The Land of Open Graves details the violent and dangerous experiences of Mexican migrants crossing the border to the US. Although this topic has been widely studied, De Leon brings a new perspective to the narrative. He states that historically, this type of work has relied almost solely on interviews rather than observations. Additionally, the stories tend to hinge on the experience of the writer/researcher rather than the subjects themselves. De Leon utilizes a more holistic approach and incorporates archeology into his research. This shows me that it’s okay to write on a subject that has already been widely studied. In fact, it is sometimes beneficial to do so, for the world is a rapidly evolving place and the results probably change with every study.
Another important aspect to this book is the visual component. De Leon uses both maps and photographs as a medium, in addition to text. The photographs are quite jarring and at some points disturbing, but I think this is critical to his work, for they show the raw, unfiltered images that he himself saw. Text can only describe so much. The maps are also helpful from a logistical standpoint, helping the reader understand where and how these migrants are traveling across the border. This also ties into the theme of the environment and physical surroundings as being key in understanding the experience of people themselves. This reminds me of last week’s reading and the idea of body-lands. What kinds of ethnographies constitute visual storytelling?