"The New Colossus" or "O! Close the Gates" ? A Literary Interpretation of the Human Rights Implications of the Current Migration Crisis in the Mediterranean Region
Subject Area
French and Francophone Studies
Abstract
Europe is currently faced with the world’s biggest migration crisis since World War II. Hundreds of thousands of people, fleeing violence and famine in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, are migrating to Western countries, seeking better opportunities. Unfortunately, Europe’s response to the migration crisis has been slow and inconsistent. While a few European Union countries have opened their doors to new migrants and refugees, many nations have chosen to keep these needy people out of their territories. There have even been attacks on migrant shelters in parts of Europe.
Within the framework of human rights, humanitarian assistance, as well as cessation and prevention of international conflicts, this paper aims to critically analyze the literary representations of xenophilia and xenophobia in "The New Colossus" and "O! Close the Gates" and their implications for the current migration crisis in Europe.
It is hoped that my literary analysis will demonstrate the necessity for cultures to “become less ethnocentric, less patronizing, less ignorant of others, less Manichaean in judging other cultures, and more at home with the rest of the world[1].” Indeed, we must foster the development of cosmopolitanism and strive to attain global citizenship in our increasingly interconnected world.
[1] Daniel Yankelovich, "Ferment and Change: Higher Education in 2015." Chronicle of Higher Education 25 Nov. 2005: 14.
Brief Bio Note
Dr. Philip Ojo teaches French and Francophone studies at Agnes Scott College. His research focuses on Francophone literature with a concentration on Africa and the Caribbean. He is also interested in migration issues as well as expressions of identities and social conditions. He has published on the articulation of these issues in fiction, music, cartooning, cinema, and drama.
Keywords
migration, human rights, literary representations, xenophilia, xenophobia, cosmopolitanism
Location
Room 212
Presentation Year
2017
Start Date
3-23-2017 5:15 PM
Embargo
9-9-2016
Recommended Citation
Ojo, Philip A., ""The New Colossus" or "O! Close the Gates" ? A Literary Interpretation of the Human Rights Implications of the Current Migration Crisis in the Mediterranean Region" (2017). South East Coastal Conference on Languages & Literatures (SECCLL). 39.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/seccll/2017/2017/39
"The New Colossus" or "O! Close the Gates" ? A Literary Interpretation of the Human Rights Implications of the Current Migration Crisis in the Mediterranean Region
Room 212
Europe is currently faced with the world’s biggest migration crisis since World War II. Hundreds of thousands of people, fleeing violence and famine in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, are migrating to Western countries, seeking better opportunities. Unfortunately, Europe’s response to the migration crisis has been slow and inconsistent. While a few European Union countries have opened their doors to new migrants and refugees, many nations have chosen to keep these needy people out of their territories. There have even been attacks on migrant shelters in parts of Europe.
Within the framework of human rights, humanitarian assistance, as well as cessation and prevention of international conflicts, this paper aims to critically analyze the literary representations of xenophilia and xenophobia in "The New Colossus" and "O! Close the Gates" and their implications for the current migration crisis in Europe.
It is hoped that my literary analysis will demonstrate the necessity for cultures to “become less ethnocentric, less patronizing, less ignorant of others, less Manichaean in judging other cultures, and more at home with the rest of the world[1].” Indeed, we must foster the development of cosmopolitanism and strive to attain global citizenship in our increasingly interconnected world.
[1] Daniel Yankelovich, "Ferment and Change: Higher Education in 2015." Chronicle of Higher Education 25 Nov. 2005: 14.
