As part of our class discussion, I researched a few websites about Salvadoran Immigrants in the United States.  As we know, civil wars engulfed several Central American counties in the 1980s.  Hundreds of thousands of Salvadorans fled their country and came to the United States.

Between 1980 and 1990, the Salvadoran population in the US increased from 94,000 to 465,000.  The number continued to grow due to the natural disasters that hit El Salvador.  An estimated 1.2 million Salvadoran immigrants are currently in the US which puts them as the sixth largest immigrant group after Mexican, Filipino, Indian, Chinese and Vietnamese foreign born.

Migration Information Source - Salvadoran Immigrants in the United States

The immigrant population from this tiny Central American country is now nearly as large as the immigrant population from much larger China. (As reference, China's total population is 200 times larger and its territory is about 500 times larger than El Salvador's.)

Quick little visit down to Mexico.  I thought I'd share.

Religions in El Salvador

El Salvador religion is mainly Roman Catholic, although El Salvador Protestant groups have lately become very active.  There are over a million Protestant evangelicals residing in El Salvador.

El Salvador: The Role of Religion


According to CIA World Factbook 

Roman Catholic 57.1%,
Protestant 21.2%,
Jehovah's Witnesses 1.9%,
Mormon 0.7%,
other religions 2.3%
none 16.8% (2003 est.)

The Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang started in Los Angeles in the 80s by Salvadoran immigrants.  The gang's main purpose was to protect Salvadoran immigrants from other gangs in LA. 

National Geographic has made a documentary called World's Most Dangerous Gang, portraying MS-13.

 

MS-13 InSight Crime

 

 

 

 

Short clip I found on El Salvador.