Snapshots of Sanctuary : Self-definitions of immigrant support in Eugene, Oregon

Authors

  • Milena Wuerth London School of Economics and Political Science

Keywords:

Sanctuary, asylum-seekers, undocumented immigrants, social activism, volunteering, US immigration policy, moral regimes, contested legality.

Abstract

Summary: Since its inception in the 1980s, the US ‘Sanctuary Movement’ has been the source of contentious political debate and academic discussion. Although originally a clergy-based effort of transnational activism, ‘sanctuary’ has since diffused beyond the bounds of any one movement or social denomination. In this ethnography, ‘sanctuary’ is examined as a term inflected in diverse, instrumental, and meaningful ways by those participating in immigrant-support groups and non-profits in Eugene, Oregon. Research was conducted over a two-month period from August through September 2019 and funded by the London School of Economics’ Summer Ethnographic Project.

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Published

15-Jun-2021

How to Cite

Wuerth, M. (2021). Snapshots of Sanctuary : Self-definitions of immigrant support in Eugene, Oregon. re:Think - a Journal of Creative Ethnography, 3(1), 31–42. Retrieved from https://journals.ed.ac.uk/rethink/article/view/4295

Issue

Section

Academic Essays