Abstract
This thesis gives an ethnographic account of the past and present everyday realities of former migrant workers from the village San José Calderas in Guatemala. Most of these migrants had returned to the village after working some years abroad in the U.S., mostly picking fruits in what has been named the informal economy sector. In this way, it is a study of the precariousness of their lives that through narratives traces their journey in search for a better life, from Guatemala to the U.S. and back again to San José Calderas. Many studies have primarily focused on what happens to migrants when they arrive in the country where they work, but this thesis takes into account another side of this story, by investigating the life of returning migrants. By theorizing entrepreneurship, I argue that the mobility between borders creates a certain type of mind-set among the former migrants, thereby making them more equipped of starting their own business. The guiding company, APRODE, which was founded by former migrant workers, gives a more nuanced picture on flows of labour migration, and particularly looks at social relations and reciprocity in San José Calderas. It is a study of both agency and struggle, and how individuals seek to generate new opportunities to create a better security network and improve the local economy that in turn affects future village inhabitants’ motivation to travel abroad. It looks closer at social capital, reciprocity and remittances, and how these creates opportunities for a better future in the village. I argue that the study of migration does not always have to be presented in a negative light. In some instances, as my empirical data and analysis shows, migration can sometimes lead to a more positive outcome, an outcome where the migrants have been able to construct a better future for themselves back home, after spending years abroad. It is an ethnographic exploration of migration, entrepreneurship, and development. Keywords: Guatemala, migration, entrepreneurship, development, migrants, precariousness, remittances, informal economy, milpas, life stories.