Borders and Belonging
Toward a Fair Immigration Policy
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press Inc
Published:24th May '25
Should be back in stock very soon
A uniquely broad and fair-minded guide to making immigration policy ethical. Immigration is now a polarizing issue across most advanced democracies. But too much that is written about immigration fails to appreciate the complex responses to the phenomenon. Too many observers assume imaginary consensus, avoid basic questions, or disregard the larger context for human migration. In Borders and Belonging, Hiroshi Motomura offers a complex and fair-minded account of immigration, its root causes, and the varying responses to it. Taking stock of the issue's complexity, while giving credence to the opinions of immigration critics, he tackles a series of important questions that, when answered, will move us closer to a more realistic and sustainable immigration policy. Motomura begins by affirming a basic concept--national borders--and asks when they might be ethical borders, fostering fairness but also responding realistically to migration patterns and to the political forces that migration generates. In a nation with ethical borders, who should be let in or kept out? How should people forced to migrate be treated? Should newcomers be admitted temporarily or permanently? How should those with lawful immigration status be treated? What is the best role for enforcement in immigration policy? To what extent does the arrival of newcomers hurt long-time residents? What are the "root causes" of immigration and how can we address them? Realistic about the desire of most citizens for national borders, this book is an indispensable guide for moving toward ethical borders and better immigration policy.
Motomura crafts a nuanced and insightful exploration of the tension between 'humanity claims' of migrants and the 'belonging claims' of members of an existing community. By expanding the lens of analysis-to include such issues as the root causes of migration, race in immigration history, and the respect for both the dignity of outsiders and the impact of immigration on insiders-he forces a rethinking of a wide range of issues in the current immigration debate. Borders and Belonging is timely, thought-provoking, and path-breaking. * Alex Aleinikoff, Dean, New School for Social Research and Director, Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility, The New School *
Motomura writes brilliantly, thoughtfully and practically about how we might move towards to what he calls a 'realistic utopia' of less harmful and less discriminatory border regimes around the world. A really important book that should be read by all politicians, campaigners and academics engaged in immigration policy and anyone interested in the wider debate. * Colin Yeo, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers *
Motomura takes readers on a tour across the landscape of US immigration and refugee policy, pointing out the most important features and asking us to look at what seems natural with a critical eye. This is a guide both to understanding the present and to asking the ethical questions that could shape alternative futures. * David Scott Fitzgerald, Sérgio Vieira de Mello Chair, University of California San Diego *
This broad-sweeping, thought-provoking reflection centers borders and bordering within ethics, humanity, and justice, leading us to the fundamental question about who belongs and why. A timely and timeless intervention that will inspire conversations and move to action. * Cecilia Menjivar, Dorothy L. Meier Social Equities Chair and Distinguished Professor of Sociology, UCLA *
ISBN: 9780197743720
Dimensions: 226mm x 155mm x 25mm
Weight: 408g
216 pages