Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Enedina Manríquez, Enedina Manríquez

Coming to the Plains Oral Histories/ Llenando las Llanuras Historias Orales

Enedina Manríquez was born in Guanajuato, Mexico. Her family moved to the United States when Manríquez was ten months old. Manríquez and her family have lived in many places in the United States, moving to find work. They finally settled in Scottsbluff, Nebraska where her parents could work at a restaurant that Enedina’s uncle owned. Manríquez’s parents now own the restaurant. Manríquez is a part of DACA, which allows her to attend school and work in the United States as an undocumented immigrant. She discusses how being undocumented has impacted her life. Manríquez attended the University of Nebraska at Kearney …

Esthefany López Cruz, Esthefany López Cruz

Coming to the Plains Oral Histories/ Llenando las Llanuras Historias Orales

Esthefany López Cruz is the daughter of Honduran immigrants. In 1998, her parents decided to embark on the dangerous journey to the United States to escape the devastation of Hurricane Mitch. López Cruz was only one and half at the time. The family settled down in Hastings, Nebraska to be close to López’s Cruz grandmother. Because of debates around Temporary Protected Status, López Cruz fears that the government will send Hurricane Mitch survivors like her back to Honduras. López Cruz faced many challenges growing up in a Spanish-speaking household while attending a school that taught subjects in English. Despite that, …

Lorena Vázquez De La Torre, Lorena Vázquez De La Torre

Coming to the Plains Oral Histories/ Llenando las Llanuras Historias Orales

Lorena Vázquez de la Torre es de la ciudad de México. Creció en un hogar con mucha violencia doméstica y ella mismo terminó en una relación abusiva. Vázquez de la Torres y su hija inmigraron a los Estados Unidos; ella relata que cruza la frontera con documentos falsos. Eventualmente, Vázquez de la Torre se mudó a Kearney, Nebraska con sus hijas. Ella discute cómo sus vidas cambiaron para bien cuando fueron libres de abuso. Vázquez de la Torre primero trabajó en un hotel y en un restaurante, pero ahora tiene un trabajo en la YMCA.

Lorena Vázquez de la Torre …

El Viaje Desde Centroamérica A Los Estados Unidos: How Us Foreign Policy Impacts Migration From Central America To The United States, Cecilia Cerja

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

In the face of ever increasing civil conflict in Central America, the United States is attempting to grapple with immigration reform as the number of refugees continues to rise. Though the dominant narrative seems to indicate that people are flocking to the United States for economic opportunity, upon further analysis it seems that there are a variety of push and pull factors for migration to the United States. In this thesis three case studies of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala are analyzed to determine the push and pull factors causing migration to the United States. After examining the push and …

Trauma In Guatemala And Postville, Iowa, Jessica J. Lechtenberg

Latin American Studies: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

This study uses a historical understanding of Guatemala to explain the significant trauma following the largest immigration raid in U.S. history which primarily deported Guatemalan residents who had been working at the Agriprocessors meat processing plant without documentation. Through an analysis of literature detailing the immigration raid, Guatemala's history of violence, and court proceedings, I have found that high levels of trauma exist for the individuals who were deported following the raid and for their families and friends. Personal communication with the current Dean of Students at Postville's public school lends a hand in gaining a deeper understanding of the …