Munro Lecture: 'Soldiers and kings: Survival and hope in the world of human smuggling' "In 2014, Mexico (with financial and logistical support from the Obama administration) launched Programa Frontera Sur, a security enforcement project aimed at stopping Central American migrants from reaching the U.S./Mexico border. Under this program, Mexico dramatically increased arrests and deportations while simultaneously making the migration journey more arduous and deadly. In response to this heightened security, migrants have turned to transnational gangs such as MS-13 who have become increasingly involved in the human smuggling industry.In 2015, I began a long-term ethnographic project focused on understanding the daily lives of Honduran smugglers who profit from transporting migrants across the length of Mexico. In this talk, I present stories from my recent book and examine the complicated relationship among transnational gangs, the human smuggling industry, and migrant desires for safety and wellbeing."Professor Jason De LeónProfessor Jason De León is Loyd E. Cotsen Endowed Chair of Archaeology, Professor of Anthropology and Chicana/o Studies, and Director of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is also Executive Director of the Undocumented Migration Project, a non-profit research, arts, and education collective that seeks to raise awareness about migration issues globally. He is a 2017 MacArthur Foundation Fellow and author of the award-winning book "The Land of Open Graves: Living and Dying on the Migrant Trail." De Leon's latest book “Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling” won the 2024 National Book Award for Nonfiction. Mar 27 2025 17.15 - 18.30 Munro Lecture: 'Soldiers and kings: Survival and hope in the world of human smuggling' The next Munro Lecture will be given by Professor Jason De León. McLaren Stuart Room, Old College Find the venue Tickets (free)
Munro Lecture: 'Soldiers and kings: Survival and hope in the world of human smuggling' "In 2014, Mexico (with financial and logistical support from the Obama administration) launched Programa Frontera Sur, a security enforcement project aimed at stopping Central American migrants from reaching the U.S./Mexico border. Under this program, Mexico dramatically increased arrests and deportations while simultaneously making the migration journey more arduous and deadly. In response to this heightened security, migrants have turned to transnational gangs such as MS-13 who have become increasingly involved in the human smuggling industry.In 2015, I began a long-term ethnographic project focused on understanding the daily lives of Honduran smugglers who profit from transporting migrants across the length of Mexico. In this talk, I present stories from my recent book and examine the complicated relationship among transnational gangs, the human smuggling industry, and migrant desires for safety and wellbeing."Professor Jason De LeónProfessor Jason De León is Loyd E. Cotsen Endowed Chair of Archaeology, Professor of Anthropology and Chicana/o Studies, and Director of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is also Executive Director of the Undocumented Migration Project, a non-profit research, arts, and education collective that seeks to raise awareness about migration issues globally. He is a 2017 MacArthur Foundation Fellow and author of the award-winning book "The Land of Open Graves: Living and Dying on the Migrant Trail." De Leon's latest book “Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling” won the 2024 National Book Award for Nonfiction. Mar 27 2025 17.15 - 18.30 Munro Lecture: 'Soldiers and kings: Survival and hope in the world of human smuggling' The next Munro Lecture will be given by Professor Jason De León. McLaren Stuart Room, Old College Find the venue Tickets (free)
Mar 27 2025 17.15 - 18.30 Munro Lecture: 'Soldiers and kings: Survival and hope in the world of human smuggling' The next Munro Lecture will be given by Professor Jason De León.
