Critical Landscapes in Migrant Health

I am delighted to announce the publication ahead of print of an article by Sharon McGuire, OP, PhD, FNP-BC, CTN-A, FAANP, titled Borders, Centers, and Margins: Critical Landscapes for Migrant Health.  This article will appear in ANS Vol. 37:3, the July/September 2014 issue.  In this article, Dr. McGuire draws on her extensive experience and knowledge of immigration to provide a critical analysis of the contemporary dynamics of migration and the health issues that relate to migration around the world.  She has shared this message about her work in this area, and the background of this article:

First, I must express my surprise then pleasure that my article has been selected to be published ahead of print online. The article reflects the culmination of many years of work, the ever present encouragement of colleagues, and the desire to advance previous work. Living and working among immigrants, many undocumented, has been a great gift to my life. Coming to know these very human and simultaneously heroic, humble, hard working and wise people has inspired my work as an advocate for the last 15 years and has shaped me into the person I am.

My journey began in the mid-1970s when I relocated to California to serve as a volunteer with the National Farm Worker Ministry (NFWM), allied with the organizing efforts of the United Farmworkers’ Union, led by Cesar Chavez. In this milieu my early education began and has continued as I have become comfortable crossing my own borders of culture, ethnicity and language and spirituality. Perceiving the health care needs of farmworkers led me to take up nursing in mid-life, and work along the US-Mexico border for nine years before taking up my doctoral work where I could begin sharing my insights in and beyond the academy while spending another nine years on the border. Of course my passion had become unearthing the phenomenon of migration, especially as it related the global dynamics at the macro level, and the health and welfare of immigrants at the micro level.

Migration and immigrant health are such fluid, complex situations, and I believe are of great salience to our profession. Undocumented immigrants in particular have been identified as one of the most vulnerable populations in the country…and I would say the world in whatever country they live. This article delves more deeply into neoliberalism, the politics of detention and deportation, and the spirituality of border crossers so well explored by Daniel Groody at Notre Dame, than previous works.

I would not want to leave you off, dear readers, without knowing I have the Adrian Dominican Sisters Congregation (Michigan based) to thank, as a member, for the freedom to pursue this passion, the time and support to study, and for inspiring all of us members to social justice ministries.

Dr. McGuire’s article is available at no cost while it is featured in our “Published Ahead-of-Print” section!  This article will again appear as a featured article once the July/September issue is published, but visit the ANS we site now to get this early view of this timely and important article!