On Saturday August 13, 2016, SUDECC Inc. hosted an afternoon panel discussion on “Migrating to the United States from Latin America and the Caribbean.” Moderators Nathan Hedges and Patricia Sanchez coordinated the flow of conversation between the audience and a multi-disciplinary panel including an attorney, an anthropologist and an economist.
Ms. Maya Zegarra (maya@zegarralegal.com) discussed legal aspects of Central American Immigrant Children and the US Immigration Law. She presented the evolution of the US immigration law system and how federal agencies implement their mandates as they relate to immigration and integration. She presented anecdotal evidence of the dangers faced by Unaccompanied Alien Children (UACs) as they cross the border to flee crime and violence in their home countries. Finally, she shared information on the legal remedies that exist and the potential for improvement in US policies.
Ms. Camila Daniel (camiladaniell@gmail.com) shared some of the results of her post-doctoral study comparing the racial experience of Peruvian migrants to the US and Brazil. She explained the strategies she developed to complete her ethnographical fieldwork to observe and interview Peruvians in the District-Maryland-Virginia Area. She shared insights on how Peruvians struggle to self-identify within the American racial classification and the impact on their social integration.
Ms. Valerie Lacarte (valerie.lacarte@student.american.edu) presented her ongoing PhD dissertation in economics on the “Integration of Caribbean Immigrants to the US Labor Market.” She presented economic theories that explain the integration process of immigrants, while discussing the specific context of the Caribbean-US immigration patterns since the 1960s. She also presented comparative data between Caribbean immigrants and different US born ethnic groups. Finally, she discussed the parameters of her fieldwork and invited the audience to fill the anonymous Caribbean Diaspora Survey online.
About 35 people attended the event and participated actively in the Q&A and networking that followed the panel presentations. SUDECC representatives highlighted the importance of understanding the immigration experience given the importance of this phenomenon in the US. They also reflected on out-migration from small communities and the potential negative impact on the cultural fabric and social sustainability.
