Borders of Sanctuary

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The new CAS initiative Borders of Sanctuary is a working collective that aims to critically investigate the multifaceted dimensions of sanctuary spaces and borderlands, focusing on their socio-political, cultural, and geographic implications and complex effects. This interdisciplinary project will convene scholars, activists, artists, and other intellectuals to foster collaborative research and dialogue on sanctuary as both a lived experience and a political practice. Emphasizing the Midwest and adjacent regions such as Southern Illinois and St. Louis, the collective seeks to illuminate how sanctuary operates amid contemporary migration dynamics, state policies, and grassroots resistance.

Sanctuary spaces have historically functioned as sites of refuge, resistance, and community formation. However, evolving border enforcement regimes and socio-political climates have complicated these narratives, necessitating renewed scholarly and activist attention. This collective will interrogate these tensions through interdisciplinary inquiry and community engagement, contributing to critical conversations on migration, social justice, and regional identity.

Members of the Borders of Sanctuary Collective:

Gilberto Rosas (Latina/Latino Studies and Anthropology)
Erik McDuffie (History and African American Studies)
Damian Vergara Bracamontes (Gender & Women's Studies, Latina/Latino Studies, and community activist)
Korinta Maldonado (American Indian Studies and Anthropology)
Elisabeth Velásquez Estrada (Latina/Latino Studies and Anthropology)
Gabriela Corona Valencia (Latina/Latino Studies)
Saraí Blanco Martinez (Latina/Latino Studies)
Angelica Waner (Spanish & Portuguese)
Junaid Rana (Asian American Studies)
Omar Agustin Hernandez (Anthropology)