Meet anthropologist and author, Jason De León, at the Museum of Us on Thursday, May 9, to celebrate the launch of his book “Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling”. Join us for a workshop and exhibit walks in the “Hostile Terrain 94” exhibition, a panel discussion, and book signing. 

This three-part event will begin at 3:30 p.m., with the panel discussion beginning at 5 p.m. Guests are welcome to come for any, or all, parts of the program. This is a free event, and advance registration is highly encouraged. 

Jason De León is Executive Director of the Undocumented Migration Project and the Colibrí Center for Human Rights. These two nonprofit organizations collaborate to use research, arts, and education to raise awareness about migration issues globally while also assisting families of missing migrants reunite with their loved ones. The Hostile Terrain 94 exhibition at the Museum of Us was created in collaboration with Undocumented Migration Project (UMP) and the Colibrí Center for Human Rights to reflect on the human impact that dehumanizing border policies have on communities. 

Jason will be joined by Michael Wells, the primary photographer and artistic adviser for UMP since its inception in 2009. Michael has photographed the project’s ethnographic and archaeological fieldwork in Arizona, New York, Mexico, Honduras, and Ecuador. A selection of Michael’s work will also be incorporated into the Hostile Terrain 94 exhibition. They will be joined by Elana Zilberg, cultural anthropologist and Associate Professor of Communications at University of California-San Diego, and Ash Cornejo, Ph.D. student in medical anthropology and 2024 Human Rights Fellow at the UC Berkeley School of Law.