Trabajo, familia y migración centroamericana en el sur de Puebla
Work, Family, and Central American Migration in Southern Puebla

Summary/Abstract: Central American migration to the United States intensified during the last two decades of the last century; however, the events of September 11, 2001, increased restrictions on irregular entry into the country, in addition to increasing violence against migrants throughout their journey. Faced with this situation, thousands of Central Americans heading to the United States changed their plans and, unable to return to their places of origin, opted to remain in Mexico. Based on this, the purpose of this paper is to analyse some emblematic cases of how the life stories reveal the survival strategies of some migrants who were unable, or unwilling, to continue their journey north and now consider Mexico as their destination. The study is based on economics, on the theory of periphery, which determines that some nations function only within the capitalist system as suppliers of cheap labor, while developed countries are a magnet for migrants due to their high wages and elevated standard of living. The result is that millions of Central American workers have headed to the United States with the intention of entering the labor market, but failing to achieve their goal, have decided to stay in Mexico because its level of development, although far from the United States, is better than that of their places of origin. From an anthropological perspective, three emblematic cases are presented that expose the difficulties of relocation and how upon arriving in Tehuacan, Puebla, which provides them with security and work, it becomes their new place of residence.

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