About Central American Disruption
Central American Disruption is a popular educational and solidarity building project geared towards the Central American diaspora in the imperial core. Guided by principles of queer, feminist, Indigenous and Black liberation, Buen Vivir, anti capitalism, anti imperialism, and opposition to all systems of oppression, Central American Disruption is a rich starting point for Central Americans and other folks interested in learning about and building solidarity with the region and its communities.
There are approximately 3.5 million Central Americans in the U.S., representing 8 percent of the immigrants in the country as of 2017. More than 4.4 million international migrants from Central America worldwide have settled in another country, according to 2017 estimates by the United Nations Population Division. Diaspora Central Americans make up around 18% of the global Central American population—almost a fifth.
Central American Disruption was originally founded as The CentAm Collective in 2019 in response to mis/disinformation about the region, particularly in regards to the so-called “crises” of migration, poverty, and violence that the imperial core has manufactured in the region. These powers claim to be actively working towards ending these “crises” while perpetuating scarcity with neoliberal policies in the age of globalization.
I hope to embody the literal meaning of Central American Disruption as well as provide the diaspora in the Global North with resources to embody it themselves as we resist oppressive structures of power and navigate our lives in the Global North. By combating the disinformation we grew up hearing about ourselves and learning about our revolutionary histories, we can build solidarity with frontline communities paving the way for liberation and building a better world.
Mission
Central American Disruption works towards global liberation and the demise of all oppressive systems. CAD produces and distributes popular education guided by communal histories and teachings and emphasizes the importance of building transnational solidarity with organizations in Central America, within the diaspora, and imperialized communities around the world.
Vision
A world liberated from processes of colonialism, imperialism, neoliberalism, and global capitalism, racism, and other oppressive processes, where all forms of life are protected and prioritized. Humans and other forms of life have the freedom to experience abundant lives in our homelands.
About the founder
I was born and raised in occupied Lenape land (known as Queens, New York City) by my two Guatemalan parents. I grew up in a niche Central American community that consisted of Guatemalans, Salvadorans, and Nicaraguans, that lay a strong cultural foundation, complemented by my mother’s storytelling of her life in El Quiché, Guatemala. Put in a predominantly white institution (PWI) by the age of 12, I began searching for a larger community to connect to by the end of high school. Although I found some temporary relief in large Latinx social media pages , I eventually found them to be Mexican-centric, harmfully perpetuated the myth of mestizaje, and silent on Central American culture and current events. For a few years at that point, Central American migration had been a trending issue in mainstream media and Donald Trump was president of the United States as he loudly dehumanized Central Americans and misrepresented causes of migration. Motivated by these factors, and many others, I founded The CentAm Collective in July 2019.
I graduated in 2023 from the University of Oxford with a Master’s of Science in Migration Studies and from New York University Abu Dhabi in 2020 with a B.A. in Arab Crossroads Studies and a minor in Political Science.
Timeline
July 24, 2019: The CentAm Collective is launched via Instagram as an empowering community-building space for the digital Central American diaspora worldwide.
November 1, 2019: The CentAm Collective’s website is launched, along with its Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn pages and newsletter.
July 24, 2021: The CentAm Collective is renamed and rebranded as Central American Disruption with clear political and educational goals targeted towards the Central American diaspora raised and based in the Global North.
About the Central American Diaspora
There are approximately 3.5 million Central Americans in the U.S., representing 8 percept of the immigrants in the country as of 2017. More than 4.4 million international migrants from Central America worldwide have settled in another country, according to 2017 estimates by the United Nations Population Division. Almost 80 percent resided in the United States, which was the top destination for every origin country from the region except Nicaragua, whose primary destination was Costa Rica. Approximately 15 percent (649,000) had settled in another country in Latin America and the Caribbean, with Mexico being a common destination. Another 2 percent of Central American migrants resided in Southern Europe (109,000) and 2 percent were in Canada (100,000).
Top Destinations for Diaspora by Nationality
Costa Rica:
United States: 90,000
Nicaragua: 11,000
Canada: 10,000
Panama: 8,000
Mexico: 3,000
Spain: 3,000
Belize:
United States: 53,000
Mexico: 3,000
Canada: 2,000
Guatemala: 1,000
Bolivia: 1,000
Guatemala:
United States: 976,000
Mexico: 55,000
Belize: 25,000
Canada: 18,000
El Salvador: 9,000
Spain: 7,000
EL SALVADOR
United States: 1,393,000
Canada: 51,000
Guatemala: 20,000
Costa Rica: 14,000
Italy: 13,000
Australia: 12,000
Nicaragua:
Costa Rica: 294,000
United States: 276,00
Spain: 21,000
Panama: 13,000
Canada: 10,000
Honduras:
United States: 598,000
Spain: 42,000
Mexico: 15,000
Nicaragua: 13,000
El Salvador: 12,000
PANAMA:
United States: 114,000
Costa Rica: 11,000
Spain: 4,000
Canada: 3,000
Sources: Migration Policy Institute