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Papers by Michelle Moran-Taylor

International migration constitutes one of the most significant phenomena impacting Gua-temala to... more International migration constitutes one of the most significant phenomena impacting Gua-temala today. About a million and a half Guatemalans live and work in rural and urban cities and towns across the United States and Canada. Like many other migrant groups, most Guatemalans sustain strong transnational linkages between their homeland and el norte (the United States). In the Guatemalan example highlighted in this article, such bonds owe much to the long-standing Guatemalan-U.S. historical connections, to the country´s geographic priximity to the United States. Drawing on ethnographic material, this article examines the divergent kinds of transnational connections that Maya indigenous (K´iche´) migrants craft and keep alive between their home community and their two primary destination localities in the United States—Houston, Texas and Los Angeles, California. The article shows the different means of communication and technology, as well as the varying types of transnational organizing —particularly grassroots efforts— that help shape current linkages between those who go and those who stay. Resumen. La migración internacional constituye uno de los fenómenos más significativos que afectan a Guatemala hoy en día. Casi un millón y medio de guatemaltecos viven y trabajan en grandes ciuda-des o en comunidades rurales y pueblos de los Estados Unidos y Canadá. Al igual que muchos otros grupos migrantes, lamayoría de los guatemaltecos mantienen fuertes lazos entre su país natal y el norte (los Estados Unidos). Según el ejemplo que se resalta en este artículo, dichos lazos se deben en gran medida: a las conexiones históricas que se han mantenido entre Guatemala y los Estados Unidos desde hace muchos años, a la disponibilidad hoy en día de medios de comunicación y de transporte más eficientes, y a la proximidad geográfica del país centroamericano con los Estados Unidos. Median-te la recopilación de material etngráfico, este artículo examinará los tipos divergentes de conexiones transnacionales que los indígenas migrantes mayas (K´iche´) establecen y mantienen vivas entre su país natal y los dos destinos principales ubicados en los Estados Unidos: Houston, Texas y Los Ángeles, California. Este artículo muestra los diferentes medios de comunicación y tecnología. así como los diversos tipos de organizaciones transnacionales, principalmente los esfuerzos por conservar sus raí-ces, que es lo que ayuda a conformar los lazos entre los que se van y los que se quedan. Palabras clave: Migración transnacional, redes sociales, migración de guatemaltecos maya, comunicaiones, organización a nivel local.

Understanding the return aspect of international migration is vital because re-turnees replete wi... more Understanding the return aspect of international migration is vital because re-turnees replete with new ideas, perceptions on life, and monies affect every dimension of social life in migrants' places of origin. Yet, return migration remains uneven and an understudied aspect of migratory flows because migration scholars have privileged why individuals migrate, the underlying motivations for their moves abroad, and how migrants assimilate and succeed in their destinations abroad. Drawing on ethnographic research, this article addresses the migratory flows of Ladino and Mayan Guatemalans: those who go North, but in particular, those who come South. And in doing so, it highlights their similar and divergent responses towards migration processes.

A substantial portion of Guatemala’s population—about 10–15 percent of a popula- tion of 12 milli... more A substantial portion of Guatemala’s population—about 10–15 percent of a popula- tion 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 rela- tionships that develop between caregivers and children and between parents and care- givers because of the necessity for transnational migration and identifies the emotional costs of these arrangements.
Keywords: Transnational families, Social relations, Caretakers, Child rearing, Guatemalan migration

International migration flows between Guatemala and North America are now over thirty years old. ... more International migration flows between Guatemala and North America are now over thirty years old. The maturation of this phenomenon permits us to look beyond the immediate impacts of migrants and their remittances on Guatemalan livelihoods and to view how migration processes affect Guatemala's most valuable natural resource – land. We combine an interdisciplinary approach and data from a longitudinal study (1986–2012) that includes qualitative and quantitative methods to uncover and understand the specific impacts of international migration on land use and land distribution in San Lucas, Ixcán. We show that initial migration-related changes to land are not unidirectional and permanent. For example, after initial forest decline related to investment of cash remittances in cattle and pasture, the community experienced some forest recovery. This recovery can be explained by three processes. First, migrant money allowed some families to break their ties and reliance on the land and engage in non-agricultural occupations. Second, cleared land also reverted to forest because some migrant families failed in the technical and expensive business of raising cattle. Third, some farmers took advantage of national forestry incentives and left all or part of their parcels forested. However, as San Lucas and Ixcán become more integrated into the national economy, other options are open to migrant families. For example, in the last five years, some land owners took advantage of nearby expansion of the biofuel economy and improvement in roads and converted their fields to cultivate African Palm.

Human Organization, 2008

Page 1. 111 VOL. 67, NO. 2, SUMMER 2008 Human Organization, Vol. 67, No. 2, 2008 Copyright © 2008... more Page 1. 111 VOL. 67, NO. 2, SUMMER 2008 Human Organization, Vol. 67, No. 2, 2008 Copyright © 2008 by the Society for Applied Anthropology 0018-7259/08/020111-14$1.90/ 1 Introduction As globalization and transnational processes intensify, ...

Latin American Politics & Society, 2005

Latin American Politics & Society Copyright © 2005 University of Miami. All rights reserv... more Latin American Politics & Society Copyright © 2005 University of Miami. All rights reserved. Latin American Politics & Society 47.4 (2005) 184-189, ...

International Migration, 2005

Population and Environment, 2010

Page 1. ORIGINAL PAPER Land and lena: linking transnational migration, natural resources, and th... more Page 1. ORIGINAL PAPER Land and lena: linking transnational migration, natural resources, and the environment in Guatemala Michelle J. Moran-Taylor Matthew J. Taylor Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010 ...

Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 2011

... DOI: 10.1080/00045608.2011.568881 Matthew J. Taylor a , Michelle J. Moran-Taylor a , Edwin J.... more ... DOI: 10.1080/00045608.2011.568881 Matthew J. Taylor a , Michelle J. Moran-Taylor a , Edwin J. Castellanos b &amp;amp;amp; Silvel Elías c pages 918-928. ... The municipality of San Cristóbal Totonicapán (hereinafter San Cristóbal), with a population of almost 30,000 inhabitants, lies in the ...