Ghosts at the Border: Exploring the Link Between Feminicidio and Literary Studies

The intangible nature of the border leads to a wide array of implications for Latinx migrants. By dissociating borders from the literal space that commonly defines the word, borders can be put into conversation along with the institution of the university. By situating this paper in the larger scholarly discussion of the border and university critique it is possible to see how these intersections result in violent realities for Latinx migrants. Roberto Bolaño’s novel, 2666 provides a means to map out the violent realities that universities manifest for Latinx migrants. The feminicide pandemic in the fictional town of Santa Teresa mirrors the very real violence that happens toward Latinx among these border cultures. In the shadow of the university, violence against Latinx prospers to unknowable heights and a question emerges. Is it possible to determine the extent of damage the university causes Latinx migrants? The answer is unthinkable, but this paper is a means not to answer this difficult question in complete but to begin assessing the damage.