Climate Change Induced Migration in Southern Louisiana

This research project will analyze the issue of climate change-induced migration in Southern Louisiana,  through the social theoretical lens of intersectionality. The particular question I am trying to answer is, “Have the effects of climate change influenced the decisions of people in Lafourche Parish to migrate to another place? What are the intersections of social, economic, cultural, and political processes that influence someone to migrate because of climate change, and how do these intersections manifest themselves in Lafourche Parish.” I use an intersectional lens to evaluate how these various societal and social processes are related to people leaving after a catastrophic natural event, such as a hurricane. I am using the aftermath of Hurricane Ida to answer this question. 

 

Furthermore, I will be using Kimberlé Crenshaw’s definition of intersectionality throughout my research. Using an ethnographic model, I interviewed people’s lived experiences post Hurricane Ida. I have found within this research that different intersections mainly socio-economic status, age, geographic location and overall ineffectiveness of the surrounding infrastructures have made it difficult for citizens to leave an area that is projected to be continuously impacted by these catastrophic events. The goal of this research is to amplify the voices of those who are affected by these events yearly.