Washington, D.C. is home to thousands of Central American migrants impacted by the widespread violence in their home countries. In October we hosted a community roundtable, moderated by WAMU’s Armando Trull. The panel served as a platform for those in the District who work with Salvadorans and other Central Americans to engage in a robust conversation about the underlying causes and the far-reaching impacts of the violence in the countries. The audience included more than 50 academics, staff from local community-based organizations and Carlos Rosario School teachers.

Panelists Ana Patricia Rodriguez, University of Maryland; Victoria Reitig, Migration Policy Institute; Abel Nuñez, CARECEN and Caitlin Tromizcak, Carlos Rosario School discussed the context of violence, debated key terms used to describe the country’s current situation, and shared some bright spot solutions for working with impacted populations. Audience questions included panelists’ policy recommendations for the region and advice for second generation children looking to educate themselves on the histories that still impact the region today. The rich conversation demonstrated that the challenges in El Salvador and neighboring countries are complex and often contentious.

Before the roundtable began, audience members shared Salvadoran refreshments compliments of El Tamarindo Restaurant and Catering by Benjamin.