My research paper will be on the immigration of Central American people to the U.S., the push factors behind their migration, and the question of whether or not these individuals are refugees.

This is what my totally unfinished outline looks like:

Definitely not final but this is just what I have so far.

The article titled Central America’s Violent Northern Triangle explains the ‘why’ behind the violence and other disparities that many Central Americans are currently facing and their reasons for migration to other countries, particularly the United States. The Central American countries El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras are the three countries labeled to be part of the Northern Triangle. Hundreds of immigrants, many of which are unaccompanied minors, are fleeing from these countries to seek asylum in an attempt to escape violence, poverty, lack of opportunity and other related issues. These countries have been consistently ranked to be some of the most violent nations in the world. This region houses highest homicide rates than any other region with Honduras being the murder capital of the world.

Primary reasons behind the violence are the proliferation of gangs and U.S. bound drugs. The violence in the Northern Triangle is largely associated with drug-trafficking organizations and organized street gangs. Kidnapping, human trafficking, and smuggling are also actions engaged in this region. Crime also goes unnoticed way too often. The article states that as many as 95 percent of crimes go unpunished in some areas. There is little justice that has been served given that the police and military aren’t very trustworthy and are often involved in illegal activities themselves.

Countermeasures to reduce the violence have been enacted, however, these actions failed to make much of an impact to reduce crimes and may have indirectly increased gang membership. The article states that “In January 2016, amid a new rush of arrivals from the region, U.S. authorities began to round up and deport recently arrived immigrants whose asylum claims had been denied.” However, during the Obama administration, plans were announced to expand its refugee program. It is, however, unknown if this plan will still hold up under Trump’s administration given his stance on refugees.

In Enrique’s Journey, we follow the life of a young Honduran boy and his quest to reunite with his mother who left him at the age of five to search for work in the United States. Enrique’s mother, Lourdes, leaves him and his sister Belky in the care of other family members with the hopes of giving them a better life. While Lourdes is able to support her children through the money and gifts she sends, it is ultimately not enough to replace her absence. Enrique decides that risking his life and leaving all that he knew would be worth finding his mother, so he sets off on his journey. The author, Sonia Nazario uses Enrique’s story as an entry-point to depict the grim realities of immigration in Central America.

One particular issue that came to my mind while reading this book was the sheer amount of individuals attempting to journey up north and the dangerous encounters that Enrique and other immigrants faced. From reading this book, you find that they had to deal with the dangers of riding atop of trains, bandits, gangs, corrupted police officers, immigration officers, the fear of being deported, not having enough money–all very brutal stuff. The amount of courage that these individuals have is immense. They’re not only looking for opportunity but are also trying to escape the persecution from their home countries. Which brings up the question: Are these people immigrants or refugees?