Migratory Urbanism: The Spaces of Transnational Subjects in US Cities and Beyond

Migration is an inherently spatial phenomenon; the study of migration is the study of places, people, processes, and the state. This course addresses the history of 20th century international migration—with a focus on US-Mexico migration post WWII—through the lens of the built environment. The aim of this course is to bring migration theories and histories into the realm of architecture and planning to equip spatial practitioners with tools for thinking through how contemporary movement interfaces with the production of space. An interdisciplinary approach to the study of migration will incorporate urban and architectural histories, political economy, urban theory, ethnographies of individuals, families, and communities, material culture, and film to explore how U.S. cities and towns (as well as other countries) and border regions are influenced by the continuous flow of people, ideas, dollars, and desire. We will engage concepts such as assimilation, transnationalism, diaspora, spatial practices, ritual infrastructure, spatial hybridity, and urban design from below. We will investigate international remittance development, multi-scalar migrant neighborhoods, and housing.