The Historically Significant Migrations both into and out of
Belize
In the 1520's, Cortez led the Conquistadors into Maya lands around the
Belize river but had considerable trouble subduing the Maya, who fought
fiercely and moved interior as needed. The Spanish made no lasting
settlement in the area of current Belize, but settled both to the north and
south.
In the 1600's, a group of British buccaneers moved south from the
Yucatan Peninsula under harassment from the Spanish and set up a log
cutting settlement forty two miles up the Belize river. After a number of
years, these Baymen established a permanent town at the mouth of the
Belize river which later became Belize City. (Foster, 1987)
As the log cutting enterprises grew, the British Baymen tried to
recruit or enslave the indigenous peoples of the area for their enterprises,
but met with poor results. They then turned to importing African slaves,
in small numbers, to cut Mahogany for export. Slaves were continually
imported in small numbers (compared to the rest of Latin and North
America) until emancipation.
The next major set of migrants came south as a result of the caste
wars in Mexico in 1848. These immigrants set up small scale agricultural
holdings in the north, and in their sheer numbers, doubled the population of
the settlement. (Shoman, SPEAR; Second annual studies, 1990)
The Garifuna:
The Garifuna are a distinct ethnic group of people who are descendants of
Carib Amerindians and West Africans who escaped slave ships and settled
on St. Vincent island (in the 1600's). In the 1790's, the British fought the
Garifuna for control of St. Vincent, and by 1797, the British completely
defeated the Garifuna. By 1802, Garifuna had visited Belize City and 150
Garifuna settlers lived in Stann Creek Town in the south of Belize. On
November 19, 1823, a new group of Garifuna moved from Honduras to
Belize to escape a war there and settled in Punta Gorda, Stann Creek,
Newtown, Seirre Bight and Barranco (all in the south). (Nembhard, 1990)
Out migrations and Inmigration of the Modern Era:
Between 1942 and 1944, 2200 mostly Creole men were recruited for
agricultural work in the United States to fill a void left by World War II.
Only half returned after the war ended. This is the only instance where
Belizeans emigrated to perform farm work. Future migrants would seek
work in major cities, especially New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
14,463 Belize born immigrants were in the United States legally
from 1960-1980 with an implied net immigration of 32,409. Another
20,584 left between 1970-1980. Two-thirds of Belizean immigrants are
in the United States illegally, but tend to assimilate to the population
because of their skin color and ability to speak the English language. In
1985, it was estimated that 60,000 and 70,000 Belizeans were living in
the United States. This represents 35-40% of the total population of
Belize. (Vernon, SPEAR;Second annual studies, 1990)
The emigrants are typically between 20 and 34 years of age, more
educated and more skilled than the national population.
Belize City, which had 76% of the Creole population in 1980, grew by
only 1% between 1970 and 1980. Dangriga, which is 70% Garifuna had a
negative population growth in the same period. At this same time, the net
urban population of the country grew by 13% while the rural grew by 22%.
A pattern of migration occurred which is roughly this: Creoles from
Belize City moved to the United States, Garifuna moved to Belize City,
rural Belizeans (Maya, Mestizo and Garifuna) moved into the cities and
refugees from the civil wars in Guatemala, El Salvador and now Mexico
moved into the rural areas. (Vernon, SPEAR;Second annual studies, 1990)
Push and Pull Factors involved in the Emigration to the United
States:
Private land, which was previously owned by the British has passed
to American speculators, and as a result, 80% of private land or 32% of
Belize belongs to Americans.
The beginnings of U.S. migration occurred in the early 1940's, at a
time when the forestry industry was slowing and the Sugar industry was
not quite picking up. Devaluation of the Belizean dollar on December 31,
1949 continued to hurt the poorer sections of Belize City who were
already having to deal with unemployment. (Vernon, SPEAR;Second annual
studies, 1990)
So, just as economic expansion in the post war United States, pulled
many Belizeans to the north, it was the general lack of economic growth,
high unemployment and poor standards of living that provided the push
forces for the sustained migration.
The absence of any strong sense of connection to Belize, of
awareness of Belize's history and culture, and the feeling that one not is
participating in and benefiting from development, increases the extent to
which Belizeans react to real or perceived economic disparities between
Belize and the US. by emigrating.
The Creole dominated exodus can be seen as economic and cultural.
Belize City, the Creole center has historically experienced the highest
rates of unemployment in Belize. There is also an argument that stresses
the Creole's historic aversion to the land. Creole's ancestors were slaves
forced to labor in the Forests. They were discouraged from farming and
when civil service jobs opened, they were the first to fill them. When the
economy switched from logging to sugar and many service jobs closed,
Creole's were not particularly attuned to agricultural work.(Vernon,
SPEAR;Second annual studies, 1990)
And, because it was the Creole's ancestors who came into closest
contact with the colonizers, who were most enslaved and most intensely
deculturalized and reoriented, it is the Creole population today that is the
most culturally alienated.
As was stated earlier, the best, youngest and brightest of the Creole
population are most likely to emigrate, either through kin networks, or by
studying in the United States, and not returning home. (Vernon,
SPEAR;Second annual studies, 1990)