About Isthmic Solidarity Project
Isthmic Solidarity Project is a popular educational and solidarity building project geared towards the Central American diaspora in the imperial core. Guided by principles of queer, feminist, Indigenous and Black liberation, Buen Vivir, anti capitalism, anti imperialism, and opposition to all systems of oppression, Isthmic Solidarity Project is a rich starting point for Central Americans and other folks interested in learning about and building solidarity with the region and its communities.
With over 5.7 million Central Americans migrating to different countries, migration is a big part of our community and culture. This includes the challenges that come with an increasingly bordered and surveilled world. You can learn more about Central American migration with sources below.
Isthmic Solidarity Project was originally founded as The CentAm Collective in 2019 in response to mis/disinformation about the region, particularly in regards to the so-called “crises” of migration, poverty, and violence that the imperial core has manufactured in the region. Over the years, this project has evolved to build popular awareness and power to combat these systems that oppress us.
Mission
Isthmic Solidarity Project works towards global liberation and the demise of all oppressive systems. ISP produces and distributes popular education guided by communal histories and teachings and emphasizes the importance of building transnational solidarity with organizations in Central America, within the diaspora, and all communities under occupation and extractivism around the world.
Vision
A world liberated from processes of colonialism, imperialism, neoliberalism, capitalism, racism, and other oppressive processes, where all forms of life are protected and prioritized. All forms of life have the freedom to experience abundant lives in our homelands or wherever they choose.
Timeline
July 24, 2019: The CentAm Collective is launched via Instagram as an empowering community-building space for the digital Central American diaspora worldwide.
November 1, 2019: The CentAm Collective’s website is launched, along with its Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn pages and newsletter.
July 24, 2021: The CentAm Collective is renamed and rebranded as Central American Disruption with clear political and educational goals targeted towards the Central American diaspora raised and based in the Global North.
August 2024: Central American Disruption becomes the Isthmic Solidarity Project with a refined vision and approach.
June 2026: Isthmic Solidarity Project officially expands into a collaborative of people based in northern Abya Yala with roots in the isthmus known as Central America.
About the Central American Diaspora
There are approximately 4.3 million Central Americans in the U.S., representing 9 percent of the 47.8 million immigrants in the country as of 2023. More than 1.4 million Central Americans worldwide have settled in another country, according to 2023 estimates by the United Nations Population Division.
Top Destinations for Diaspora by Nationality
Costa Rica:
United States: 105,000
Panama: 14,000
Nicaragua: 12,000
Mexico: 5,000
Canada: 5,000
Belize:
United States: 50,000
Mexico: 3,000
Guatemala: 1,000
Bolivia: 1,000
Guatemala:
United States: 1,299,000
Mexico: 81,000
Belize: 30,000
Canada: 18,000
El Salvador: 9,000
Honduras: 5,000
EL SALVADOR
United States: 1,570,000
Mexico: 55,000
Canada: 49,000
Spain: 42,000
Italy: 25,000
Guatemala: 23,000
Nicaragua:
Costa Rica: 423,000
United States: 295,000
Spain: 98,000
Panama: 24,000
Mexico: 18,000
Canada: 10,000