The Sequelae of Premigration Hunger Among Venezuelan Immigrant Children in the U.S.

Abstract

Since 2015, two defining features of life in Venezuela are hunger and emigration. In the face of the once prosperous nation’s hyperinflation and severe economic collapse, food scarcity is a regular occurrence such that undernourishment is a growing issue.1 The UN2 estimates that more than 4 million Venezuelans have left their country as a result of their nation’s manifold social and economic challenges. Although prior research has shown that hunger and the stress of migration can potentiate risk for behavioral health problems, no research has examined the experiences of Venezuelan children in diaspora.3,4 Venezuelans are by far the fastest growing Hispanic origin group in the U.S.,5 and it is critical that policymakers and practitioners understand how hunger among children impacts post-migration adaptation. Such knowledge will directly inform ongoing/future programs to support this at-risk population.