Exploring meaning-making with adolescents ‘left behind’ by migration

Abstract

This paper focuses on a population that has received little attention in migration and in youth-related research: those ‘left behind’ when parents migrate to the United States in search of a better life for their families. Findings presented here are drawn from two sets of workshops with Mayan youth participants in the Southern Quiché region of Guatemala who have been directly (one or both parents have migrated) or indirectly (friends, relatives or neighbors have migrated) affected by migration. Through participatory action research processes, we have found that youth report parents’ departures in search of a better life for the family while also describing their yearning for them to return. Most viewed the United States as a discriminatory place where life is treacherous, including for their own family members. Despite this, they reported deep desires to migrate there. We discuss these findings in light of the direct and indirect messages that youth receive from their teachers who often discourage their dreams to journey north, and ourselves, participatory action researchers who work with their families in the United States and travel regularly to spend time with them in Guatemala. The strengths and challenges of participatory action research with this population are addressed.

Keywords:

• migration
• transnational families
• Maya k’iche’ youth

Notes

1. The MHRP is the current name for an interdisciplinary initiative of the Center for Human Rights and International Justice, formerly known as the Post-Deportation Human Rights Project (see Post-Deportation Human Rights Project 2009). Name changes reflect the growth of this community-university local and transnational partnership and the range of issues facing unauthorized migrants here in the US, in countries of origin, and upon deportation to the latter, including, for example, Guatemala. See http://www.bc.edu/centers/humanrights/projects/ for details about the project.