Latin American Migrants Research Articles

Privileged transmigrant motherhood and its practices of distinction

ABSTRACT Transnational motherhood and Latin-American migrants in the U.S. have been explored in the literature primarily in the context of labor migration and marginalized identities. Existing research delves into how mothers negotiate the challenges and opportunities posed by migration in their parenting journeys. However, scholars advocate to look closer at how the social location of individuals create specific sets of experiences. Using the lenses of transnationalism and translocational positionalities, I look at the motherhood identities of 32 mothers in the U.S. who belong to higher socioeconomic levels in Colombia. I find that through their motherhood practices and discourses, participants perform class distinctions to distance themselves from negative stereotypes associated with migrants from Latin America and white U.S. American culture. Addressing the nuances of motherhood, class, and race within the context of migration is a step toward understanding how identities and ideologies transcend transnational boundaries and the role they play in simultaneously fostering and hindering social inequalities.

Invisible burden: Prevalence of Chagas disease in Latin American migrants in Turin, North-Western Italy – A STROBE compliant-cross-sectional study

ObjectivesChagas disease (CD), or American trypanosomiasis, is a parasitic disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, primarily transmitted by triatomine bugs. Increased travels and migrations introduced CD to non-endemic regions, including Europe. In Italy, the disease has raised public attention mainly in northern regions, where Latin American migrant population is larger.This study aims to describe a CD screening initiative in Turin, Piedmont, during the World Chagas disease Day. We focused on migrants from CD endemic countries of Latin America. MethodsA total of 63 serum samples from Latin American migrants were collected and tested for CD with a chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) for initial screening, followed by Western Blot (WB) for confirmation, analyzing demographic data. ResultsOut of the 63 individuals screened, two tested positive for CD. Both positive cases were from Bolivia. Seropositive individuals were 54 and 72 years-old, and lived in Bolivia for 31 and 69 years. ConclusionsThe screening initiative suggests an underestimated prevalence of CD among Latin American migrants in Turin, underscoring the need of targeted public health interventions and emphasizing the importance of CD screening and awareness programs.

Prevalence of Chagas disease among Latin American immigrants in non-endemic countries: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundChagas disease (CD), endemic in 21 Latin American countries, has gradually spread beyond its traditional borders due to migratory movements and emerging as a global health concern. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of available data to establish updated prevalence estimates of CD in Latin American migrants residing in non-endemic countries. MethodsAa systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, and LILACS via Virtual Health Library (Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde - BVS), including references published until November 1st, 2023. Pooled prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using random effect models. Heterogeneity was assessed by the chi-square test and the I2 statistic. Subgroup analyses were performed to explore potential sources of heterogeneity among studies. The study was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42022354237). FindingsFrom a total of 1,474 articles screened, a total of 51 studies were included. Studies were conducted in eight non-endemic countries (most in Spain), between 2006 and 2023, and involving 82,369 screened individuals. The estimated pooled prevalence of CD in Latin American migrants living in non-endemic countries was 3.5% (95% CI: 2.5-4.7; I2: 97.7%), considering studies in which screening was indicated simply because the person was Latin American. Per subgroups, the pooled CD prevalence was 11.0% (95% CI: 7.7-15.5) in non-targeted screening (unselected population in reference centers) (27 studies); in blood donors (4 studies), the pooled prevalence was 0.8% (95% CI: 0.2-3.4); among people living with HIV Latin American immigrants (4 studies) 2.4% (95% CI: 1.4-4.3) and for Latin American pregnant and postpartum women (14 studies) 3.7% (95 CI: 2.4-5.6). The pooled proportion of congenital transmission was 4.4% (95% CI: 3.3-5.8). Regarding the participants’ country of origin, 7,964 were from Bolivia, of which 1,715 (21,5%) were diagnosed with CD, and 21,304 were from other Latin American countries of which 154 (0,72%) were affected. InterpretationCD poses a significant burden of disease in Latin American immigrants in non-endemic countries, suggesting that CD is no longer a problem limited to the American continent and must be considered as a global health challenge. FundingThis study was funded by the World Heart Federation, through a research collaboration with Novartis Pharma AG.

Migrant placemaking as a response to governing through mobility‐making: An ethnic enclave and a digital community in South Korea

AbstractThis paper examines migrant placemaking in South Korea as a proactive response to governing power that works through making (im)mobilities. Unlike previous discussions that have viewed migrants' empowerment in political activities and identity‐related in a particular type of enclaves, this study sees migrant placemaking as a proactive response to governing through mobilities and comprehensively embraces various types of placemaking in South Korea. Based on mix‐up of various qualitative research methods, this study documents the migrant placemaking practices over time of two representative and quite different migrant groups: Chosǒnjok's enclave in Kuro‐Taerim area of Seoul and Latin Americans' digital communities. The former represents a big migrant group's physical and discursive migrant placemaking. Chosǒnjok migrants struggled with their stigmatised images and mistrust towards both China and Korea. The latter represents a small migrant group's digital placemaking. Latin American migrants were left without much knowledge about and recognition from the Korean society. We demonstrate how in seeking a community for themselves they adapt their environment, thereby empowering themselves. In demonstrating the interrelation of migrant placemaking and governing power, this study contributes to the understanding of the circuits of power, mobility and place in the case of migrants in South Korea.

The Impact of Migration on Smoking among Colombian Migrants

Background: Colombian migration globally has had many consequences. This study focuses solely on the smoking behavior of Colombian migrants. This study addresses how the act of international migration impacts the likelihood of smoking among Colombian migrants. Smoking has been found to be the leading cause of preventable death, and so it is a health risk for Colombian migrants. This study pertains to the communities sampled in Colombia, where the migrants originated. Methods: This study uses the Latin American Migration Project to address how migration impacts the smoking behavior of Colombian migrants. Using logit regression, the statistical analysis predicts the likelihood of smoking among Colombian migrants. This study compares the smoking behavior of current and former Colombian migrants, which is compared to that of Colombian non-migrants. Because current and former migrants were surveyed, the study is able to control for health selectivity. Results: After accounting for health selectivity, the study finds that migration, as measured by time abroad, is positively and significantly related with the smoking of migrants relative to non-migrants. Additionally, this study shows that former migrants are more likely to smoke than current migrants, providing support for the salmon effect. Conclusion: This study adds to the literature on smoking by studying an understudied group, Colombian migrants, and provides a better measure of the impact of migration on smoking behavior by accounting for health selectivity and the salmon bias. The findings are consistent with assimilation theory, as more time abroad is associated with negative health behaviors that are common in the culture of the receiving country, but the fact that such behaviors are harmful to the migrant is consistent with the immigrant health paradox.

Exploring labor market dynamics and profiles of Latin American migrants in Quebec, Canada

This study examines the labor profile and perceived barriers of Latin American migrants in Quebec, specifically in the cities of Montreal and Quebec City. Using a qualitative research approach, a questionnaire was administered to a sample of 24 migrants to collect data on variables such as age, location, educational level, language fluency, migration status, main barrier observed, gender and work domain. Despite the modest sample size, the findings revealed significant patterns that provide a deeper understanding of the labor dynamics of this migrant population. A multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was used to identify distinctive segments within the sample and differences between migrants located in Montreal and Quebec City were discussed. The main barriers to employment were analyzed, highlighting the importance of professional networks, cultural adaptation and structural deficiencies in the labor market. This article contributes to the literature by providing specific recommendations for employment policies targeting different groups of migrants, with the objective of promoting more equitable and effective labor market integration in the province of Quebec.

Border surveillance: biometric technologies and personal data in Latin American migration

Border surveillance: biometric technologies and personal data in Latin American migration

Between acceptance and resistance: Conceptualising migrant platform labour agency in Chile

AbstractDigital labour platforms are transforming labour markets worldwide, and migrant workers are pivotal in this transformation. Drawing on a qualitative study in Chile, we uncover how Latin American and Caribbean migrants navigate and resist platform labour conditions, considering the algorithmically controlled and surveilled aspects of food delivery platforms, as well as the impact of migration status on their work. We contend that understanding migrant labour agency requires examining both the platforms' socio‐technical structures and the host country's migration policies. These policies determine workers' migration status, shape their work experiences, and consequently impact their resistance to precarious labour conditions. We introduce the concept of migrant platform labour agency to illustrate the various forms of resistance migrants employ in navigating the platform labour market. This concept contributes to understanding the nuances in migrants' labour agencies, which range from acceptance to resistance, considering the interplay between the migration policy environment and platforms' socio‐technical assemblage.

Endomyocardial involvement in asymptomatic Latin American migrants with eosinophilia related to helminth infection: A pilot study.

Hypereosinophilic syndrome can produce cardiac involvement and endomyocardial fibrosis, which have a poor prognosis. However, there is limited information regarding cardiac involvement among migrants from Latin America with eosinophilia related to helminthiasis. We conducted a pilot observational study where an echocardiography was performed on migrants from Latin America with both eosinophilia (>450 cells/μL) and a diagnosis of helminth infection, and on migrants from Latin America without eosinophilia or helminth infection. Microbiological techniques included a stool microscopic examination using the Ritchie's formalin-ether technique, and a specific serology to detect Strongyloides stercoralis antibodies. 37 participants were included, 20 with eosinophilia and 17 without eosinophilia. Twenty (54.1%) were men with a mean age of 41.3 (SD 14.3) years. Helminthic infections diagnosed in the group with eosinophilia were: 17 cases of S. stercoralis infection, 1 case of hookworm infection, and 2 cases of S. stercoralis and hookworm coinfection. Among participants with eosinophilia, echocardiographic findings revealed a greater right ventricle thickness (p = 0.001) and left atrial area and volume index (p = 0.003 and p = 0.004, respectively), while showing a lower left atrial strain (p = 0.006) and E-wave deceleration time (p = 0.008). An increase was shown in both posterior and anterior mitral leaflet thickness (p = 0.0014 and p = 0.004, respectively) when compared with participants without eosinophilia. Migrants from Latin America with eosinophilia related to helminthic infections might present incipient echocardiographic alterations suggestive of early diastolic dysfunction, that could be related to eosinophilia-induced changes in the endomyocardium.

HIV-infected Latin American asylum seekers in Madrid, Spain, 2022: A prospective cohort study from a major gateway in Europe.

BackgroundRecent migration trends have shown a notable entry of Latin American asylum seekers to Madrid, Spain.AimTo characterise the profile of asylum-seeking Latin American migrants who are living with HIV in Spain and to outline the barriers they face in accessing HIV treatment.MethodsA prospective cohort study was conducted between 2022 and 2023 with a 6-month follow-up period. Latin American asylum seekers living with HIV were recruited mainly from non-governmental organisations and received care at an HIV clinic in a public hospital in Madrid.ResultsWe included 631 asylum seekers. The primary countries of origin were Colombia (30%), Venezuela (30%) and Peru (18%). The median age was 32 years (interquartile range (IQR): 28-37), and 553 (88%) were cis men of which 94% were men who have sex with men. Upon their arrival, 49% (n = 309) lacked social support, and 74% (n = 464) faced barriers when attempting to access the healthcare system. Upon entry in Europe, 500 (77%) participants were taking antiretroviral therapy (ART). At their first evaluation at the HIV clinic, only 386 (61%) had continued taking ART and 33% (n = 209) had detectable plasma HIV-1 RNA levels. Six months later, 99% took ART and 98% had achieved an undetectable viral load.ConclusionsLatin American asylum seekers living with HIV in Madrid, Spain encountered barriers to healthcare and to ART. One-third of these individuals presented detectable HIV viral load when assessed in the HIV clinic, highlighting this as an important public health issue.

Diversity in Spanish Politics? Dynamics of Descriptive Representation of Immigrant‐Origin Minorities in Local Elections

Research has identified an alarming gap in migrants’ descriptive representation across Western European countries with long-standing immigration while showing that not all migrant groups are equally (un)successful in gaining elected office. However, little is known about migrants’ political presence in Southern European countries, which have experienced increased immigration in recent decades. We address this research gap for Spain by focusing on the municipal level where minorities’ inclusion remains of utmost importance. Conceptually, the article tackles the question of how the interplay between migrants’ demographic concentration and specific party features shapes the outcomes of minority descriptive representation. Empirically, we bring novel evidence from an original survey with local party organizations across municipalities returning high shares of Romanian, Moroccan, Latin American, and EU14 migrants. We first demonstrate that, despite being particularly sizeable, all groups remain under-represented in Spanish local politics, although with important differences. At comparable levels of demographic concentration, EU14 and Latin American migrants are almost three times more likely than Romanian migrants and up to seven times more likely than Moroccan migrants to be fielded as candidates. EU14 candidates are also more successful in securing office. Second, our findings confirm that party features shape the contours of minority inclusion: Spanish left-wing and new parties present more diverse local candidacies and place minority office-seekers in safer electoral list positions than right-wing and established parties.

Latin American Migration, Settler Colonialism, and the Unfinished Business of Canadian Mennonite Belonging

Latin American Migration, Settler Colonialism, and the Unfinished Business of Canadian Mennonite Belonging

Second Latin American migratory boom in Spain: From recovery to COVID-19

Abstract At the end of the second decade of the 21st century, Latin American migration to Spain showed a new quantitative increase in flows of such magnitude that we can speak of the existence of a second migratory boom. In contrast to what happened with the first migration boom at the beginning of the century, when pull factors dominated (mainly due to the expansion of the Spanish labour market), after the economic crisis of 2008 push factors played a more important role. Three processes leading to large-scale emigration are identified in Latin America: high levels of political instability in many Latin American countries such as Venezuela; growing insecurity, especially—but not only—in Central American countries, where it also coincides with increasing difficulties in entering the USA; and the effect of neoliberal policies, with growing tensions in many countries, as would be the case of Argentine migrants. COVID-19 has slowed down these flows and has led to increased numbers of returnees although the previous migratory intensities began to recover at the end of 2021.

Disparities in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Clinical Outcomes and Vaccination Coverage Among Migrants With Human Immunodeficiency Virus in the PISCIS Cohort: A Population-Based Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disproportionately affects migrants and ethnic minorities, including those with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Comprehensive studies are needed to understand the impact and risk factors. Using data from the PISCIS cohort of people with HIV (PWH) in Catalonia, Spain, we investigated COVID-19 outcomes and vaccination coverage. Among 10 640 PWH we compared migrants and non-migrants assessing rates of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing, diagnosis, and associated clinical outcomes through propensity score matching and multivariable Cox regression. The cohort (mean age, 43 years; 83.5% male) included 57.4% (3053) Latin American migrants. Migrants with HIV (MWH) had fewer SARS-CoV-2 tests (67.8% vs 72.1%, P < .0001) but similar COVID-19 diagnoses (29.2% vs 29.4%, P = .847) compared to Spanish natives. Migrants had lower complete vaccination (78.9% vs 85.1%, P < .0001) and booster doses (63.0% vs 65.5%, P = .027). COVID-19 hospitalizations (8.1% vs 5.1%, P < .0001) and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions (2.9% vs 1.2%, P < .0001) were higher among migrants, with similar hospitalization duration (5.5 vs 4.0 days, P = .098) and mortality (3 [0.2%] vs 6 [0.4%], P = .510). Age ≥40 years, CD4 counts <200 cells/μL, ≥2 comorbidities, and incomplete/nonreception of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine increased the risk of severe COVID-19 among migrants. MWH had lower rates of SARS-CoV-2 testing and vaccination coverage, although the rates of COVID-19 diagnosis were similar between migrants and non-migrants. Rates of COVID-19-associated hospitalizations and ICU admissions were higher among migrants in comparison with non-migrants, with similar hospitalization duration and mortality. These findings can inform policies to address disparities in future pandemic responses for MWH.

Chagas disease is a low health priority among high-risk Latin American migrants in Geneva, a qualitative study

This qualitative study of the situation of Latin American migrants with Chagas Disease in Geneva analyses how precarious migration-related socioeconomic conditions determine health priorities and disease perception. The study was conducted between 2016 and 2019 and is based on survey data collected in three Chagas-related community events, as well as on open-ended interviews with Bolivian migrants. This research contributes to more appropriate development of public health policies for migrants, as well as to a more nuanced and culturally sensitive understanding of how precarity affects the delivery of, and access to, healthcare in Western Europe. The significance of this research is to highlight how perceptions of Chagas Disease provide a lens to better understand the links between precarity and health among Bolivian migrants.

Moradia, trabalho e migração: uma ocupação sob ameaça de remoção

Abstract The objective of this article is to demonstrate, using a squatted building located in the Brás neighborhood and organized by Brazilian and Latin American migrants, the way in which commuting, housing, and work are associated and interwoven. The article shows the constitution and organization of the squatted building, displays the protection network that was formed around the urban space, and explains the way in which a lawsuit that requires the eviction of families addresses the issue of work in the squatted building. Based on the dynamics of this urban space, we demonstrate that the form of work constituted in the squatted building fosters another market: the informal housing market.

Traumatic experiences and place of occurrence: An analysis of sex differences among a sample of recently arrived immigrant adults from Latin America.

With increasing violence, political, and economic instability in Latin America, there is a record number of migrants crossing the U.S. southern border. Latin American migrants are often exposed to traumatic events before leaving their home country and during migration. While prior studies document that sex may play a role in types of traumatic exposure, few studies compare differences in traumatic exposure by sex and place of occurrence of recently arrived immigrants. Addressing this gap, we recruited 120 adults who had recently crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. Participants completed questionnaires to characterize trauma exposures in their home country and during their migration journey. Results found that men reported higher levels of exposure to combat situations, while women were more likely to experience sexual assault. Both combat exposure and sexual traumas occurred more often in home countries than during migration. More than half of the full sample reported being threatened with a firearm. These data confirm gender differences in type of trauma and that exposures in the country of origin may provide the impetus to migrate.

Migrant digital placemaking for wellbeing: A netnography of Facebook groups

This article analyses migrants’ use of social media and considers their relation to placemaking and urban wellbeing. It develops an easy to replicate experimental methodology drawing on netnography techniques to analyse Facebook group activity by Latin-American migrants in and on their way to London. Findings indicate that Facebook offers a multitude of public spaces facilitating mundane activities that are significantly generative of material, relational and subjective wellbeing, in both digital and analogue physical realms. The article hence posits digital placemaking as an extension and integral part of placemaking in analogue physical urban spaces. It further extends debates about the role of social media in migrant mobility, by showing their continued significance post-arrival and capable of fostering migrant belonging and place attachment.

Empresariado inmigrantelatinoamericano en Tijuana: sinergias fronterizas en cinco estudios de caso

This study on Latin American migration settled in the city of Tijuana, Mexico, aims to explore, describe and analyze the influenceof the border condition in the creation, development and persistence of an emerging ethnic entrepreneurship and its respective businesses of and for immigrants from the global peripheries. To this end an ethnographic research is proposedinfive observation units distributed in as various points of the border urban weave,belonging to gastronomic entrepreneurs from three national groups: Hondurans, Salvadorans,and Venezuelans. Participatory observation is carried out as a diner andseveral conversation techniques are implemented with the managers of these typical restaurants. Finally, through an interactive analysis,the presence of synergies between immigrant businesses and the border region is determined, which facilitate the existence of such businesses. The overall result is a first approach to the phenomenon, unpublished in previous studies in Mexico.

Language ideologies among Spanish-speaking migrants in Germany: insights from language conflict narratives

When migrants move to a new country, they often encounter challenges in understanding and being understood. Narratives serve as a way for individuals to make sense of these experiences, reflecting on their own and other people’s actions, beliefs, attitudes, and intentions while weaving them into coherent stories. This study examines narratives of problematic language incidents among Latin American migrants living in Germany within a language ideologies framework, using narrative analysis and positioning theory. Special emphasis is placed on how the narrators position themselves and other characters relative to widely shared language ideologies. Within the narratives, three pivotal language ideologies emerge: 1. The one-nation-one-language ideology, 2. The native standard ideology, and 3. The ideology of global English. Through their positioning acts, the narrators make moral claims and either affirm or challenge prevailing language ideologies, along with the embedded moral values. While the participants resist marginalization based on exclusionary ideologies of linguistic nationalism and native speakerism, they nevertheless uphold the ideals of a linguistically homogeneous nation-state and the native speaker model. Moreover, they support the use of English as a global language to bridge linguistic inequalities, but tend to overlook its exclusionary potential.