Complex Considerations
Asynchronous Session
The Promising Role of Visual Anthropology Methods for Sharing Migrant Stories and Images: Uses of a Large Photo Collection of Refugees in the U.S. View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Kathryn Stam
The Refugees Starting Over Collection is a large set of images of the lives of refugees in the United States. The photos are unique because they were taken by refugees themselves, and include images from before and after their settlement in a central New York City in the United States. The majority of the images are from the Karen ethnic group originally from Burma. Topics included in the paper include the implementation of the project, the uses of the images, and the consideration that goes into the sharing of images, for example, who is the best person to share the images, what stories should accompany them, and what are the advantages, risks, and drawbacks of sharing images of refugees in today's world.
Regional Inequalities from the Aspect of Internal Migration View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Ruzica Stanic, Marija Ileš Kaplan
Regional inequalities in income levels, employment opportunities, and ultimately quality of life lead to spatial mobility of the population, which takes the form of internal or external migration of the population. According to the latest available statistical data, in 2021, a total of 71,864 people changed their residence within the Republic of Croatia, with the largest share of women at 54.59%. This work focuses on internal migration, i.e. spatial mobility of the population within the Republic of Croatia, and therefore analyzes the migration balance between counties in the period from 2012 to 2021. The aim of the work is to identify the basic features of internal migration. The data suggest that most migration occurred between the counties. Therefore, by following the trend over a ten-year period, the migration flows were analyzed and an answer was provided to the question of whether a larger part of the Croatian population migrates to the more developed counties according to the development index and what causes and motives promote internal population migration. This overview of the situation can serve as a good basis for understanding migration trends within the Republic of Croatia and their impact on individual counties within the country.
Migration Crisis in the United States: Is the U.S. Southern Border Collapsing? View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Boguslawa Wolford
The United States has always been a country of immigrants. In 2023, we face an unprecedented migration crisis. American mass media exposed the drama of people passing through the Darrien, Central America, and Mexico. The number of immigrants to the United States has more than doubled to over eight million people annually from 2020 to 2023. New York and other U.S. cities struggle with the high costs of migrant arrivals. The news reports on how new immigrants are overcrowding cities and borders. In my paper, I discuss the new migration patterns and factors. The immigrants' reasons for leaving their home countries are complex. These include political unrest, economic insecurity, violence, and weak social protection systems. Today, immigrants come to the United States from repressive countries like Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. In my study, I discuss in detail the case study of Venezuela. Venezuelan migration increased significantly since 2016, coinciding with the economic disaster. I demonstrate the inability of the American government to cope with this crisis. The problem is that Democrats and Republicans disagree on immigration policies. Also, immigration policies are usually dictated by the current economic interests of Americans rather than the needs of newcomers. The deteriorating economic conditions within the U.S. further complicate this situation.
