Books by "Carlos G. Vélez-Ibáñez"
2 books found
Reflections of a Transborder Anthropologist
by Carlos G. Vélez-Ibáñez
2020 · University of Arizona Press
Taking us on a journey of remembering and rediscovery, anthropologist Carlos G. Vélez-Ibáñez explores his development as a scholar and in so doing the development of the interdisciplinary fields of transborder and applied anthropology. He shows us his path through anthropology as both a theoretical and an applied anthropologist whose work has strongly influenced borderlands and applied research. Importantly, he explains the underlying, often hidden process that led to his long insistence on making a difference in lives of people of Mexican origin on both sides of the border and to contribute to a “People with Histories.” In each chapter, Vélez-Ibáñez revisits a critical piece of his written work, providing a new introduction and discussion of ideas, sources, and influences for the piece. These are followed by the work, chosen because it accentuates key aspects of his development and formation as an anthropologist. By returning to these previously published works, Vélez-Ibáñez offers insight not only into the evolution of his own thinking and conceptualization but also into changes in the fields in which he has been so influential. Throughout his career, Vélez-Ibáñez has addressed why he does the work that he does, and in this volume he continues to address the personal and intellectual drives that have brought him from Netzahualcóyotl to Aztlán. Reflections of a Transborder Anthropologist shows how both Vélez-Ibáñez and anthropology have changed and formed over a fifty-year period. Throughout, he has worked to understand how people survive and thrive against all odds. Vélez-Ibáñez has been guided by the burning desire to understand inequality, exploitation, and legitimacy, and, most importantly, to provide platforms for the voiceless to narrate their own histories.
Carlos G. Vélez-Ibáñez’s latest work, The Rise of Necro/Narco Citizenship investigates the intricate and often harrowing dynamics that define the borderlands between the United States, Mexico, and beyond. This groundbreaking book provides a comprehensive cultural, economic, social, and political-ecological analysis, illustrating how various forms of violence and militarization have reshaped the daily lives and identities of the region’s inhabitants. Through meticulous ethnographic fieldwork, extensive archival research, and rigorous statistical data, Vélez-Ibáñez exposes the deeply entrenched networks of exploitation and conflict that have emerged in response to global capitalism’s pressures. Vélez-Ibáñez builds on theorization about necrocitizenship to introduce the concept of necro/narco citizenship, which argues that pervasive violence and socioeconomic disruptions create a unique form of existence on both sides of the border. The author examines the dislocation of thousands, the persistent threat of violence, and the ways in which these forces compel individuals to navigate a reality steeped in addiction, self-destruction, and civil deterioration. This book reveals the transnational networks and the morally compromised political economies that sustain them, offering readers an unflinching look at the cost of survival in this tumultuous region. This essential volume is not only a critical addition to the field of anthropology but also an invaluable resource for those interested in the sociopolitical landscape of the U.S.-Mexico border. Vélez-Ibáñez’s insights will resonate with scholars, students, and policymakers alike. The Rise of Necro/Narco Citizenship challenges us to rethink the narratives of violence, militarization, and resistance that define our understanding of the Southwest North American Region.