Post-Migration Adjustment of Guatemalan Migrants to the U.S: Systematic Review

Presenter: Kim Cruz

Faculty Sponsor: Maria M. Galano

School: UMass Amherst

Research Area: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences

Session: Poster Session 6, 4:15 PM - 5:00 PM, Auditorium, A34

ABSTRACT

Migrants have been journeying north from Guatemala for decades. Many leave the country to escape state and gang violence which have their origins in the US-led coup in 1954. The waves of political violence toward the Guatemalan peoples created mass migrations out of the country. Since the 1980’s migration out of Guatemala has been steadily increasing. DACA, established by the US government in 2012 was an important step toward enhancing well-being for Guatemalan migrants. Despite the large numbers to of Guatemalan migrants to the US there seems to be a lack of larger, quantitative studies on the post-migration adjustment of this population. There is evidence that pre and peri-migration trauma can compound the effects of post-migration difficulties such as attaining housing, work, and fear of deportation etc. Post-migration is a particularly important period, being the first point in time the receiving community can minimize negative experiences. This population is also particularly important due to the variety of languages, and ethnic background in the country. To fill this gap, I conducted a systematic review, following PRISMA guidelines, of research on trauma and post-migration adjustment in Guatemalan migrants since the enacting of DACA. Preliminary review highlights an overall dearth of research specifically on Guatemalan migrants, with most papers focusing on unaccompanied minors. Assessing the current state of knowledge on this topic is vital to understanding the well-being of Guatemalan migrants in the US. This has implications on policy, community organizing and further research to fill in any gaps. 

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