When Mothers and Fathers Migrate North

Abstract

A substantial portion of Guatemala's population—about 10—15 percent of a population of 12 million—emigrates to the United States. Although this northward movement has produced significant social change, few studies have examined it from the perspective of the increasing involvement of household structures in transnational migration processes. Ethnographic research focused on transnational families reveals the social relationships that develop between caregivers and children and between parents and caregivers because of the necessity for transnational migration and identifies the emotional costs of these arrangements.

¿Educación o desintegración? Parental Migration, Remittances and Left-behind Children's Education in Western Guatemala

“…18 In Guatemala, Moran-Taylor reports that most parents intend to send financial support to child caregivers regularly; however, it is not uncommon for payments to dwindle over time and for some parents to sever ties with their left-behind families. 19 It was also noted by Schmalzbauer in Honduras that the decline in remitted income can force left-behind children to drop out of school in order to work locally in maquiladoras or to migrate. 20 …”

“…42 Moran-Taylor used the term e ncargados (guardians) when referring to non-parent caregivers in Guatemala. 43 This term encargados gives the impression that these caregivers are in a non-monetary contractual relationship to make sure left-behind children are properly nurtured. But beyond proper nutrition, shelter and safety, these guardians were not compelled to help left-behind children excel in school.…”

The Bumpy Landscape of Family Reunification: Experiences of First- and 1.5-generation Filipinos in France

“…Despite these caring strategies, left-behind children often long for their parents and feel abandoned or powerless (Asis 2006;Dreby 2007). In some cases, they perform poorly at school, become careless spenders and/or turn to alcohol and drugs (Battistella and Conaco 1998;Moran-Taylor 2008). Moreover, as separation time increases so does their emotional distance with their migrant parents (Schmalzbauer 2004).…”

Transnational parenting and the well-being of Angolan migrant parents in Europe

“…An important type of transnational family occurs when parents migrate while their children remain in the country of origin in the care of others. Although they continue to engage in their children's upbringing from afar, parents living apart from their children feel anxious, guilty and depressed (Bernhard et al 2009;Dreby 2006;Fresnoza-Flot 2009;Horton 2009;Moran-Taylor 2008;Parreñas 2005;Viruell-Fuentes 2006;Zontini 2004) and, in some instances, this results in poor child-parent relationships (Haagsman and Mazzucato 2014). These studies have important implications for the study of migrants' well-being in destination countries because they show that the aspects of migrants' lives that relate to the country of origin effect their well-being.…”