{"id":51197,"date":"2024-12-16T13:39:17","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T18:39:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fass\/?post_type=cu_story&p=51197"},"modified":"2025-01-10T11:24:05","modified_gmt":"2025-01-10T16:24:05","slug":"sanctuary-in-pieces-dr-laura-madokoros-crucial-new-book-on-refuge-responsibility-and-rethinking-compassion","status":"publish","type":"cu_story","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fass\/story\/sanctuary-in-pieces-dr-laura-madokoros-crucial-new-book-on-refuge-responsibility-and-rethinking-compassion\/","title":{"rendered":"Sanctuary in Pieces: Dr. Laura Madokoro\u2019s Crucial New Book on Refuge, Responsibility, and Rethinking Compassion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Sanctuary in Pieces: Dr. Laura Madokoro\u2019s Crucial New Book on Refuge, Responsibility, and Rethinking Compassion\n <\/h1>\n \n <\/header>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n \n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

by Nick Ward<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her new book, Sanctuary in Pieces<\/em><\/a>, Dr. Laura Madokoro<\/a> of Carleton University’s Department of History<\/a> asks readers to reconsider what \u2018sanctuary\u2019 means in an age marked by social and political fractures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the meticulousness of an immersed historian and the compassion of an engaged global citizen, Madokoro explores the history of protection and hospitality in Montreal\/Mooniyaang\/Tiohti\u00e0, a city that she renders as an emblem for the evolving concept of refuge in settler societies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sanctuary in Pieces.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Her work in Sanctuary in Pieces<\/em> challenges simplistic narratives around sanctuary, offering more nuance by revealing the complexities, contradictions, and aspirations that have formed the pursuit of migrant safety and justice for centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve long been fascinated by the interplay between religious and lay activism in shaping refugee policies,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Madokoro\u2019s larger academic project \u2013 the one that has led her to this book \u2013 began with her earlier research for Elusive Refuge: Chinese Migrants in the Cold War<\/a><\/em> (Harvard, 2016) which disclosed how transnational activism\u2014particularly by church groups and civil rights organizations\u2014helped dismantle race-based exclusionary policies in countries like Canada and the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis sparked my interest in how sanctuary has been historically imagined and enacted, particularly in cities like Montreal,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Laura Madokoro.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Her focus then oriented to the intricacies of sanctuary practices in Montreal specifically, as the city professed itself a sanctuary town in 2017<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Montreal\u2019s declaration, and the city\u2019s subsequent retreat from the stance in 2019<\/a>, provoked Madokoro to ask: \u201cWhat does sanctuary mean\u2014not symbolically or performatively, but substantively? How do we move beyond performative declarations to tangible, everyday practices of protection and care?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, in search of a more comprehensive context, she dug into the past, parsing Montreal\u2019s historical role as a refuge during the era of the Underground Railroad, when sanctuary often existed in shadowy secrecy \u2013 a major contrast with the highly public sanctuary practices of the late 20th century.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cThis shift from secret sanctuary to public, media-focused sanctuary reflects broader changes in society,\u201d says Madokoro. \u201cIn the past, sanctuary often involved protecting individuals in hidden, intimate ways. Today, sanctuary has become intertwined with broader political goals\u2014advocating for systemic change while addressing immediate needs.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Madokoro believes that both approaches have strengths and limitations, and thus require careful consideration of what it truly means to provide refuge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What does it take to enact and maintain sanctuary for all in a quotidian way?” she asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is a question not just for migrants but for all residents of a city, especially those already living in precarious circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most striking themes in Sanctuary in Pieces<\/em> is its thought towards more efficiently challenging systemic inequalities through interrogation of assumptions and norms. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cWe often assume that public sanctuary is inherently virtuous,\u201d she cautions. \u201cBut what does public sanctuary demand of those seeking refuge? What vulnerabilities are exposed when sanctuary is no longer hidden? And how do we ensure that these efforts are not merely symbolic but materially impactful?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Public sanctuary is more exposed to criticism and politicization, and its success often hinges on collective will\u2014a resource in short supply amid rising xenophobia and populist rhetoric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Madokoro discerns in this work, the selective compassion that has always underpinned sanctuary practices remains a troubling undercurrent, shaping who is deemed “deserving” of protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One aspect of the book that makes it particularly distinctive, is that it is as much about the present as it is about the past, and in today\u2019s polarized discourse on migration and diaspora, Sanctuary in Pieces<\/em> offers a timely call to rethink the ethics and practices of refuge through the crucial lenses of history and context. Madokoro\u2019s exploration of Montreal, while deeply rooted in the city\u2019s unique history, also extends far beyond the city\u2019s boundaries, drawing attention to cities like Ottawa, which have grappled with the idea of declaring sanctuary status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than treating sanctuary as an exemption from societal norms, the book reframes it as a fundamental responsibility\u2014one that, as Madokoro argues, is deeply connected to the broader project of global citizenship.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cUnderstanding the need for sanctuary as something woven through our contemporary societies is crucial,\u201d she says. \u201cWe cannot treat the need for protection and shelter as exceptional. It must be recognized as part of our shared responsibility as members of a global community.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Madokoro is particularly troubled by the dehumanizing rhetoric surrounding migration. \u201cThe way migrants and refugees are being \u2018othered\u2019 in public discourse is deeply alarming,\u201d she says. Moreover, Madokoro notes the recent shifts by the federal government in discussions of the US-Canada border and an increasing focus on migration, noting that discussing the border as a problem has broader societal implications.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cIt not only undermines the possibility of refuge but also exacerbates the precarity faced by racialized and marginalized groups. Refuge is not just about physical space; it\u2019s about reimagining social and political structures to ensure dignity for all.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Sanctuary in Pieces<\/em> is so much more than a historical account; it is an invitation to rethink our commitments to justice and compassion. By examining the contested terrain of sanctuary\u2014its symbols, its realities, and its possibilities\u2014Madokoro not only deepens our understanding of Montreal\u2019s history but also offers a vital lens for navigating the complexities of migration and refuge in the 21st century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSanctuary,\u201d she reminds the reader, \u201cis always contested, always fragile. But its pursuit remains one of the most urgent and meaningful endeavors of our time.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Nick Ward In her new book, Sanctuary in Pieces, Dr. Laura Madokoro of Carleton University’s Department of History asks readers to reconsider what \u2018sanctuary\u2019 means in an age marked by social and political fractures.  With the meticulousness of an immersed historian and the compassion of an engaged global citizen, Madokoro explores the history of protection and hospitality in Montreal\/Mooniyaang\/Tiohti\u00e0, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":134,"featured_media":51257,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_story_type":[575],"cu_story_tag":[],"class_list":["post-51197","cu_story","type-cu_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cu_story_type-research"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fass\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/51197","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fass\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fass\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cu_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fass\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/134"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fass\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/51197\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51258,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fass\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/51197\/revisions\/51258"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fass\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fass\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51197"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_story_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fass\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_type?post=51197"},{"taxonomy":"cu_story_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/fass\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_tag?post=51197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}