Migration and ethnicities through critical lenses

Initially, the session will dissect the EU and US’s policy measures against irregular arrivals, contrasting them with international asylum law standards, aiming to strike a balance between legal obligations and practical actions. Transitioning to the 19th century, the narrative will pivot to Mexico’s Hacienda Mirador, established by Carl Sartorius, highlighting the interplay between Mexico’s state-building aspirations and the colonial desires of German-speaking immigrants. This discussion emphasizes the shared ‘civilizing mission’ and the intricate dance of cosmopolitanism, expansionism, and racial dynamics during that period.

Isabela Atanasiu, EU fellow at the Migration Policy Centre, will present the paper “Policies to reduce irregular arrivals at the external borders of the EU and US : compliance with international law standards on effective access to asylum ” while Andreas Markus Schurr, PhD Researcher, EUI Department of History (HEC) , will present the paper “TA small-scale civilizing mission: Carl Sartorius, Hacienda Mirador and the hidden origins of German colonial ambitions in nineteenth-century Mexico”.

Scientific Organisers:

Migration Policy Centre;

Leon Adrian Boveland;

Eréndira León (European University Institute);

Julie Fournier (European University Institute);

Fabian Riesinger.

Discussants:

Clare Fox-Ruhs (Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, EUI);

Benjamin Van Zee.

Speakers:

Isabela Atanasiu;

Andreas Schurr (European University Institute).