Presenter(s): Carina Garcia − International Studies, Sociology
Faculty Mentor(s): Kristin Yarris, Ellen Scott
Poster 126
Research Area: Social Science
Funding: McNair Scholarship
Mexican out-migration has traditionally received significant attention in news and scholarly writing. However, South and Central Americans migrating through Mexico to the United States have been less studied. Its geographical location makes Mexico an intermediary destination along migratory routes for Central and South Americans looking to gain access into the US. This research explores common themes in migrants’ experiences while transiting through Mexico en-route to the United States. The role of Mexico as a primarily migrant sending country has shifted to a much more complex state of transit and receiving migratory routes, yet we know little of the experience of migrants traveling through Mexico seeking to settle in the United States. Using interviews with migrants collected in Mazatlán, Sinaloa Mexico, this research will explore what migrants say about those experiences, and how those experiences differ from or are similar to those of Mexican migrants. The results clearly show a need for a better response to humanitarian needs and addressing widespread violence against migrants. Overall, these findings contribute to the growing knowledge of changing migration patterns of contemporary Americas.