Burning at Europe's Borders: Human Stories from Africa's Migrant Crisis with Dr. Isabella Alexander-Nathani

This week, A’ndre and Anna (one of our new co-hosts!) talk to writer, filmmaker, and activist Dr. Isabella Alexander-Nathani about the African Migration Crisis, discussing what she saw, heard, and experienced at Europe’s Southernmost border in Morocco and other parts of North Africa. Isabella profiles some of the young migrants at the Moroccan-Spanish border in her book, Burning at Europe’s Borders, and her upcoming documentary, The Burning, and discusses the difficulties and brutalities they endured in the face of stark and rarely reported human rights abuses at the hands of the authorities. Importantly, Isabella highlights the determination of several of these young migrants, outlining why they felt compelled to undertake this dangerous journey – viewing it as a necessity for their family’s survival. We also discuss the politicization of the terms ‘refugee’ and ‘migrant’, the EU’s ignorance in the face of flagrant human rights abuses, Isabella’s views on her own identity’s role in her own anthropological storytelling, and broad implications for U.S. border issues.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this episode are those of the hosts. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any host’s employer.