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A review by poisonenvy
No One Is Illegal (Updated Edition): Fighting Racism and State Violence on the U.S.-Mexico Border by Justin Akers Chacón, Mike Davis
informative
5.0
Justin Akers Chacon's <i>No One Is Illegal</i> gives an in depth look at the racism against immigrants in the USA, focusing at the systemic racism and discrimination at a State level. In it, he postulates, with a great deal of evidence, that the State's intense enforcement -- which really only began in the 80s; prior to that, workers were able to cross back and forth between countries with very little problems -- serves first and foremost to insure that the USA has a not insignificant workforce which is easily exploitable, with little to no worker protections. This allows businesses that hire them to pay them well below regulated wages, as well as ensuring that they have very little recourse for workplace abuses. He clearly outlines the connection between capitalism and anti-immigrant rhetoric.
Akers Chacon draws examples throughout history, and his work is well cited. His analyses are well-thought out, and he expounds so precisely that it's difficult to find much, if any, fault with said analyses. His writing is clear and easy to understand, and what examples he draws are explained clearly and concisely; from what I can tell, he doesn't assume his readers are already familiar with the data.
Mike Davis has a section at the beginning of the book about the history of anti-immigrant vigilantism and speaks quite a bit about pre-WWII Japanese immigrants in California, and I likewise found it very informative and enlightening.
Akers Chacon draws examples throughout history, and his work is well cited. His analyses are well-thought out, and he expounds so precisely that it's difficult to find much, if any, fault with said analyses. His writing is clear and easy to understand, and what examples he draws are explained clearly and concisely; from what I can tell, he doesn't assume his readers are already familiar with the data.
Mike Davis has a section at the beginning of the book about the history of anti-immigrant vigilantism and speaks quite a bit about pre-WWII Japanese immigrants in California, and I likewise found it very informative and enlightening.