"Salía De Uno y Me Metí En Otro:” Exploring the Migration-Violence Nexus Among Central American Women

Background and Purpose: The Northern Triangle of Central America is considered the bridge to North America – a bridge on which human crises wrought by violence and exploitation make indelible marks on migrating women. Women fleeing violence and abuse at home in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras face trauma and adversity during the dangerous journey through Mexico and into the U.S. Motivations to find safety, economic security, and increased opportunity are woven into both the vulnerabilities and the strengths of migrating women. Gender inequality, social isolation, economic insecurity, and legal vulnerability contribute to migrant women’s experiences of violence before, during, and after migration. The research base related to the migration-violence nexus continues to emerge, yet services and policy responses remain inadequate.

This study aims to fill gaps in the depth of our understanding about the ways in which women’s experiences of violence influence decision-making about migration, the kinds of violence women experience during transit, how women perceive and weigh the risks of violence during migration, and how women respond to and cope with violence experienced during migration.

Methods: Grounded in feminist and transnational theories, this study used a constructivist grounded theory method to explore the process of migration for women who have experienced or are exposed to domestic and sexual violence. In-depth interviews were conducted with 19 adult women recently migrated to the United States from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. An evolving and iterative approach allowed for adaptation of the sample and interview questions based on specific encounters and on the concurrent data collection and analysis strategies of grounded theory. Data were analyzed using a constant comparative method (Charmaz, 2006). The researcher maintained a detailed audit trail and incorporated peer debriefing throughout the process.

Results: Findings include textual accounts of contemporary processes of migration for Central American women, including motivations to migrate, migration decision-making, travel logistics, and exposure to danger. The study yielded rich description of multiple types of violence encountered by migrating women, as precipitating factors for migration, during travel across borders, and following arrival in the United States. Participants revealed a host of strategies used for coping and shared survival, in addition to shifting identities as mothers in the context of violence and separation from children. Findings reflect parallels between violence and strategies of control employed by multiple actors along migration routes – from that exerted by intimate partners, to coyotes, gang members, and immigration officials.

Conclusions and Implications: This study aims to fill gaps in the depth of our understanding about the ways in which women’s experiences of violence influence decision-making about migration, what kinds of violence women experience during transit, how women perceive and weigh the risks of violence during migration, and how women respond to and cope with violence experienced during migration. Findings will improve awareness among service providers and policymakers and inform prevention and intervention strategies with migrating women. In particular, findings directly address contemporary debates about immigration reform and the recently renewed practice of detaining women and children who migrate to the U.S. seeking asylum.