Mission 

AANIR seeks to harness the knowledge, skills, and political platforms of engaged anthropologists to support and advocate on behalf of immigrants and refugees on our campuses and in our communities.

Origins and History

Soon after the presidential election, a small group of anthropologists working with immigrant and refugee communities in the U.S. and with migrants and deportees in Mexico and Central America began to organize. In addition to forming a Facebook group called “Protecting Undocumented Students” to facilitate communication on initiatives across university campuses, we also organized a late-breaking session at the American Anthropological Association’s 2016 annual meeting, published an article in Anthropology News, established a network called Anthropologist Action Network for Immigrants and Refugees (AANIR), and organized a virtual townhall with national experts on immigration and sanctuary policies. In order to leverage our expertise to inform national policy, we also organized an Executive Session at the AAA’s 2017 annual meeting, issued a policy statement on DACA’s rescission through the AAA, lobbied in Washington, DC, and are planning a virtual seminar to accompany a forthcoming series with Cultural Anthropology. Across these activities, we share the concrete actions we are taking to support the diverse immigrant and refugee communities with whom we work.

Steering Committee

• Sarah Horton, University of Colorado
• Kristin Yarris, University of Oregon
• Lauren Heidbrink, California State University, Long Beach
• Mariela Nuñez-James, University of North Texas
• Deanna Barenboim, Wesleyan University
• Heidi Castañeda, University of South Florida
• Christina Getrich, University of Maryland
• Whitney Duncan, University of Northern Colorado
• Wendy Vogt, Indiana University, Purdue