On April 9, 2026, Dr. Elizabeth Aranda, Director of the Im/migrant Well-Being Research Center at the 51做厙, and PhD. student Emely Matos-Pichardo presented findings from their ingoing research at the 89th Annual Meeting of the Southern Sociological Society (SSS), held April 8-11, 2026 in Jacksonville, Florida.
Their presentation, "Post-Disaster Return Migration to Puerto Rico: Challenges, Benefits and Implications for Future Migration," is part of a larger study examining the lived experiencs of Puerto Ricans who returned to the island following Hurricane Maria. The research addresses a significant gap in the literature, as very little scholarly attention has been paid to what happens after families return and what drives some to consider leaving again.
Drawing on in-depth qualitative interviews, the study identifies several key themes. Among the challenges returnees face are economic precarity (e.g., low wages, job scarcity, and rising costs of living), housing instability stemming from ongoing structural damage and unresolved repairs, barriers within education and healthcare systems, and the strain that return migration places on family relationships. However, findings reveal many meaningful benefits to returning. Participants described enjoying a slower and more peaceful life style, the opportunity to reconnect with family and care for aging parents, and a deep sense of cultural identity and belonging that many had felt was missing during their time on the mainland.
The research also sheds light on the implications of re-migration, with several participants expressing the desire or intention to return to the US, which highlights the circular and conditional nature of migration as it is shaped by structural factors that predate and persist beyond the disaster itself.
This research is supported by the National Science Foundation, the Russell Sage Foundation, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.