Communists, Criminals, and Caravans: The Social Construction of Central Americans as Crisis

Fri, March 12, 2021 12:00 PM at Zoom

Thousands of Central Americans are leaving their homes in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to seek refuge in the United States. What is propelling their mass exodus and why should U.S. society care? This talk provides the political and social context for U.S.-Central American relations from the 1980s to the present to better understand how U.S. foreign policies in the region and immigration policies at home shape the current situation.

Trained in sociology, Dr. Leisy J. Abrego studies Central American migration, U.S. intervention in Central America, Latina/o/x families, and the production of “illegality” through U.S.immigration laws. She is the author of the award-winning book, Sacrificing Families:Navigating Laws, Labor, and Love Across Borders
(Stanford 2014).