The Radical Democracy of Migrant Struggles

Helge Schwiertz (IRLE Scholar)

In a world of nation states, migration is often described as a problem. At the same time, the perspectives of those seen as migrants or refugees are neglected in the dominant discourse. My research project, therefore, takes up these perspectives by analyzing struggles of migration against the deprivation of rights and repressive migration policies in Europe and the USA. By conducting two case studies, I would like to explore the different forms of these struggles in the context of diverging migration regimes and protest cultures. I especially seek to study the political activism of immigrant and refugee youths: the fight for “Bleiberecht” (the right to stay) for everybody in Germany and the movement of youths who identify themselves with the slogan “undocumented and unafraid” in the USA.