James Madison University JMU Scholarly Commons Senior Honors Projects, 2010-current Honors College Spring 2018 El viaje desde Centroamérica a los Estados Unidos: How US foreign policy impacts migration from Central America to the United States Cecilia Cerja James Madison University Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/honors201019 Part of the International Relations Commons, Latin American Languages and Societies Commons, and the Latin American Studies Commons Recommended Citation Cerja, Cecilia, "El viaje desde Centroamérica a los Estados Unidos: How US foreign policy impacts migration from Central America to the United States" (2018). Senior Honors Projects, 2010-current. 570. https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/honors201019/570 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Honors College at JMU Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Senior Honors Projects, 2010-current by an authorized administrator of JMU Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. El Viaje desde Centroamérica a los Estados Unidos: How US Foreign Policy Impacts Migration From Central America to the United States _______________________ An Honors College Project Presented to the Faculty of the Undergraduate College of Arts and Letters James Madison University _______________________ by Cecilia Louise Cerja May 2018 Accepted by the faculty of the , James Madison University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Honors College. FACULTY COMMITTEE: HONORS COLLEGE APPROVAL: Project Advisor: Kristin Wylie, Ph.D. Bradley R. Newcomer, Ph.D., Assitant Professor , Politcal Science Dean, Honors College Reader: Charles Blake, Ph.D. Professor , Poltical Science Reader: David Trouille, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Sociology Reader: Carlos Aleman, Ph.D. Associate Professor , Communication Studies PUBLIC PRESENTATION This work is accepted for presentation, in part or in full, at Madison Union 304 on April 17, 2018 at 4:30 pm. 2 El Viaje desde Centroamérica a los Estados Unidos: How US Foreign Policy Impacts Migration From Central America to the United States By: Cecilia L. Cerja POSC 499C Senior Honors Thesis March 20, 2017 Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................... 3 Abstract ..................................................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 5 Literature Review ...................................................................................................................................... 8 What is A Migrant? ............................................................................................................................... 8 What is a Refugee? ............................................................................................................................. 12 Push and Pull Factors of Migration ..................................................................................................... 15 Method .................................................................................................................................................... 17 Dependent Variable ............................................................................................................................ 18 Independent Variable .......................................................................................................................... 18 Hypothesis........................................................................................................................................... 20 Case Studies ........................................................................................................................................ 20 Chapter One: Migration Push Factors in Central America 1960-1989 ................................................... 22 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 22 US and Central American Background ............................................................................................... 22 United States Diplomatic Policy in Central America ......................................................................... 24 United States Economic Policy in Central America ........................................................................... 35 Economic Inequality as A Push Factor ............................................................................................... 40 Violence as A Push Factor .................................................................................................................. 46 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................... 51 Chapter Two: Migration Pull Factors from Central America to the United States ................................. 53 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 53 Pre-Truman Immigration Policy ......................................................................................................... 54 Truman to Ford Immigration Policy ................................................................................................... 55 Nixon to Reagan Immigration Policy ................................................................................................. 60 Chapter Three Migration from Central America to the United States 1989-Present .............................. 66 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 66 US Foreign Policy Towards Central America 1990-Present .............................................................. 66 Push Factor Violence .......................................................................................................................... 71 Push Factor Economic Inequality ....................................................................................................... 74 US Immigration Policy H.W. Bush to Trump .................................................................................... 78 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................... 81 1 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................. 83 Causes of Central American Migration in 1960-1980’s ..................................................................... 84 Responses to Central American Migration 1960’s to 1980’s ............................................................. 86 Causes of Central American Migration 1990-Present ........................................................................ 89 Responses to Central American Migration 1990-Present ................................................................... 92 Analysis on Variables/Hypotheses ......................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Limitations and Future Research ........................................................................................................ 92 Data ............................................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 1 Number of Immigrants Entering the United States from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras 1965-1997 ........................................................................................................................... 94 Figure 2 Table 1 GDP in US Dollars .................................................................................................. 95 Figure 3 GDP in US Dollars ............................................................................................................... 95 Figure 4 United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees Asylum Application Rates for El Salvador to the United States ................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 5 United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees Asylum Application Rates for Guatemala to the United States ................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 6 United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees Asylum Application Rates for Honduras to the United States ................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined. Works Cited ............................................................................................................................................ 96 2 Acknowledgements I would like to thank and recognize a variety of people for their assistance and guidance as I wrote this thesis. First, I would like to thank God for giving me the energy to finish this massive project. Next, I would like to thank my committee chair Dr. Kristin Wylie for giving me guidance, motivation, and structure as I was completing this massive undertaking. Additionally, I would like to thank Dr. Hak Seon Lee