Weaving Facts Through the Complexity of Global Migration
The UC Davis Global Migration Center provides a uniquely comprehensive understanding of migration's profound impact on societies worldwide
by Alex Russell
Luis left his home in Guatemala to escape the criminal gangs that were extorting him repeatedly with a threat of violence. He left behind his family, his culture and his very identity for a chance to live the American Dream.
Instead, Luis made the dangerous journey north only to be confronted again with extortion but this time by authorities he expected to protect him. Then he discovered a tumor in his throat. His fortunes changed only when he found support from a non-profit NGO in Mexico that told him to go to a local hospital for treatment.
“I did not want to go because I feared that in the hospital the authorities would return me to my country,” said Luis.
Luis’ story of hardship is common among the millions of people across the globe who leave their homes, families and everything they know for the hope of a more secure life elsewhere. This migration is a powerful force for shaping society through the spread of ideas, knowledge and even wealth as people and families connect across geographies and cultures.
Migration has also long been a flashpoint for anger and prejudice in every country and context, and these responses can blur the reasons why people relocate their lives and what their arrival means for the places where they settle.
This is where research fills a critical gap. The UC Davis Global Migration Center is a research collaboration across the social sciences, humanities, medicine and law that weaves facts and human experience into the complexity of how we think about migration, both in the U.S. and globally.
“Immigrants are part of the fabric of a country’s economy and society,” said Giovanni Peri, director of the Global Migration Center and a professor of economics at UC Davis. “We want to bring more information, clarity, facts and discussion to shine the light that immigrants are human beings who bring assets with them to their new countries.”
Making the hard choice to leave home
Luis’ story comes from “Humanizing Deportation,” a project that records the stories of vulnerable migrants in Tijuana. The project is led by Robert Irwin, deputy director of the Global Migration Center and a professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at UC Davis. Since 2016, Irwin and his team have collected over 400 stories, each one edited to about five minutes long.