ABSTRACT
In line with the main themes of the volume, the chapter analyzes anti-Latinx exclusionary practices as well as examples of solidarity with migrants challenging these practices, as presented in Ivannia Villalobos Vindas’ film Casa en tierra ajena (2016). The processes of othering of immigrants from Central America are examined from the perspective of Derrida’s concept of hostipitality and contextualized in the post-9/11 transformations of the US–Mexico border, including anti-immigrant legislation in the United States, growing militarization of the US–Mexico border as well as changes taking place in the transit country of Mexico, which has contributed to the transformation of Mexico into the buffer zone, or the creation of the great south border. The examples of solidarity that challenge these practices of othering illustrate the transformation of illegal aliens into cosmopolitan strangers. These practices aim to reverse the dehumanization the migrants experience during their journeys and in the United States, provide them with safe spaces to tell their stories, and establish contact zones that facilitate dialogue and cooperation. They also refer to the long history of migrations in the region, thereby suggesting an alternative approach to migratory movements.
