269 / Foreigner At The Doorstep / John Washington

In this episode, I speak with writer, translator, and activist John Washington. We discuss his book, The Dispossessed: A Story of Asylum at the US-Mexican Border and Beyond, published by Verso Books. At the center of The Dispossessed is the story of Arnovis, a Salvadorian man seeking asylum in the United States. As John weaves together the harrowing story of this man as he attempts to cross numerous borders and countless obstacles on his journey northward, John expands his narrative to include the deeper history and purpose of asylum, the modern bureaucratic framework potential asylees must contend with, and the details and consequences of the uniquely cruel immigration policies enacted by numerous presidential administrations (and most recently, the Trump Administration and their family separation policy). As much as “asylum seekers are expected to unveil themselves, to recount their histories, and to exhibit their wounds," the same cannot be said of those that are in a position to provide asylum. // Episode notes: https://www.lastborninthewilderness.com/episodes/john-washington // Sustain + support: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness // Donate: https://www.paypal.me/lastbornpodcast