This Land Is Our Land

by Suketu Mehta

  the most diverse county in the United States: Svati Kirsten Narula, “The 5 U.S. Counties Where Racial Diversity Is Highest—and Lowest.” Atlantic (April 29, 2014). https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/04/mapping-racial-diversity-by-county/361388/.

  Ninety percent of Republicans: Gallup, “Presidential Approval Ratings—Donald Trump” (last accessed December 5, 2018). https://news.gallup.com/poll/203198/presidential-approval-ratings-donald-trump.aspx.

  Between 1960 and 2017, the overall number of migrants tripled: Phillip Connor, “International Migration: Key Findings from the U.S., Europe and the World.” Pew Research Center (December 15, 2016). http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/12/15/international-migration-key-findings-from-the-u-s-europe-and-the-world/.

  By mid-century, migration will account for: U.S. projections from Pew Research Center, “Modern Immigration Wave Brings 59 Million to U.S., Driving Population Growth and Change Through 2065” (September 28, 2015). http://www.pewhispanic.org/2015/09/28/chapter-2-immigrations-impact-on-past-and-future-u-s-population-change/. U.K. projections from the Office for National Statistics, “National Population Projections: 2016-Based Statistical Bulletin” (October 26, 2017). https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationprojections/bulletins/nationalpopulationprojections/2016basedstatisticalbulletin. Australia projections from Australian Bureau of Statistics, “Population Projections, Australia, 2017 (base)—2066” (last updated November 22, 2018). http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/3222.0.

  Today, among the rich countries: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, “International Migration Outlook, 2018” (June 20, 2018). http://www.oecd.org/migration/international-migration-outlook-1999124x.htm.

  The population of African cities is slated to triple: All figures in this paragraph are compiled from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, “World Urbanization Prospects: The 2018 Revision” (compiled December 4, 2018). https://population.un.org/wup/DataQuery/.

  In 2012, there were 930,000 newly registered asylum seekers: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, “Global Trends in Forced Displacement, 2017,” Table 2, p. 40 (June 25, 2018). http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/statistics/unhcrstats/5b27be547/unhcr-global-trends-2017.html.

  Not since the end of World War II: Jason Beaubien, “5 Surprising Facts About the Refugee Crisis.” NPR (June 20, 2017). https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/06/20/533634405/five-surprising-facts-about-the-refugee-crisis.

  Half are women: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, “International Migration Report 2017: Highlights” (December 18, 2017), p. 15. http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/migration/publications/migrationreport/docs/MigrationReport2017_Highlights.pdf.

  Eight out of ten Central American women: Figures and information on “cuerpomátic” from Deborah Bonello and Erin Siegal McIntyre, “Is Rape the Price to Pay for Migrant Women Chasing the American Dream?” Splinter (formerly Fusion; September 10, 2014). https://splinternews.com/is-rape-the-price-to-pay-for-migrant-women-chasing-the-1793842446.

  Half of all undocumented immigrants come into America not through the borders: Robert Warren and Donald Kerwin, “The 2,000 Mile Wall in Search of a Purpose: Since 2007 Visa Overstays Have Outnumbered Undocumented Border Crossers by a Half Million.” Journal on Migration and Human Security 5, no. 1, 2017, pp. 124–136. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/233150241700500107.

  In 2015, immigrants, mostly Syrian refugees: Rena Silverman, “Syrian Refugees Biking to Safety.” New York Times (November 23, 2015). https://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/11/23/syrian-refugees-biking-to-safety/.

  Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Paris: December 10, 1948). http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/index.html.

  2. THE FENCE: AMARGO Y DULCE

  It was inaugurated by First Lady Pat Nixon in 1971: Background on Friendship Park from Yanan Wang, “At One Border Park, Separated Immigrant Families Hug Across a Steel Divide.” Washington Post (May 1, 2016). https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/for-families-divided-by-a-mesh-fence-a-rare-chance-to-embrace/2016/05/01/d0fdcf08-0b07-11e6-a6b6-2e6de3695b0e_story.html. More background and a time line from Randal C. Archibold, “U.S.-Mexico Border Fence Will Split Friendship Park.” New York Times (October 22, 2008). https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/22/world/americas/22iht-22border.17155357.html.

  the door was opened only six times after 2013: Kate Morrissey, “‘Door of Hope’ Closed to Cross-Border Hugs, Weddings.” San Diego Union-Tribune (January 5, 2018). https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/immigration/sd-me-friendship-park-20180105-story.html.

  Scott also came out with a list of new restrictions: Kate Morrissey, “Border Patrol Changes Rules at Friendship Park, Upsetting Frequent Visitors.” San Diego Union-Tribune (February 14, 2018). https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/immigration/sd-me-friendship-park-20180214-story.html.

  In 2017, 782 pounds of fentanyl: Nick Miroff, “At America’s Toughest Border Wall, a Hole Remains.” Washington Post (June 4, 2018). https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/national/wp/2018/06/04/feature/trump-touts-san-diego-border-wall-but-theres-a-hole-in-this-success-story/.

  spanking new private airport in Tijuana: Sandra Dibble, “New Tijuana Airport Bridge Opens.” San Diego Union-Tribune (December 9, 2015). http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/border-baja-california/sdut-tijuana-airport-bridge-opens-2015dec09-htmlstory.html.

  There are around twenty thousand Border Patrol agents: All figures from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Number of current agents and field offices found in “August 2018 Snapshot: A Summary of CBP Facts and Figures.” https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2018-Aug/cbp-snapshot-20180823.pdf. Number of agents in 2000 found in “United States Border Patrol Agent Nationwide Staffing by Fiscal Year.” https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2017-Dec/BP%20Staffing%20FY1992-FY2017.pdf. Budget figures found via Wayback Machine snapshot of “U.S. Border Patrol Fiscal Year Budget Statistics (FY 1990–FY 2017).” https://web.archive.org/web/20180304005728/https:/www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2017-Dec/BP%20Budget%20History%201990-2017.pdf.

  Muslims fleeing the Middle East: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, “Global Trends in Forced Displacement, 2017” (June 25, 2018), pp. 39–45. For information on religious affiliation among refugees resettled in the United States: Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova, “Refugees and Asylees in the United States.” Migration Information Source (June 7, 2017). https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/refugees-and-asylees-united-states.

  In San Diego in summer 2018, in spite of Scott’s efforts: Fiscal year 2018 and fiscal year 2017 data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, “U.S. Border Patrol Southwest Border Apprehensions by Sector.” In fiscal year 2018, 38,591: https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/usbp-sw-border-apprehensions. In fiscal year 2017, 26,086: https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/usbp-sw-border-apprehensions-fy2017. In October 2018, Customs and Border Protection reported 4,220 total apprehensions at the San Diego Sector, an increase of 77.5 percent from 2,377 apprehensions in October 2017: https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/sw-border-migration/usbp-sw-border-apprehensions.

  As the U.S.-exported gang violence took hold, the percentage increased: Nadwa Mossad and Ryan Baugh, “Refugees and Asylees: 2016.” Office of Immigration Statistics, United States Department of Homeland Security (January 2018). https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Refugees_Asylees_2016_0.pdf. For percentages of asylum petitions coming from Northern Triangle countries: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, “Global Trends in Forced Displacement, 2017” (June 25, 2018), p. 40. Further background on the passage of the Refugee Act from Susan Gzesh, “Central Americans and Asylum Policy in the Reagan Era.” Migration Policy Institute (April 1, 2006). https://www.mi
grationpolicy.org/article/central-americans-and-asylum-policy-reagan-era.

  Jeff Sessions sought to eliminate domestic violence and gang warfare as reasons: U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, 27 I&N Dec. 316 (A.G. 2018). U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General (June 11, 2018). https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1070866/download.

  human mobility as “survival migration”: Alexander Betts, “Survival Migration: A New Protection Framework.” Global Governance: A Review of Multilateralism and International Organizations 16, no. 3 (July–September 2010), pp. 361–382.

  But 80 percent of people who apply legally for asylum: “Asylum Denial Rates by Nationality, FY 2011–FY 2016.” Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, Syracuse University (last accessed December 5, 2018). http://trac.syr.edu/immigration/reports/448/.

  But that will take three years at least: “Processing time for Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status (I-918).” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (last accessed December 5, 2018). https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/.

  3. ORDINARY HEROES

  The migrants are no more likely to be rapists or terrorists: Robert Adelman, Lesley Williams Reid, Gail Markle, Saskia Weiss, and Charles Jaret, “Urban Crime Rates and the Changing Face of Immigration: Evidence Across Four Decades.” Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice 15, no. 1 (2017). https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15377938.2016.1261057.

  88 percent of the people are from elsewhere: United Nations Population Division, Trends in Total Migrant Stock: 2015 Revision, “International Migrant Stock (% of Population).” World Bank (last accessed December 5, 2018). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SM.POP.TOTL.ZS?year_high_desc=true.

  Dubai, the Emirate next door, has thirty thousand prostitutes: William Butler, “Why Dubai’s Islamic Austerity Is a Sham—Sex Is for Sale in Every Bar.” Guardian (May 16, 2010). https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/may/16/dubai-sex-tourism-prostitution. Additional context from Brittany Hamzy, “A Victim’s Crime: Forced Prostitution in the UAE.” Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (July 12, 2016). https://www.adhrb.org/2016/07/10379/.

  4. TWO SIDES OF A STRAIT

  In 2017, Morocco rejoined the African Union: Ed Cropley, “In Tilt from Europe, Morocco Rejoins African Union.” Reuters (January 31, 2017). https://www.reuters.com/article/us-africa-summit-morocco/in-tilt-from-europe-morocco-rejoins-african-union-idUSKBN15F18Z.

  Sub-Saharan migration across the Mediterranean and into Spain jumped tenfold: Displacement Tracking Matrix, “Europe—Mixed Migration Flows to Europe, Quarterly Overview (Jul-Sep 2018).” International Organization for Migration, UN Migration Agency (October 31, 2018), pp. 6–7. http://migration.iom.int/reports/europe-%E2%80%94-mixed-migration-flows-europe-quarterly-overview-jul-sep-2018.

  Morocco and Spain have negotiated a treaty: “Spain/Morocco: Protect Migrants, Asylum Seekers.” Human Rights Watch (March 24, 2014). https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/03/24/spain/morocco-protect-migrants-asylum-seekers.

  It has from a quarter to half of the world’s bauxite reserves: U.S. Geological Survey, “Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2018” (last accessed December 5, 2018). https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/bauxite/mcs-2018-bauxi.pdf.

  Och-Ziff bribed Guinean officials: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission v. Michael L. Cohen and Vanja Baros, Civil Action No. 1:17-cv-00430 (filed January 26, 2017, in United States District Court, Eastern District of New York). https://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases/2017/lr23728.htm.

  The previous year, the firm paid a $213 million criminal penalty: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, “Och-Ziff Hedge Fund Settles FCPA Charges” (September 29, 2016). https://www.sec.gov/news/pressrelease/2016-203.html.

  220 Central Park South, the most expensive building in New York: Ondel Hylton, “By the Numbers: See Why 220 Central Park South Will Be King of 2018.” CityRealty (November 6, 2018). https://www.cityrealty.com/nyc/market-insight/features/future-nyc/by-numbers-see-why-220-central-park-south-will-be-king-2018/15067. More context on 220 Central Park South from Katherine Clarke, “As Manhattan’s Most Secretive Skyscraper Rises, a Super-Elite Clientele Emerges.” Wall Street Journal (November 2, 2018). https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-manhattans-most-secretive-skyscraper-rises-a-super-elite-clientele-emerges-1541170830.

  In 2018, U.S. officials charged him with criminal fraud: Tom Schoenberg, Katia Porzecanski, and Matt Robinson, “Michael Cohen, Once of Och-Ziff, Charged with Fraud by U.S.” Bloomberg (January 3, 2018). https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-03/michael-cohen-ex-och-ziff-executive-charged-with-fraud-by-u-s.

  The case was later dismissed: Jonathan Stempel, “SEC Bribery Lawsuit Against Och-Ziff Executives Is Dismissed.” Reuters (July 13, 2018). https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sec-ochziff/sec-bribery-lawsuit-against-och-ziff-executives-is-dismissed-idUSKBN1K323D.

  Every year, $150 billion leaves Africa for overseas tax havens: Khadija Sharife, “The Myth of the Offshore: How Africa Lost $1 Trillion to Tax Havens.” New African Magazine (June 1, 2017). https://newafricanmagazine.com/current-affairs/investigations/myth-offshore-africa-lost-1-trillion-tax-havens/.

  In 2016, for every forty-seven migrants who crossed the Mediterranean: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, “Desperate Journeys: Refugees and Migrants Arriving in Europe and at Europe’s Borders” (September 3, 2018), p. 10. https://www.unhcr.org/desperatejourneys/.

  Delta is the richest oil-producing state in Nigeria: Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics, “States Nominal Gross Domestic Product (2013–2017)” (last accessed December 5, 2018). https://www.nigerianstat.gov.ng/download/837.

  The giant Anglo-Dutch conglomerate has been drilling in the area since 1958: Ron Bousso, “In Nigeria, Shell’s Onshore Roots Still Run Deep.” Reuters (September 23, 2018). https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-shell-insight/in-nigeria-shells-onshore-roots-still-run-deep-idUSKCN1M3069.

  In 2017, Amnesty International uncovered documents: Amnesty International, “A Criminal Enterprise? Shell’s Involvement in Human Rights Violations in Nigeria in the 1990s” (November 28, 2017). https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/AFR4473932017ENGLISH.PDF.

  According to World Bank estimates: Dilip Ratha, Supriyo De, Eung Ju Kim, Sonia Plaza, Kirsten Schuettler, Ganesh Seshan, and Nadege Desiree Yameogo, “Migration and Remittances: Recent Developments and Outlook in 2017.” World Bank Group (April 2018), p. 33. https://www.knomad.org/sites/default/files/2018-04/Migration%20and%20Development%20Brief%2029.pdf.

  5. COLONIALISM

  After the exchange of populations was over: “India’s Religion by Numbers,” Hindu (August 16, 2015). https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/religious-communities-census-2011-what-the-numbers-say/article7582284.ece.

  Partition was an idea that was hatched in England: Further general background from Sarah Ansari, “How the Partition of India Happened—and Why Its Effects Are Still Felt Today.” Conversation (August 10, 2017). https://theconversation.com/how-the-partition-of-india-happened-and-why-its-effects-are-still-felt-today-81766.

  “The main cause was the haste with which we parted with India”: Dr. Kirpal Singh, “Interview with Lord Patrick Spens, Chief Justice of Federal Court of India and Chairman of Arbitral Tribunal. May 22nd 1963.” Interviews Relating to Partition of the Punjab—1947 (Patiala: Punjabi University, 1982; last accessed online December 5, 2018), pp. 222–223. http://www.panjabdigilib.org/webuser/searches/downloadPdf.jsp?file=PL-000839.pdf&docid=48640.

  They sent down a barrister named Sir Cyril Radcliffe: BBC News, “Cyril Radcliffe: The Man Who Drew the Partition Line” (August 1, 2017). https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-40788079/cyril-radcliffe-the-man-who-drew-the-partition-line.

  The two countries also spend an inordinate amount of their GDP: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), “Military Expenditure (% of GDP).” SIPRI Yearbook: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security (last acc
essed December 5, 2018). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS?end=2017&locations=PK-IN-GB&start=2000&year_high_desc=true. See also from SIPRI, “Military Expenditure (% of Central Government Expenditure).” SIPRI Yearbook: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security (last accessed December 5, 2018). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.ZS?end=2017&locations=PK-IN-GB&start=1988&year_high_desc=true.

  In 2015, Shashi Tharoor: Shashi Tharoor, “Viewpoint: Britain Must Pay Reparations to India.” BBC News (July 22, 2015). https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-33618621.

  its share of the world GDP gradually sank: Angus Maddison, Chinese Economic Performance in the Long Run, 960–2030 AD, Second Edition, Revised and Updated. Development Centre Studies (Paris: OECD Publishing, 2007). Table 2.2a, p. 44. https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/development/chinese-economic-performance-in-the-long-run-960-2030-ad-second-edition-revised-and-updated/economic-decline-and-external-humiliation-1820-1949_9789264037632-3-en#page4.

  10 million people, a third of Bengal, starved to death: For mortality from Indian famines in this era, Leela Visaria and Pravin Visaria, “Population (1757–1947).” In Dharma Kumar and Meghnad Desai, eds., The Cambridge Economic History of India: Volume 2, c. 1757–c. 1970 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983), Appendix 5.2, pp. 528–531.

  “the late Victorian holocaust”: Mike Davis, Late Victorian Holocausts: El Niño Famines and the Making of the Third World (London: Verso, 2001), p. 8.

  “No organization in history has done more to promote”: Niall Ferguson, Empire: The Rise and Demise of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power (London: Allen Lane, 2002), p. xxi.