Why They Come

This talk will explore why immigrants are crossing our southern border. Contrary to popular belief, it is not in search of a better life or to take advantage of U.S. generosity. When one nation builds roads into other nations to steal their raw material and cheap labor, we should not be shocked when those individuals take those same roads following what has been stolen from them. This immigration crisis is a product of foreign colonialist policies which began in the 1840s. A brief history will be explored to better grasp why people show up at our borders. Rather than going to charitable virtues as a reply, the talk debunks such self-gratifying responses and focuses instead on restitution as a more appropriate answer. This is a challenging talk which will help students think more critically about the current immigration issue.Dr. Miguel De La Torre is an international scholar, documentarian, activist, and author. Dr. De La Torre's academic pursuit is social ethics within contemporary U.S. thought, especially how religion affects race, class, and gender oppression. He serves as professor of Social Ethics and Latinx Studies at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado. This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page.