Central American Migrations to the US

19th and early 20th Century:
- US expansionism, industrial development, and rising poverty in Latin America.
- Agribusiness to industrialization (e.g., United Fruit).
Mid-20th Century:
- War becomes a significant factor in mobility.
- 1954: CIA-engineered overthrow of the elected government in Guatemala.
Mid-1980s:
- Expansion of civil wars in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala.
- Large-scale movement of people, particularly from El Salvador and Honduras.
- Guatemalans moving since the mid-1950s through the 1980s and early 1990s.
Top Destinations:
- The United States is the primary destination for most Central Americans.
- Costa Rica is the top destination for Nicaraguans, with the US as the second.
- Spain and Canada also receive Central American migrants, but in smaller numbers.

Central Americans are migrating to various parts of the world, not just the US.
Migrations extend west into parts of Asia and east into Europe and South America.

Top Countries of Origin:
- El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala.
Settlement Areas in the US:
- Largely urban settlements.
- Key states: California, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, and DC.
Top Cities of Settlement:
- Los Angeles, New York, Washington DC, Houston, and Miami.

Central Americans largely employed in service sector jobs and natural resources.

Political Unrest and Civil War:
- US involvement, such as the 1954 Guatemalan coup.
- Civil wars in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras.
- US invasion of Panama.
US Imperialism:
- Destabilizes Central American countries, fueling migration.
- Protects US interests, including corporate profits and control of markets (e.g., Panama Canal routes).

The US trains military leaders from Latin American countries at the School for the Americas in Fort Benning, Georgia.
These leaders support dictatorships that protect US interests.
They are often behind repression, death squads, and disappearances in Central America.

US policies impact settlement patterns and living conditions of Central Americans.
Reception factors: Conditions that draw migrants to specific areas and shape their lives.
Reluctance to Grant Asylum in the 1980s:
- Central Americans often considered economic refugees, not political refugees.
- Forces them to enter the US in vulnerable, undocumented ways.
Anti-Immigrant Campaigns:
- Escalate in the 1980s and early 1990s.
- Legislative conversations in Congress and state legislatures to control immigration.
- Emergence of legislation like the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) in 1986 and the Illegal Immigration and Immigrant Responsibility Act in 1995 and 1996.
Post-9/11 Era:
- Tightening of restrictions on immigrant movements.
- Centralization and information sharing among agencies.
- Investment in border patrol, border surveillance, and detention centers (often privatized for profit).
- Rise in deportations and removals (note the distinction: deportation requires due process).

Central Americans and their allies argue for political asylum due to violence and repression in their home countries.
High Denial Rates in the 1980s:
- 97% of Salvadorans denied.
- 99% of Guatemalans denied.
- 86% of Nicaraguans denied.
Options Left:
- Living as undocumented individuals with vulnerability to deportation or forced removals.
- Temporary Protected Status (TPS) as a later option.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, Salvadorians had to demonstrate:
- Seven years of social citizenship: Americanizing behaviors (English, work, church, taxes, property, school, marriage).
- Good moral character: No criminal convictions, no welfare, and no unemployment.
Demonstrating extreme hardship if deported: Inability to work, political instability, threats from death squads or gangs.