La Caravana de la Resistencia: Narratives of Survival and Displacement from LGBTQI Central American Asylum Seekers

Abstract

Using four stories from members of the first trans-gay caravan of Central American asylum seekers—nicknamed by supporters Arcoíris 17—this thesis analyzes gendered structural, legal and everyday violence in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua—where most of Arcoíris 17 members are from. This thesis evaluates the role of gendered violence in the displacement of LGBTQI communities. The experiences of Arcoíris 17 showed that this violence followed them north, into Mexico—where the caravan’s mobilization became even more dangerous, as the country increasingly violates the human rights of Central American asylum seekers, under the pretext of immigration enforcement. It was also in Mexico, where many of the caravan members were attacked by organized crime. Their final destination was the United States, where members of Arcoíris 17 applied for asylum, and subsequently were exposed to other forms of violence, as they were imprisoned in detention centers. However, these stories of vulnerabilities don’t define the lives of Arcoíris 17—a community with agency and in constant resistance against heteronormative, racist states and societies.