Issues > Maya Diaspora

As an expansion of its immigration research agenda, this newly formed working group includes interdisciplinary international and national scholars, and graduate students who are interested in the perspectives of the social and economic dynamics of the increasing migration within and beyond Yucatán, México. The working group examines: How local, national and international policies affect migration and the processes that have led to migratory movements. In addition the group is also examining how historical paths of commerce are related to present-day migration and the impact of migration on family structure, education, and economic mobility. The group is examining the existing literature on Yucatán migration practices to other parts of México, and to the United States focusing on migration to the Northern California, an area presently experiencing high rates of immigration from the Yucatán region.

Other issues being explored by this group include the ways in which Maya identity has been constructed and transformed over time, how the state has utilized this identity, and the strategies employed by political systems in Yucatán and its diaspora.