Migration, Assimilation and Survival from Central America’s Northern Triangle

• In Event: 2384 - Section on International Migration Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 06. Dynamics of Incorporation

Abstract

As one of the most consequential immigration streams in the Western hemisphere, migration from the Northern Triangle of Central America has fascinated demographers and policy makers. Consisting of the countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, immigrants have fled their home countries due to political instability, high rates of homicide, gang activity, widespread famine, and poverty. As migration from the region continues, legislation from the United States has grown harsher and more unforgiving. Amid talks for a border wall and increased enforcement, this essay casts light on the many push and pull factors driving people from the region. With net migration streams from Mexico roughly at zero, most of the newcomers from the southern border are now Central Americans from the Northern Triangle. Struggling to cope with linguistic and cultural barriers, this work evaluates the importance of spatial assimilation and social networks within established and emergent destinations within the United States. It also evaluates how these immigrant communities as well as future streams may be affected by changes to immigration law and social policy

Author

• Denise N. Obinna, Mount St Mary's University