From The Heart Of The Puuc Region: Return Narratives By Yucatec Migrants

Abstract

This paper analyzes the return of young migrants from Xohuayan, a rural town located in the southern part of the state of Yucatan. In the year 2000, those migrants went to Santa Rosa and San Francisco, California. Most of them stayed in the United States between 3 and 10 years, and then decided to return to their hometown. Analyzing their contrasting experiences and narratives, this paper shows that the return of the migrants is related to three main reasons: the achievement of those goals that had originally motivated them to leave, the desire to escape from an exhausting and stressful life in the United States, and the hope of finding a marriage partner. I also explain the relevance of maintaining strong ties with their hometown and a strong sense of belonging as factors that facilitate the reintegration of returning migrant into their communities.