Las Patronas and their agency around Central American Migration in transit through Mexico

Abstract

In a context in which migration policies are increasingly severe, searching to limit the mobility of people, especially those who have non-business or high-income tourism purposes, discrimination, criminalization, and violence emerge towards those who do not have the "established requirements". As a counterbalance, the emergence of civil society collectives that build support or assistance networks for vulnerable migrants is worth noting. With the information obtained through a multi-sited ethnography and taking as analytical reference the agency and experience proposed by Norman Long, this article presents the case of Las Patronas and their actions around Central American transit migration through Mexico. The women, Las Patronas, are transforming the reality of migrants in transit and their community. Their actions on behalf of migrants in transit have gradually become a focus (and a role model) for other groups, volunteers, and even institutions at the national or international levels. Hence, its community has little by little benefited from the actions of Las Patronas and external agents.