Something lost, something gained: The trade-offs of Puerto Rican Hurricane Maria migrants.

Abstract

In the aftermath of Hurricane María's devastating impact on Puerto Rico in September 2017, a wave of migration to the continental United States followed. Despite Puerto Rico's territorial association with the United States, its distinct culture and language often render its migrants as cultural minorities who are often treated as foreigners. Prior research has indicated that natural disasters can have a profound effect on the family unit, so examining the experiences of displacement and resettlement of Puerto Rican parents can shed light on the challenges faced by these families. Using cultural stress theory and psychological sense of community as guiding frameworks, this qualitative study aimed to explore the experience of Puerto Rican parents displaced to the United States following Hurricane María. A total of 42 Puerto Rican Hurricane María migrant parents agreed to participate in semistructured interviews. Our findings illuminate a trade-off in the lives of Puerto Rican migrants: As they departed their homeland, they exchanged social connections, support networks, and the vibrant social fabric of Puerto Rico for the promise of economic stability, reduced crime, and enhanced prospects for themselves and their children in the United States. This study represents a crucial contribution to the understanding of Puerto Ricans who have embarked on the challenging journey of relocating in the aftermath of Hurricane María. It underscores how they grapple with the multifaceted challenges and benefits inherent in their roles as cross-cultural climate migrants, transitioning from the predominantly Spanish-speaking, Latin American context of Puerto Rico to the diverse landscape of the United States. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).