This collection centers Central American women’s voices within the growing narrative of the Central American diaspora. It provides a tapestry of testimonios—from grandmothers, mothers, daughters, and sisters—who explore what it means to be Central American women in the United States.
Through the practice of testimonio, contributors create intergenerational dialogues between mothers and daughters, engage with Indigenous oral traditions, and reflect on the violent histories of war in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The volume is organized around five themes: political histories, migration, gender and sexuality, navigating institutions, and healing. Within each theme contributors tackle a range of issues, including Central American political histories, healing, grief, Indigenous knowledge, memory, trauma, post-traumatic growth, organizing, creativity, and agency.
This anthology spans genres such as poetry, essay, and visual art to present diverse perspectives, including Indigenous, Afro-Indigenous, queer, and working-class voices. An intervention that centers gendered experiences and challenges oppressive structures, this volume celebrates the solidarity, cultural memory, and healing found within transnational ties.
Karina Alma is an assistant professor in the Chicano/a and Central American Studies Department at University of California, Los Angeles. She is a published poet and a co-editor of U.S. Central Americans: Reconstructing Memories, Struggles, and Communities of Resistance.
Ester E. Hernández is a professor of anthropology at California State University Los Angeles. She is co-editor of the anthology U.S. Central Americans: Reconstructing Memories, Struggles, and Communities of Resistance.
