Nearly half of Guatemala’s 14-million people are Mayan, whose first language is not Spanish. Through the years, they have preserved their ancient culture and over two-dozen languages indigenous to their different rural communities. These days, it is estimated that 1 out of 10 Guatemalans have migrated to the United States, many of them, Mayan.

In this special report funded by the Paul Robeson Fund, Latino USA’s Maria Martin visits some of the indigenous communities to find out why so many Mayans leave their families and their strong cultural traditions, and what happens when they return home.

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