No Wall They Can Build

The tech industry has been shaken by calls from workers at companies including Microsoft, Amazon, and Salesforce to stop collaborating with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The outrage, sparked by stories of children being brutally separated from their parents, led many to call for the abolition of ICE.

What would it take to abolish ICE? What is leading so many people to seek refuge in the US in the first place? In solidarity with those impacted by the actions of this agency, we must not only call to abolish ICE but also ask why people are leaving their homes, risking their lives, in search of refuge.

No Wall They Can Build, written by a former desert aid worker, collects the stories of those who make the journey and outlines the forces driving people to the border.

Readings

• Book: No Wall They Can Build [pdf] (p. 29-67, 115-137, if you’re short on time)
  • Now also available as an 11 episode podcast!
• Designed To Kill [pdf] is a shorter zine that preceded the book (only 25 pages long)
• If you don’t have time to read the book, watch this 20 minute mini-documentary: Crisis: Borderlands

Additional Resources

• My life trapped in an American city (BBC)
• Silicon Valley Sweatshops (The Nation)
• Why Tech Worker Dissent Is Going Viral (Wired)
• How US Policies Fueled Mexico’s Great Migration (The Nation)
• Cheran: The town that threw out police, politicians and gangsters (BBC)
• New USCIS Policy Will Carry Harsh Consequences For Applicants (Forbes)

Discussion Questions

1. How does the discussion presented in this book compare to the immigration discourse in the mainstream media?
2. What are the forces driving people to risk their lives to cross the border? How does the tech industry perpetuate these forces?
3. How does the media portray immigrants/immigration? How are immigrants talked about in your workplace? Who does this portrayal benefit?
4. How has immigration affected you, your coworkers, your family, or your friends?

Saturday, October 13, 2018, 2:00 - 4:00 PM

Omni Commons Disco Room — Oakland, CA

More event info on Facebook and Meetup

Saturday, August 25, 2018, 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM

Capitol Hill Library Meeting Room — 425 Harvard Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102