What Family Separations Teach Us About Central American Migration
18th June 2018
Reihan Salam deals out some inconvenient truth.
The mother profiled in the Times was regularly receiving remittances from her boyfriend. According to the Times, the boyfriend was reluctant to share details about his own life out of fear of repercussions from federal authorities. It is not unreasonable to assume that he was working in the U.S. without authorization when he encouraged his girlfriend to join him with her son in tow. This reflects a larger pattern: Past migration has a snowballing effect. Earlier migrants gain experience that they can then use to help friends and relatives make their way north, and they can provide much-needed financial assistance. The presence of familiar faces lowers the psychic cost of the move. Over a long enough period of time, entire extended family networks can relocate, provided enforcement is lax and the would-be migrants can afford the journey.
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