When Mothers and Fathers Migrate North: Caretakers, Children, and Child Rearing in Guatemala
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.
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Kinship care is key to family survival in the context of transnational migration.
“The few studies on caregivers, mostly grandmothers (Moran-Taylor 2008;Yarris 2012) and other kin and non-kin (Dankyi 2014;Dreby 2010) highlight that kinship care is key to family survival in the context of transnational migration.”
From Navigating transnational childcare relationships: migrant parents and their children's caregivers in the origin country (2017) · cites this paper as Moran-Taylor 2008
Caregivers perform hands-on domestic and care tasks, provide financial and emotional support, and help children understand their parents' absence.
“Caregivers perform handson domestic and care tasks, provide financial and emotional support, and help children understand their parents' absence (Dankyi 2014;Dreby 2010;Moran-Taylor 2008;Yarris 2012).”
From Navigating transnational childcare relationships: migrant parents and their children's caregivers in the origin country (2017) · cites this paper as Moran-Taylor 2008
Caregivers worry about insufficient remittances, protracted care arrangements, and difficulties of maintaining control over the children.
“Caregivers, on the other hand, worry about insufficient remittances, protracted care arrangements, and the difficulties of maintaining control over the children (Dankyi 2014;Dreby 2010;Moran-Taylor 2008).”
From Navigating transnational childcare relationships: migrant parents and their children's caregivers in the origin country (2017) · cites this paper as Moran-Taylor 2008
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- Authors
- Moran-Taylor, M. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Denver (US)
- Corresponding author
- Moran-Taylor, Michelle J.
- Venue
- Latin American Perspectives
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2008-07
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 79-95
- ISSN
- 0094-582X (ISSN-L)
- 1552-678X
- OpenAlex
- W2087349948
- Cited by
- 142
- References
- 60
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 45 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 19 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 12.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Latin American Perspectives (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Migration and Labor Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Demography › Diaspora, migration, transnational identity
- Social Sciences › Cultural Studies › Latin American and Latino Studies
- Keywords
- transnational migration, transnational families, household composition, parental migration, caregiver-child relationship, social change
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