Open Hand, Closed Fist

Open Hand, Closed Fist Practices of Undocumented Organizing in a Hostile State

Paperback (30 Aug 2022)

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Publisher's Synopsis

How does a group that lacks legal status organize its members to become effective political activists? In the early 2000s, Arizona's campaign of "attrition through enforcement" aimed to make life so miserable for undocumented immigrants that they would "self-deport." Undocumented activists resisted hostile legislation, registered thousands of new Latino voters, and joined a national movement to advance justice for immigrants. Drawing on five years of observation and interviews with activists in Phoenix, Arizona, Kathryn Abrams explains how the practices of storytelling, emotion cultures, and performative citizenship fueled this grassroots movement. Together these practices produced both the "open hand" (the affective bonds among participants) and the "closed fist" (the pragmatic strategies of resistance) that have allowed the movement to mobilize and sustain itself over time. 

Book information

ISBN: 9780520384422
Publisher: University of California Press
Imprint: University of California Press
Pub date:
DEWEY: 325.7910905
DEWEY edition: 23
Language: English
Number of pages: 300
Weight: 462g
Height: 152mm
Width: 229mm
Spine width: 21mm