What Side Are You On? A Tohono O'odham Life Across Borders

The Moynihan Institute’s Program on Latin America and the Caribbean is proud to host authors Mike Wilson and José Antonio Lucero.

Human rights activist Mike Wilson (Tohono O'odham) has borne witness to the profound human costs of poverty, racism, border policing and colonialism. From a childhood in the mining town of Ajo, Arizona, Wilson's life journey led him to U.S. military service in Central America, seminary education, and religious and human rights activism against the abuses of U.S. immigration policies.

With increased militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border, migration across the Tohono O'odham Nation surged, as did migrant deaths and violent encounters between tribal citizens and U.S. Border Patrol agents. When Wilson's ethical commitments led him to set up water stations for migrants on the Nation's lands, it brought him into conflict  with the U.S. government and his own tribal and religious communities.

Joining Wilson as coauthor, Jose Antonio Lucero adds political and historical context to Wilson's personal narrative. Together they offer a highly original portrait of an O'odham life across borders that sheds light on the struggles and resilience of Native peoples across the Americas.

Michael Steven Wilson (Tohono O’odham) is a human rights activist, U.S. military retiree and film documentarian. In May 2024, Mike received an honorary doctorate in divinity from the San Francisco Theological Seminary, now part of the University of Redlands. He lives with his wife, Susan Ruff, in Tucson, Arizona.

José Antonio Lucero is chair and professor of the Comparative History of Ideas Department at the University of Washington, Seattle, and holds a joint appointment in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies.