Barbarians at the Wall

Explores how the figure of the “barbarian” has returned to dominate border politics in 21st-century America. Drawing on critical race theory, political philosophy, and border studies, this book shows how ancient tropes of savagery and invasion have been repurposed to justify the violence of contemporary immigration policy—turning migrants into enemies, walls into monuments, and sovereignty into spectacle. Juan de Dios Vázquez examines the border as a global symbol: a stage where fear, nationalism, and technological surveillance converge. He traces how language, media, and law work together to dehumanize migrants and recode Mexico from economic partner to existential threat. From Trump’s second presidency to President Claudia Sheinbaum’s diplomatic response, the book also highlights how Mexico has pushed back with strategy, dignity, and innovation. This work is not just a critique but a call to reimagine. This is a book for readers who want to understand not only the cruelty of border regimes but the myths that sustain them and how they might be undone.