The Land of Open Graves by Jason De León critiques the US border enforcement policy known as Prevention Through Deterrence, which forces migrants into the Sonora Desert, using inhospitable terrain as a mechanism to deter undocumented immigration and obscure governmental responsibility for deaths. Through ethnography, De León highlights the harsh realities faced by migrants like Memo and Lucho, and the profound impacts on their families and communities. The book includes graphic descriptions of death and anti-Latinx racism.

Jason De León's The Land of Open Graves powerfully blends ethnography and archaeology to expose the harrowing experiences of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Reviewers praise its vivid narrative and impactful use of firsthand accounts. Critics note occasional academic jargon that could challenge general readers. Compelling yet heart-wrenching, it is a crucial contribution to migration studies.

Readers who are captivated by the intersection of ethnography, human rights, and social justice will find The Land of Open Graves by Jason De León compelling. Comparable to works like The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea and Tell Me How It Ends by Valeria Luiselli, this book is ideal for those drawn to deeply human and urgent narratives about migration.

Mysterious / Dark / Challenging / Unnerving / Emotional

- The Land of Open Graves employs an innovative approach called "Necroviolence" to describe how the U.S. border enforcement's mechanisms contribute to the suffering and death of migrants.
- Jason De León's work is part of a larger anthropological and archaeological investigation known as the Undocumented Migration Project, which seeks to document and analyze clandestine migration using ethnographic, archaeological, and forensic science tools.
- The book challenges conventional narratives by using a combination of ethnography, artifacts, and photographs to humanize the migrant experience and highlight the harsh realities of border crossing.

**Jason De León**  
The author and researcher, a professor of Anthropology and Chicano/a Studies at UCLA, who documents the experiences of migrants crossing the US-Mexico border, balancing his academic objectivity with his personal connections to his subjects.

**Mike Wells**  
The photographer who accompanies De León, capturing black-and-white images that visually document the harsh realities of the migrant trail and the environments encountered by undocumented migrants.

**Memo**  
A determined Mexican man in his forties with a penchant for humor, who has crossed the US-Mexico border multiple times in search of a better life, often wrestling with the challenges posed by economic hardship.

**Lucho**  
Memo's friend, who, despite his lengthy and taxing experiences as an undocumented migrant, retains a calm demeanor; he navigates the complexities of precarious life on both sides of the border.

**Maricela**  
An Ecuadorian mother of three, whose journey to support her family ends tragically in the desert; her story highlights the personal stakes involved in undocumented migration.

**José Tacuri**  
A 15-year-old boy from Ecuador who disappears in the Sonora Desert trying to reunite with his parents in the United States, symbolizing the peril and uncertainty faced by youthful migrants.

**Christian**  
Maricela's brother-in-law, who navigates undocumented life in New York City while contending with the ongoing risks and sacrifices tied to his migration from Ecuador, all for the hope of supporting his family back home.

Jason De León

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Background

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Part 1: “This Hard Land”

Introduction and Part 1, Chapters 1-3

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Part 2: “El Camino”

Part 2, Chapters 4-7

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Part 3: “Perilous Terrain”

Part 3, Chapters 8-12

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The Land of Open Graves: Living and Dying on the Migrant Trail

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