Colonial aphasia and its policy mismatches: How the USA continues to displace Nicaraguans long after its interventions

Abstract

Around the world, migration at the borders between the so-called “Global North” and “Global South” are commonly portrayed as urgent security threats or unexpected yet inevitable humanitarian crises. This is no different at the United States (US) southern border with Mexico, which is often viewed as a “crisis” of multiple possible origins: partisan politics, economic opportunity, the high volume of migrants, destabilising governments abroad, or failed immigration policies. In light of all of these potential causes, the US is portrayed as the protagonist, merely a receiving country inundated with more migrants than one country could reasonably process. One consideration that is rarely, if ever, heard, is the US’s role as antagonist through historical military and economic interventions in Nicaragua that have contributed to the northward migration patterns of today. Grounded in the field of memory and decolonial studies, this article applies a historical and policy analysis of the US intervention in the Nicaraguan Contra conflict and its subsequent policies towards those displaced to find that the persistence of policy mismatches stems from colonial aphasia, as Americans remain unaware of their role in the region’s destabilisation. Addressing these policy mismatches requires a counter-memory approach which emphasises public awareness, legislative pathways to permanent residency, and a re-evaluation of immigration policies in light of historical interventionism.