State-of-the-art review on policy and research of returning Mexican and stranded Central American youth: the absence of pluricultural/intercultural educational practice in Mexico*

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis paper aims to identify the basic contradictions that exist between Mexican pluricultural policy, which is built on solid statistical analysis of data on migrants and which is the basis of intercultural education policies throughout the country, and the fact that few of the intended recipients – mainly migrant youth – are afforded an adequate education in Mexico. While study of the social, political, and cultural implications of migration in Mexico has been predominant in academia and public policy circles, the importance of intercultural education services targeting youth migration continues to be marginalised. Not only are the characterisations concerning child migration obsolete, the focus of academic analysis and the implementation of public policy is overwhelmingly adult-centric and ignores the pluricultural nature of Mexican society. Furthermore, even though the country has widespread legislation and policies addressing its pluricultural makeup, the intercultural education is largely out of reach for the majority of migrant youth in Mexico. The socio-economic effects of this divide are an increasing number of alienated, marginalised, and poorly educated indigenous and other migrant youth mainly from Central American and returning Mexican migrants from the US that are falling outside the framework of a productive Mexican society.