‘Now I Can Help Someone’: Social Remittances Among Returned Migrants in Highland Guatemala

Abstract

Migrants’ social remittances—ideas, ways of thinking, and social practices—may change families and communities of origin and drive sociopolitical development. From a small town in the northern highlands of Guatemala, 16 diverse returned internal and international migrants were interviewed about perceived changes in their sense of citizenship, poverty, labor rights, interethnic relations, and gender norms. Three focus groups of internal migrants, international migrants, and nonmigrants explored the same topics. Interpretive phenomenological analysis of the interviews and content analysis of the focus groups revealed social remittances in all areas, and also increased valuing of education. Social remittances concerning gender equality and the value of education were primarily transmitted to the family, and those about citizenship, poverty, and labor relations to the community at large. Nonmigrants reported observing some of the same positive social remittances, but also negative attitudinal changes among returned migrants. Findings imply that returned migrants perceive changes in themselves and their ideas that are transmitted to their families and communities. Social remittances may hold underutilized development potential in Guatemala.