Group and Child–Family Migration from Central America to the United States: Forced Child–Family Separation, Reunification, and Pseudo Adoption in the Era of Globalization

Monico, Carmen; Mendez-Sandoval, Jovani

doi:10.3390/genealogy3040068

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Group and Child–Family Migration from Central America to the United States: Forced Child–Family Separation, Reunification, and Pseudo Adoption in the Era of Globalization

Carmen Monico

^1,*

and

Jovani Mendez-Sandoval

Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, Human Service Studies, Elon University, Elon, NC 27244, USA

Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, Economic Consulting, Elon University, Elon, NC 27244, USA

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Genealogy 2019, 3(4), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy3040068

Received: 8 October 2019 / Revised: 23 November 2019 / Accepted: 27 November 2019 / Published: 4 December 2019

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genealogies of Inequality: Transnational Adoption and Kinship in the Era of Globalisation)

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Abstract

Intercountry adoption from Latin America became a sizable, “quiet” migration to the U.S., as evident in its historical evolution from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The recent migration of unaccompanied minors and families traveling with children from these case countries has been characterized by child–family separation, prolonged detention and institutionalization of children, and adoption through various means. This study has been concerned with how both trends became intertwined in the era of globalisation. To address this question, the authors examined intercountry adoption literature and migration-related briefs, legal claims, and news reports. The study suggests that internationally recognized child rights have been violated in the border crisis. Forced family separation resulting from stricter immigration measures has met criteria for child abduction, violating international convention protecting families in transnational kinship and adoption. A child–family separation typology was inferred from individual case studies ranging from separation by death to prolonged or indefinitive separation to de facto adoption. Reunification has failed for migrant children in custody since relatives or kinship members may be undocumented or parents may be deported. The current immigration system for migrant children’s care only prolongs their detention and violates their human and civil rights while turning child abduction into de facto adoption. View Full-Text

Keywords: transnational adoption; global migration; reunification and reunion; child abduction; illegal adoption; migrant children

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Monico, C.; Mendez-Sandoval, J. Group and Child–Family Migration from Central America to the United States: Forced Child–Family Separation, Reunification, and Pseudo Adoption in the Era of Globalization. Genealogy 2019, 3, 68. https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy3040068

AMA Style

Monico C, Mendez-Sandoval J. Group and Child–Family Migration from Central America to the United States: Forced Child–Family Separation, Reunification, and Pseudo Adoption in the Era of Globalization. Genealogy. 2019; 3(4):68. https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy3040068

Chicago/Turabian Style

Monico, Carmen, and Jovani Mendez-Sandoval. 2019. "Group and Child–Family Migration from Central America to the United States: Forced Child–Family Separation, Reunification, and Pseudo Adoption in the Era of Globalization" Genealogy 3, no. 4: 68. https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy3040068

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Group and Child–Family Migration from Central America to the United States: Forced Child–Family Separation, Reunification, and Pseudo Adoption in the Era of Globalization

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