summer of 2021.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of California Press; First Edition (October 23, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0520282752
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0520282759
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.6 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.9 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #74,283 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #40 in Emigration & Immigration Studies (Books)
- #54 in General Anthropology
- #84 in Violence in Society (Books)

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Jason De León

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Jason De León is Professor of Anthropology and Chicana, Chicano, and Central American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles and Director of the Undocumented Migration Project, a research/arts/education non-profit that seeks to raise awareness about our global migration crisis and help families search for their loved ones who have died or gone missing while migrating. His academic work has been featured in numerous media outlets, including National Public Radio, the New York Times Magazine, Al Jazeera magazine, The Huffington Post, and Vice magazine. De León is a 2017 MacArthur Fellow.

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4.6 out of 5

406 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

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Anthropology PhD

What it means to do 'Anthropology' in the 21st century!

Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2018

Verified Purchase

Brilliant book that is easy to follow, little jargon, and with simple yet powerful theoretical framings. This speaks to the fact that the author intends for this book to have public appeal and effect. The book does an excellent job of showing how 'the border' is more than just a line on a map or a stretch of fence, but that it encompasses animals and plants, histories and desires, political economic structures, complex worlds, and cross-continental connections. A must-read for anyone interested in anthropology, from undergraduate to graduate. The book also offers a compelling use of the 'four-fields' in anthropology, which doesn't get done very often, even in American cultural anthropology - thus it can can be quite useful for teaching undergraduates, especially given its accessibility.

The book leaves plenty of questions open about immigration, politics, and capitalism, but it hopefully provides critical ethnographic context for how we ought to collectively think about these topics coming into the 21st century - particularly the role of anthropology in helping to build our shared human and non-human futures.

12 people found this helpful

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Boogscott

Compelling ethnography

Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2017

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I can't remember that last time I've read--or if I've ever read--such a compelling ethnography. Gripping, eye-opening, tragic as well as theoretically and analytically rich. This is very clearly a work written as much from the mind as the heart. It should be required reading for all social scientists and, well, basically everyone on the planet. My only criticism of the book is the section criticizing ethnographies of border crossings, and specifically those in which the researcher takes part in the crossing, and more specifically, Seth Holmes. This section seems unnecessary and out of sync with the rest of the book, even reading as rather petty, mean-spirited and defensive. Though I wish that section had been trimmed or less singularly directed at one (rival?) anthropologist, I still found this ethnography to be a masterpiece of anthropological work and one that I strongly recommend reading.

One person found this helpful

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ADZP

Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2018

Verified Purchase

I am a historical archaeologist who trained in the U.S. where anthropology is taught as a four field discipline with cultural, physical, linguistic, anthropology and archaeology.

De Leon's book is powerful. It discusses the use of landscape as systematic violence by the United States' Federal Government against border-crossers. De Leon uses all four sub-fields of anthropology to research and address the experiences of the people who are crossing before, during, and after travel (for themselves and their families) and uses his findings and the stories of people (in their own words) to engage in the important conversation of immigration and violence in the U.S. against non-citizens, and how the U.S. wages a war against non-citizens on U.S. soil without the US public being aware (and with the inner-gov't being mentally removed from the process, despite being in power to design immigration policy).

Highly recommended for anyone and everyone to read. It is extremely thoughtful and accessible. For those who teach anthropology, particularly applied or political anthropology, should include this as mandatory reading in your curriculum.

17 people found this helpful

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blckbsct

Must read!

Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2023

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Our border isn’t what they said it is! Between the “build that wall” and “we need open borders” if you’re not in the know about what is really happening, how can you support either side? This books help you find common ground with what they don’t tell you. THE TRUTH!

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Whitney

I think this book gives great insight on what migrants have to go through when ...

Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2016

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I think this book gives great insight on what migrants have to go through when crossing them border to get to America. Even though I do not agree with what the author said about some things, this book was written very well and drew me in from the moment I started reading this book. I would definitely recommend people to read this book to learn a bit about migration and immigration policies.

2 people found this helpful

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QKH

Land of Open Graves is an absolute must read.

Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2019

Verified Purchase

Land of Open Graves was an amazing book, a must read. I was so impressed with De Leon's ethnography and research on this project. His work about undocumented migrants is so important and necessary. He uses several methodologies and a four field anthropological approach in his research.
De Leon gives readers a glimpse into who these undocumented migrants are, he gives them a voice so that people understand them on a whole different level. He digs deep into why Prevention Through Deterrance is just institutional and systematic violence against undocumented migrants. As an aspiring Anthropologist I highly recommend this book to everyone. De Leon gives us all an important lesson in humanity. 5 star read.

2 people found this helpful

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Alayna

Jason De León performs the pinnacle of ethnography in blurred spaces

Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2018

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De León's writing is comprehensive, scientific, and emotional. His ethnographic sections humanize the real people that experience the undertaking of immigration. The book serves as an exposé of the U.S. government for those who weren't aware of the depth of border control policies; the graphic descriptions of living, dying, and death in the desert supply the gruesome science of it all. The photography provided by Jason and Michael Wells transports the reader to the desert and the lives of the immigrants that Jason got to know. I can say for sure that this book has cemented U.S. border policy as a human rights issue in my mind, and I am also interested in his Undocumented Migration Project. After seeing him speak at my university, I am moved by the subject, by his methods, and by his success. I look forward to more of his work.

5 people found this helpful

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Lindsey Price Jackson

Eye opening account

Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2019

I learned a lot about the Sonoran crossing in this book through general historic/political/sociological information as well as real (as far as the author tells us) accounts. For me, I think the book could have been half the length. With pages upon pages of translated dialogue, I think there was a better way to tell these stories that would capture a broader audience. Still, unique genre. And I have recommended it to others already.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Meriem

Exceptionally well written ethnography

Reviewed in Canada on January 13, 2021

Verified Purchase

Exceptional read! I highly recommend it

JuliaB

though I hate reading about how people are being treated

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 15, 2018

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though I hate reading about how people are being treated, not only on the Mexican boarder but any other refugee. the research leads to some very interesting reading

Barb Chrysler

a well researched and sad account of migration

Reviewed in Canada on September 28, 2017

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a well researched and sad account of migration. would recommend the book to anyone interested in the personal stories and politics of Mexican migration

Amy

Perfect condition

Reviewed in Canada on January 13, 2020

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Perfect condition

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