Women in Santa Eulalia, Guatemala through the Concepts of Rootedness, Community, and Migration.

Authors

Helen Hobson, Kennesaw State University

Abstract

This essay explores the experiences of Maya Q’anjob’al women in the villages of Santa Eulalia in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. Women from eleven communities participated in group interviews during the four months I spent conducting fieldwork in 2024, thus building upon my findings from 2022 and 2023. Questions focused on their daily lives, their connections to people and places, strategies for generating income, and the impact of migration on their lives and the community. Two broad themes emerged from the interviews. The first relates to their relationships to the land and community, and how this rootedness supports a wholistic (Indigenous) sense of well-being, including economic possibilities. The second theme that emerged centered on their experiences with migration. The women shared intimate stories of coping with the pain and uncertainty of losing contact with loved ones, family breakdown, and abandonment. Their rootedness to their spiritual beliefs and practices, as well as family agreements, accompany them as they face fear and injustice.

Publication Date

12-19-2025

Keywords

Santa Eulalia, Guatemala, Maya, Migration, Rootedness, Community

Author Bio(s)

Helen Hobson is a PhD candidate in the School of Conflict Management, Peacebuilding, and Development at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. Her research focuses on how young adults are rooted to Santa Eulalia and how this rootedness shapes their aspirations and efforts to stay in Guatemala and not migrate. Helen has many years of experience with the immigrant community in Georgia and Colorado as a teacher and as an activist.

DOI

10.62915/2688-9188.1204

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License.