Fragmented Identities: Contention of Space and Identity Among Salvadoran Deportees

Abstract

The focus of this chapter is on male, Salvadoran deportees, aged 20–35, who after spending their formative years in the United States are faced with the task of reintegrating into Salvadoran society. Through this sample, the chapter explores the experience of deportees in the growing call-center sector and the consequences of deportation on their lives. Specifically, the chapter highlights (1) the experience of young, male deportees in call-centers, (2) their networks of support, (3) and the recent evolution of Salvadoran migration policy. El Salvador’s growing call-center industry serves as the backdrop, as a call-center was the site where the participants for the study were interviewed, and is a setting continuously framed as a site of criminality by local Salvadorans.