This point of entry provides historical context of Central American displacement and underdevelopment as well as the structural issues underpinning the current humanitarian crisis.
Central Americans and Asylum Policy in the Reagan Era
Susan Gzesh
2006
Gzesh outlines the implications of linkages between American foreign policy and immigration policy throughout the 1980s. Her key argument is that the lack of official recognition of Central Americans as refugees by the US had significant impacts on both those seeking official refugee status and the efforts of civil society in response.
Central American Migration : A Framework for Analysis
Nora Hamilton and Norma Stoltz Chincilla
1991
This paper analyzes patterns of migration in Central America between the 19th and early 20th centuries. The author atributes migratory patterns to economic crisis and political conflicts stemming from transitions towards capitalist economies and processes of industrialization.
Refugees and Peace in Central America
Alan Simmons
1994
A collection of works on three central tenets of underdevelopment mitigation in Central America. First, the importance of returning refugees in future development. Second, the importance of international organizations (official and non-governmental) with clear multi-dimensional objectives. Lastly, the major challenges facing the future development, namely the deep-seated structural issues perpetuating violence as well as concerns over both environmental sustainability and population flight.
Overview of Context 
Histories of Displacement 
Protection Issues 
Extraterritorial Border Control