Migration and Gendered Interactions at the U.S.-Mexico Border during the Period of the Trump Administration

Abstract

This thesis is the result of a systematic literature review conducted from January to July 2021. It offers an in-depth look at the themes of migration and gender through the means of real case studies, statements, and intimate stories. The material at the base of this work spans from first-person testimonies of migrants at the frontier, to legal declarations coming from detention centers, and even press releases. The following thesis is divided into two main Chapters and consequent sub-sections to explore in detail all the principal lenses of analysis that intertwine in this study. The first Chapter is centered around the main topics of border studies and migration. It will start by looking into the specific geographical context focus of this work: the U.S.-Mexico border. The consequent macro theme is that of migration, and in particular looking at the migratory trends and the immigration regime of the United States during Presidency of Donald Trump. The second Chapter of this work is based around the variables of gender and family. The first section introduces the topic of gender in connection to migration, through an overview of the existing roles, expectations and actual behaviors of both males and females migrants in the contexts of Mexico and the United States. The attention of the first two specific case studies is centered on the impacts of migration in connection to the gender and gendered identities of both women and men, and their positions as partners and parents.