Yo Aquí­ y Vos Allá: Community, Support, and Well-Being Among Immigrants from Central America

Abstract

This project centers the lived experiences of immigrants from Central America and their social connections after immigrating to the United States. Amid the current “immigrant crisis” at the southern border, this investigation will contribute to our understanding of strengths-based, culturally informed, and relational explorations of immigrant health. Framed by a QuantCrit (Quantitative Critical Race theory), LatCrit (Latine/x Critical Race theory), and social support theories, this three-paper dissertation will first, describe the association between social network density and mental health outcomes of Central American immigrants. Second, this study will utilize social network analysis and personal interviews to map immigrant’s personal networks in order understand how immigrants conceptualize support. The final paper will build on the first two aims by focusing on the meaning of social networks for immigrants through semi-structured interviews and relational conversational methodologies. This analysis pays particular attention to the role digital transnational ties play in identity, integration, and support. This will provide additional information about how immigrant social networks are formed, maintained and how they impact health and integration experiences of Central American immigrants in the US. Collectively, findings from this project will contribute to strengths-based literature around immigrant health.