(2021). Undocumented and Asylum-Seeking Children from Central America and Mexico: Where They Are and How Schools Are Doing. Research Brief. RB-A1326-1. RAND Corporation
In recent years, record numbers of undocumented and asylum-seeking families and children from Mexico and Northern Triangle countries–El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras–crossed the U.S. southwest border in search of safety and opportunity. Some cross undetected, without registering with immigration authorities and becoming "undocumented." Others apply for asylum at the border. Once inside the United States, all children, regardless of immigration status, have the right to a public K-12 education by federal law. Education leaders need unbiased information, data, and good practices so they can be ready to support the newcomers effectively once they enroll in school. RAND Corporation researchers sought to understand how the current increase in undocumented and asylum-seeking children may affect the K-12 school system in the coming years. To do this, the research team collected and analyzed a mix of quantitative and qualitative data and methods. The team reviewed federal and… [Direct]
(2019). Higher Education Regionalization in the Northern Triangle of Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education, v11 n3 p4-13 Win
The ongoing migrant crisis that engulfs the U.S.-Mexico border is often the source of political and socioeconomic discourse related to the treatment of those caught in the web of immigration politics or the causes of migration to the U.S. from Mexico and Central America. One related, critical conversation involves the future stability of countries neighboring the southern region of Mexico — El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Together they comprise the northern region of Central America, increasingly referred to as the "Northern Triangle" (NT). The region is documented for its lower levels of human development, high rates of violent crime, low school completion rates and high rates of poverty (Meyer and Seelke 2015; Congressional Research Service 2019). In recent years, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has supported efforts towards public health, business development, efficient government institutions and the scaling up of postsecondary… [PDF]
(2010). Facing Our Future: Children in the Aftermath of Immigration Enforcement. Urban Institute (NJ1)
The United States is engaged in an intense debate about immigration policy, particularly with regard to unauthorized immigrants. Debates rage about the economic contributions of immigrants to the U.S. economy, job competition, tax payments and fiscal costs, and the integration of immigrants in communities and the larger society. Largely absent from the discussion are the children of immigrants. Today there are an estimated 5.5 million children with unauthorized immigrant parents, about three-quarters of whom are U.S.-born citizens. The nation builds its own future by investing in the futures of children, spending billions of dollars annually on education and health care, preventing abuse and neglect, and supporting when necessary their basic needs for housing and food. Yet, unlike other children in this country, the children of unauthorized immigrants live with the fear that their parents might be arrested, detained, or deported. The federal government spends billions each year to… [PDF]
(1989). The Maya of Florida. Migration World Magazine, v17 n3-4 p20-26
Discusses the Maya people who fled Guatemala due to a civil war and illegally entered the U.S. and settled in Florida. Presents a picture of their living conditions, employment opportunities, cultural traditions, community development, and family organization. Discusses a Kanjobal Association and the CORN-MAYA program, and explains immigration problems. (JS)…
(1994). Deciding To Be Legal: A Maya Community in Houston.
This book examines the settlement process of undocumented migrant workers through an ethnographic study of a Houston (Texas) community of Mayas from a township in Totonicapan, Guatemala. The community is traced from its genesis in 1978, when a few men left the township in search of economic opportunity, to the complex effects of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act. Data were gathered through interviews and observations during the author's 3-year residence and participation in the community. The book's first section focuses on community formation in Houston: the transfer and reproduction of cultural resources associated with a common community of origin and a Maya identity; and the settlement process, including residential configuration of the community, transformation of kinship structures, recruitment networks, living arrangements, job networks, work experiences, and formation of a community church. The second section examines the social and technical processes of…
(1986). Immigration to the United States from Latin America: Past and Present. The Latin American Project: Volume 1, No. 4.
Immigration legislation in the United States is aimed primarily at Mexican migrants, who account for over half of all undocumented immigrants in the United States. Citizens of Central American and Caribbean countries contribute another 20%. The first section of this booklet traces the development of United States immigration legislation from the late 1800s to the present and examines its impact on immigration from Latin America and the Caribbean. Section two examines the peculiar symbiotic relationship between Mexican labor and American business that developed in the American Southwest during the 34-year rule of Mexican President Porfirio Diaz (1876-1910). The bracero program is also discussed at some length. Section three presents four interviews with undocumented immigrants from Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. The interviews include information about why the immigrants left their home countries, how they entered the United States, what type of work they do, what…
(1990). The Houston Community College Eligible Legalized Alien Program. Evaluation Program. Evaluation Report.
The Houston Community College (Texas) program (TOTAL ACCESS) designed in response to the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, is described and evaluated. The program offers classes to eligible aliens (97% Hispanic Americans from Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala) wishing to pursue the educational program required for legalization. Program components include English as a Second Language and citizenship instruction, basic literacy, and high school equivalency. This report describes the curriculum; the need for and nature of the program; initial evaluation activities; evaluation data (including enrollment, effect on television viewing for literacy, and use of the local newspaper for literacy lessons); attainment of specific program objectives; student demographic data (previous place of residence, age, birthplace, gender, length of residence in Houston, occupations, marital status, children, educational background); teacher data (background, credentials); student values, goals,… [PDF]
(2000). Teaching for Justice in the Social Studies Classroom: Millions of Intricate Moves.
Intended to help teachers make the move from traditional textbooks to a more issue-centered, interdisciplinary social studies curriculum, this collection of essays comes from teachers who describe how to focus on teaching for and toward justice, with critical pedagogy as an underlying theme. The teachers' stories in this collection show the importance of moving beyond a focus on injustice and outrage to considering what justice might require in a given situation, what justice looks like, and how complex and difficult it is to achieve. Following an introduction "Teaching from the Center of the Circle: 'Doing Good Work'" (Ruth Shagoury Hubbard), the 15 essays in the collection are: (1) "Millions of Intricate Moves" (Kim Stafford); (2) "What Happened to the Golden Door? How My Students Taught Me about Immigration" (Linda Christensen); (3) "Collective Action: Speaking Up and Standing Together–The Story of Rachel and Sadie" (Sandra Childs); (4)…