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Stratification of Undocumented Migrant Journeys: Honduran Case
Author(s) -
Sladkova Jana
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
international migration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.681
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1468-2435
pISSN - 0020-7985
DOI - 10.1111/imig.12141
Subject(s) - destinations , immigration , narrative , political science , geography , demographic economics , development economics , gender studies , sociology , economic growth , economics , tourism , philosophy , linguistics , law
This article examines stratification of journeys of undocumented Honduran migrants to the United States. The unequal distribution of wealth across the world forces many people to migrate to wealthier countries. Despite the narrative of free movement of goods and finances, migrants run into the ever strengthening security systems of nation states. Migrants' access to mobility (finances and networks) influences how migrants interact with these systems, which impacts their experiences on their journeys. I conducted in‐depth interviews with 21 Honduran migrants and subjected these to narrative analysis. I was able to identify several strata of journeys as well as the processes and specific actors that shape them. The degree to which migrants are subject to abuse, robbery, rape, and death on their journeys, and often their success in reaching their destinations, depend on their access to mobility.