Central American Young People Migration

This book examines the social construction and representation of 'youth on the move' in the context of the migration process, using El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras as a case study to reinterpret the immigration process under the frameworks of coloniality and epistemologies of the South. The discussion surrounding Central American migrants has increased exponentially with the emergence of the caravans and the increased security measures along Mexican and US borders. Explicitly focused on the plight of children and young people, the examination of migration includes exploring the global context and dynamics that influence migratory trends and framing Central American migrant processes and youth strategies of survival and resistance. Contributing to existing conversations about the migration of people from Central America, this text seeks to understand the phenomenon's roots. This book will interest scholars and students across the social sciences, particularly those studying the global dynamics of power, and migration and governance, as well as practitioners involved in decision-making with governments and international organizations.

Henry Parada is a cross-appointed professor at Toronto Metropolitan University's School of Social Work and the Immigration and Settlement (ISS) Graduate Program and Graduate Program Director (ISS). He has written widely on institutional ethnography, child protection and children's rights, policy and governance, and community social work. His recent publications include Violence against Youth: Dominican Republic Study (with Ana Ibarra) (2017), Reimagining Anti-oppression Social Work: Reflection on Practice (with Samantha Wehbi) (2017), Reimagining Anti-oppression Social Work: Reflecting on Research (with Samantha Wehbi) (2017), and Derechos de la niñez en Centroamérica y República Dominicana (with Belia Villeda and Kevin Cruz) (2022). Veronica Escobar Olivo is a research associate in the School of Social Work at Toronto Metropolitan University. Her current body of research explores the experiences of othering of Latin American and Caribbean youth, specifically in the education, judicial, immigration, and child protection systems; and regarding violence against women and children, coloniality, and epistemologies of the South. Her recent publications include the co-authored chapter "Latin American Youth and Belonging at School in Ontario, Canada" (with Henry Parada and Fabiola Limon Bravo) (2022). Kevin Cruz teaches at the National Autonomous University of Honduras in the Department of Sociology, is a former Researcher at the Social Research Institute of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (IIS-UNAH), and a researcher with the Rights for Children and Youth Partnership (RCYP). He is a member of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) Working Group on Childhood and Youth. His recent publications explore children and youth in Honduras, including co-editing the book Derechos de la niñez en Centroamérica y República Dominicana (with Henry Parada and Belia Villeda) (2022).

1. Introduction; 2. The Coloniality of Youth Being and Epistemologies of the South; 3. Unevenly "Developed": An Exploration of Central America; 4. The Missing Triangle: The Forced Negotiations and Participation of Central America in Migration Strategies; 5. Searching for Safety, Finding None: The Central American Youth and Migration; 6. Final Thoughts