미국-멕시코 국경지대는 인종, 젠더, 계급 관계가 연동되어 작동하는 혼종의 교류공간이며 생성공간이기에 국민국가의 ‘국경’ 기능과 역할 및 유용성에 의문과 논란을 증폭시키는 공간이다. 이 국경은 강고한 감시와 통제로 군사화 된 장벽인 한편 동시에 매일 백여만 명이 출퇴근 노동자로 왕래하여 국가의 경계가 실제로는 무력화 되는 가상의 장벽이기도하다. 이곳은 또한 많은 중남미계 밀입국자들이 월경을 시도하고 나아가 상해와 죽음을 겪는 공간이다. 특히 9/11 이래로 국경 순찰이 강화되고 첨단장비가 배치되면서 밀입국 통로는 애리조나 주, 소노라 사막이 월경의 요지로 떠올랐다. 폭력의 정치적 처리와 하이테크 테크놀로지의 미학적 처리를 결합한 이 공간에는 순찰과 감시, 체포와 송환이란 잔인함(cruelty)의 장소학(topography)과, 인도주의와 연대성라는 교양(civility)의 장소학이 공존한다. 그 결과 미셸 푸코의 ‘생명정치’, 조르조 아감벤의 ‘예외상태’, ‘벌거벗은 생명’ 등 개념들의 이론적 적용가능성을 시험할 여지를 제공한다.
미국-멕시코 국경지대는 국가 공권력이 첨예하게 행사되는 경계지이면서도 한편 폭력조직과 연계된 마약밀매업자, 밀입국 거래자, 강도들의 탈법이 자행되는 장소의 측면이 공존한다. 멕시코 정부의 마약 카르텔과의 전쟁에서 2008년에 국경도시 시우닷 후아레스는 1,607명이 잔인하게 살해당해 망자의 도시(necropolis)로 변했다. 특히 가난한 젊은 여성을 납치· 고문·강간·신체 절단을 자행하여 도시외곽이나 빈터에 내다버리는 여성살해(feminicide)가 확산되었다. ‘여성살해’는 여성에 대한 폭력이 사회통제 방식으로 자연화 된 정도만큼, 젠더화되고 인종화된 신체에 대한 중첩된 ‘정치적 동기를 가진 성적 폭력’으로서 권력관계를 표현한다. 사회적 폭력과 실패한 국가의 주요 희생자인 여성들은 미국으로 밀입국을 선호하고 그 과정에서 남성밀입국시도자와 마찬가지로 안내자의 배신·강도의 습격과 폭행· 납치·익사·겁탈·역사(轢死)·악천후에 사막에 버려지는 참사를 겪는다. 이 연구는 ‘생명정치’의 공간인 동시에 아킬레 음벰베가 ‘시신의 정치’(necropolitics)라고 규정한 ‘죽음의 작업’(work of death)이 교차하는 공간으로서 미국-멕시코 국경지대의 현실에 주목한다.

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