1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910783666203321

Autore

García María Cristina <1960->

Titolo

Seeking refuge [[electronic resource] ] : Central American migration to Mexico, the United States, and Canada / / María Cristina García

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Berkeley, : University of California Press, 2006

ISBN

9786612358340

0-520-93943-3

1-282-35834-0

1-4237-4555-8

1-59875-934-5

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (291 p.)

Disciplina

325/.21/09728097

Soggetti

Political refugees - Central America

Political refugees - Legal status, laws, etc - United States

Political refugees - Legal status, laws, etc - Mexico

Political refugees - Legal status, laws, etc - Canada

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Front matter -- Contents -- Preface and Acknowledgments -- Abbreviations -- Introduction -- 1. The Wars in Central America and the Refugee Crisis -- 2. Designing a Refugee Policy: Mexico as Country of First Asylum -- 3. Refugees or Economic Migrants? The Debate over Accountability in the United States -- 4. Humanitarianism and Politics: Canada Opens Its Doors to Central America -- Conclusion: Shared Responsibility? Legacies of the Central American Refugee Crisis -- Notes -- Selected Bibliography -- Index

Sommario/riassunto

The political upheaval in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala had a devastating human toll at the end of the twentieth century. A quarter of a million people died during the period 1974-1996. Many of those who survived the wars chose temporary refuge in neighboring countries such as Honduras and Costa Rica. Others traveled far north, to Mexico, the United States, and Canada in search of safety. Over two million of those who fled Central America during this period settled in these three countries. In this incisive book, María Cristina García tells the story of



that migration and how domestic and foreign policy interests shaped the asylum policies of Mexico, the United States, and Canada. She describes the experiences of the individuals and non-governmental organizations-primarily church groups and human rights organizations-that responded to the refugee crisis, and worked within and across borders to shape refugee policy. These transnational advocacy networks collected testimonies, documented the abuses of states, re-framed national debates about immigration, pressed for changes in policy, and ultimately provided a voice for the displaced. García concludes by addressing the legacies of the Central American refugee crisis, especially recent attempts to coordinate a regional response to the unique problems presented by immigrants and refugees-and the challenges of coordinating such a regional response in the post-9/11 era.