ABSTRACT
CENTRAL AMERICANS HAVE MIGRATED for both economic and political reasons, and preliminary research on Central Americans who have come to the United States in recent years suggests that in many cases it is difficult to separate the two (Schoultz 1987, 11–13). Generally, some combination of “push” and “pull” factors influence the decision to migrate, and individual decisions occur within a framework of internal and international structures that condition individual needs and the choices available (Papademetriou 1983, 472–78; Portes and Bach 1985; Zolberg, Suhrke, and Aguayo 1986; Cohen 1987). Temporary moves may become permanent if reasons for leaving continue or are aggravated or the rationale for remaining is increased, as happens when families of labor migrants join them in the host country (Zolberg 1983, 36). Even cyclical migration may establish patterns and networks that become the basis for long-term or permanent migration (Portes 1983, 74–75; Kearney 1986, 353).
