Emily Writes

Category: Anthropology

  • The Issue With Modern Immigration Policy, From an Anthropological Lens: Humans Always Roamed

    The Issue With Modern Immigration Policy, From an Anthropological Lens: Humans Always Roamed

    Many of us observed the recent ICE raids and ensuing chaos unfold in the city of Los Angeles, and it is far from the first time immigration has been a source of contention. As a big-picture type of person, I’ve always looked at the broader implications of issues like these, taking into account the innate human behavior that drives such actions. Drawing from my anthropology education, I wanted to explore how we can connect the past and present, offering a viewpoint I don’t often hear discussed when addressing this topic. As I pay attention to the regressive immigration laws under the current administration, many questions arise. Have humans not always been nomadic? Is it not in our biology to roam? What does the recent phenomenon of borders and citizenship tell us? From an anthropological perspective, migration is vital for our survival and progression, but modern immigration policy has strayed far from our evolutionary instincts, criminalizing natural human behavior.

    The story of Homo sapiens is one that is defined by migration. Anthropology tells us anatomically modern humans evolved in Africa approximately 300,000 years ago and migrated out of Africa in waves to populate nearly every continent of the globe. The earliest fossils of our species residing outside of Africa are found in present-day Palestine, dating back to 194,000 years ago. Other groups made it across mainland Asia to southern China 100,000 years ago. From here, some members of our species ventured into Australia 60,000 years ago. Two separate sites in Europe, one in southern Italy and one in the UK, demonstrate the arrival of humans on the continent some 43,000 years ago. Lastly, North and South America were inhabited beginning between 15,000 and 20,000 years ago. These early treks set a precedent for what it means to be human: we are always searching for greater opportunities. 

    What prompted our species to cover a substantial amount of ground in a relatively short period of time? Variations in Earth’s climate, occurring roughly every 20,000 years, enabled the growth of lush vegetation between Africa and Eurasia, facilitating human migration. Science journalist Amanda Mascarelli states that “long periods of cold and dry inhospitable conditions closed the valve on migration. But when warm, moist, tropical conditions set in, they opened the valve, connecting adjacent regions that were previously out of reach.” Essentially, during ice ages, cold and dry environmental conditions made travel improbable. However, warm and wet periods would allow for the growth of grasses and shrubs, leading to the expansion of hunter-gatherer populations.

    It’s evident climate change caused our early ancestors to uproot. In our recent history, the dispersal of people can be attributed more to political, social, and economic factors that have pushed and pulled people out of their homelands. Migration is primarily driven by the anticipation of wealth gains and access to greater resources upon arrival. The shortcomings of one’s home country, including poverty, corruption, crime, or environmental disasters, are the most commonly cited reasons for emigration. The decision to leave is made after carefully considering the costs and benefits of travel.

    Irrespective of the reasons for leaving, human migration is behind many of our most remarkable discoveries. It has profoundly transformed human societies and civilizations, leading to significant breakthroughs in agriculture, weaponry, tool use, architecture, and numerous other fields. Where can we start? In the 8th century, Arab Muslims began migrating to the Middle East, North Africa, and the Iberian Peninsula. Referred to as the Islamic Golden Age, they spread Islam while also advancing literature, medicine, art, and mathematics. It was a five-century-long period distinguished by cultural and economic prosperity, with inventions like algebra and surgical tools still in use today. What about the Great Migration? From 1916 to 1970, six million African Americans moved to Northern cities in the U.S. to escape racial violence under an oppressive Jim Crow South. With them, they brought rich cultural traditions and a new labor force. The birth of jazz and blues music can be attributed to this event. This exodus completely reshaped American politics and society. When migration is not occurring on a large scale, innovation is limited. When people move, they bring their ideas. Travel introduces novelty to that region, which leads to flourishing.

    Now, despite migration’s extensive history and the documented advancements it brings, it is largely restricted by man-made barriers. Yet, historically, the purpose of borders was not always to keep people out. It is only relatively recently in our record that borders have been stringent and, as a result, frequently been the cause of violence. Interestingly, prior to the 19th century, borders were not clearly delineated and endured as unfixed and changing zones. Outposts did not rely on military presence to guard territories from external threats. Instead, such boundaries served administrative and economic purposes. For instance, various empires were more concerned with determining which groups of people needed to pay taxes, who would be provided with resources, and who could work as laborers. It was their method of solidifying internal power. Although borders are somewhat new, the urge to drift is not. 

    In contemporary times, America’s immigration system was not initially part of the state. The U.S. first introduced a closed border policy under the Immigration Act of 1924, which banned immigration from specific regions, including Asia and Southern and Eastern Europe. This subsequently led to the formation of the U.S. Border Patrol in the same year. The exclusionary nature of the law laid the groundwork for our current border enforcement model.

    What is the agency for strict border policies and an increase in deportations, such as those we’re seeing now? Inadequate due process, withdrawing visas, and racial profiling—how did we come to completely disregard our instinct to flee danger? Other than racism and unfounded xenophobia, I suspect it reflects political leaders’ desire to establish a portrait of austerity and control. Operating under these frameworks ignores science and defies empathy.

    Suppose you want to know how I really feel about this. In that case, I don’t care for arbitrary national affiliations they choose to impose on humans who have the right to roam the Earth—a characteristic of our kind that dates back 100,000 years. I regard borders as imaginary lines drawn in a dehumanizing effort to keep people out when we need others to survive, to help us. To make the decision to leave and walk further than what you’ve always known is a simple one, a characteristic that’s ingrained in each of us. What’s occurring in the present is clashing with our DNA. I care about the heart of a human above anything else. Moreover, there is no fundamental difference between humans from 300,000 years ago and humans today. The same instincts that drove them are driving us. To seek safer and more hospitable places, to adapt and survive, is a part of our history. Without it, our species may have faced extinction. 

    Some take the stance that the prevailing political environment is too sophisticated to permit free and unrestricted movement. You can contend borders are necessary for national security and aiding trade. However, this attitude lacks nuance. On the other hand, it would be naive and idealistic to believe that modern governance can be based exclusively on our evolutionary roots. How can we balance the two? Is there an ideal way to conduct migration flows today? I’m not calling for us to abandon structure. I believe in adopting a holistic and compassionate approach to immigration, one that honors humanity. It’s worth bearing in mind Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states “everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.” Having this as a basis for the immigration landscape today could be a start. 

    Humans once walked across continents to survive. Today, at the hands of a cruel regime, some people aren’t able to step outside their homes without risking deportation and everything they’ve built, going against the very thing that makes us human.

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