Children without Borders: A Mapping of the Literature on Unaccompanied Migrant Children to the United States

Abstract

In this article, we seek to map out what we know concerning unaccompanied migrant minors, with a focus on unaccompanied migrant children coming to the United States. We base our review on research and reports that document the migration of Mexican and Central American children. In contrast to reports that focus on only the receiving end, we take a broader approach to shedding light on the different facets of the unaccompanied children’s migration. Thus, we include the following areas: the migration processes (initiation, transit, arrival, and integration in both Mexico and the United States); the institutions (shelters and detention centers) involved in unaccompanied minors’ migration; and the glocal polity (local, national, and international laws) that have a profound impact on this migration. Niños sin fronteras: Un diagnóstico de la literatura sobre niños migrantes a Estados UnidosResumenEste artículo presenta un mapeo de la información que hasta ahora tenemos sobre menores migrantes no acompañados. Se enfoca en las experiencias de menores no acompañados que migran de Centroamérica y México a Estados Unidos, y está basado en una revisión de los estudios e informes que documentan esta migración. En vez de centrarse sólo en información desde el punto de vista del país receptor, este artículo parte de un enfoque amplio para arrojar luz en diferentes facetas de la migración de los niños no acompañados. Así, las áreas que incluimos son: los procesos de migración (iniciación, tránsito, llegada e integración), las instituciones a cargo de estos menores (los centros de refugio y detención en el transcurso del tránsito), y el sistema de gobierno glocal (local, nacional y los derechos internacionales) que moldea profundamente esta migración.

Cover image

Keywords

• unaccompanied minors
• child migration
• transnational migration
• Mexico
• United States

How to Cite

References

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76. Date of receipt: October 7, 2008.
77. Date of acceptance: April 7, 2009