Issue 27: Movements in Migration (11/12/2007)
In the eight years since President Bush embraced the “war on terror” as a national security doctrine, we have experienced a dramatic upsurge in political instability worldwide resulting in the mass migration of millions who either live as refugees in exile or find themselves internally displaced within their own state. Coupled with rising political instability, neoliberal economic policies have pushed many marginalized groups to migrate for economic survival. This issue of SAMAR focuses on migration and recent economic and political events that have increased the vulnerability of marginalized migrant groups.
South Asian migration is often seen through the lens of migration to the U.K. and U.S., yet there are other South Asian migration endpoints that have been largely overlooked. Since the discovery of oil in the Arabian Gulf a few decades ago, we have witnessed the mass importation of South Asian laborers to fuel the region’s burgeoning construction boom and work as domestics in a rapidly expanding service sector. As these economies prosper, we have heard egregious stories of worker exploitation.
Migration has also led to a new way of organizing in the U.S., through the remittances sent to home countries. In this issue, we also tell two personal stories of migration – an escape from civil war in Nepal and the other, about the eviction of South Asians from East Africa. These experiences bring forward new struggles and need for resistance.
We could not lay this issue to rest without commenting on the martial law recently imposed in Pakistan, an internal collusion perhaps, or the hypocrisy of the U.S. in doing very little around it. As we watch vivid images of lawyers and activists being rounded up by the army, we only have left to wonder which “democracies” the U.S. will aim to restore and which ones it will choose to ignore. For inspiration, we also turn to India, where the recent Independent People’s Tribunal on the World Bank in India, showcased the power of people’s voices and stories to challenge huge institutions like the World Bank. Finally, in New York we examine the controversy around the Khalil Gibran International Academy and reveal that when it comes to understanding Muslims, this country is still in hysteria.
In the eight years since President Bush embraced the “war on terror” as a national security doctrine, we have experienced a dramatic upsurge in political instability worldwide resulting in the mass migration of millions who either live as refugees in exile or find themselves internally displaced within their own state. Coupled with rising political instability, neoliberal economic policies have pushed many marginalized groups to migrate for economic survival. This issue of SAMAR focuses on migration and recent economic and political events that have increased the vulnerability of marginalized migrant groups.
South Asian migration is often seen through the lens of migration to the U.K. and U.S., yet there are other South Asian migration endpoints that have been largely overlooked. Since the discovery of oil in the Arabian Gulf a few decades ago, we have witnessed the mass importation of South Asian laborers to fuel the region’s burgeoning construction boom and work as domestics in a rapidly expanding service sector. As these economies prosper, we have heard egregious stories of worker exploitation.
Migration has also led to a new way of organizing in the U.S., through the remittances sent to home countries. In this issue, we also tell two personal stories of migration – an escape from civil war in Nepal and the other, about the eviction of South Asians from East Africa. These experiences bring forward new struggles and need for resistance.
We could not lay this issue to rest without commenting on the martial law recently imposed in Pakistan, an internal collusion perhaps, or the hypocrisy of the U.S. in doing very little around it. As we watch vivid images of lawyers and activists being rounded up by the army, we only have left to wonder which “democracies” the U.S. will aim to restore and which ones it will choose to ignore. For inspiration, we also turn to India, where the recent Independent People’s Tribunal on the World Bank in India, showcased the power of people’s voices and stories to challenge huge institutions like the World Bank. Finally, in New York we examine the controversy around the Khalil Gibran International Academy and reveal that when it comes to understanding Muslims, this country is still in hysteria.