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¿Educación o desintegración? Parental Migration, Remittances and Left-behind Children's Education in Western Guatemala

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2016

JASON DAVIS
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Abstract

Many Guatemalan parents migrate to the United States with the intention of returning earned income to improve the human capital prospects of their left-behind children. This laudable goal is achieved by many – arguably benefiting girls more than boys. However, negative international migration externalities including migration failure, familial abandonment, psychosocial harms and a culture of migration that disproportionally limits the educational prospects of boys need to be considered. Based on qualitative field interviews in western Guatemala with parents and educators, this article presents a nuanced view of economic migration and left-behind children's education, capturing both its remittance-related benefits and parental absence harms.

Spanish abstract

Muchos padres guatemaltecos migran a los Estados Unidos con la intención de enviar remesas a sus países para mejorar el capital humano de sus hijos dejados atrás. Esta meta noble es lograda por muchos (las niñas se benefician más que los niños). Sin embargo, algunos factores negativos de la migración internacional necesitan ser considerados, como no llegar a cruzar a los EEUU, el abandono familiar, los daños sicológicos y una cultura de migración que limita desproporcionadamente las posibilidades educativas de los jóvenes varones. Basado en entrevistas de campo cualitativas de padres y educadores del occidente guatemalteco, este artículo presenta una visión matizada de la migración económica y la educación de los hijos dejados atrás, mostrando tanto los beneficios relacionados con las remesas así como los daños de la ausencia de los padres.

Portuguese abstract

Muitos pais guatemaltecos migram para os Estados Unidos com a intenção de enviar de volta os rendimentos recebidos visando melhorar as perspectivas de capital humano dos filhos que deixaram para trás. Este louvável objetivo é alcançado por muitos – possivelmente beneficiando mais meninas que meninos. Todavia, externalidades negativas ligadas à migração internacional devem ser consideradas; estas incluem, insucesso na migração, abandono familiar, danos psicossociais e uma cultura de migração que limita desproporcionalmente as possibilidades educacionais de meninos. Baseado em entrevistas de campo qualitativas com pais e educadores no oeste da Guatemala, este artigo apresenta uma perspectiva matizada da migração por motivos econômicos e da educação das crianças que permanecem no país, levando em consideração tanto os benefícios das remessas quanto os danos da ausência dos pais.

Keywords

Guatemalainternational migrationremittanceseducationculture of migrationgenderGuatemalamigración internacionalremesaseducacióncultura de migracióngéneroGuatemalamigração internacionalremessaseducaçãocultura de migraçãogênero
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Latin American Studies , Volume 48 , Issue 3 , August 2016 , pp. 565 - 590
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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