Today, migrants are the producers of an enormous digital almanac of the trek to the United States, documenting the route and its pitfalls in such detail that, in a few stretches, people can find their way on their own, without smugglers.
By Reynaldo Mena
In a recent visit to a migrant shelter in Mexico City, dozens of Venezuelans, Haitians, Colombians, and a few from other countries had something in common: a mobile phone. Regardless of the brand, model, or appearance, these devices were their only link to their families and news about the violence and dangers of the countries they traverse on their way to the United States.
“Tomorrow we’re leaving,” a woman with a mobile phone in hand tells me. “We’ve seen the news; if we turn ourselves in at the border, we get a court appointment, and that can take months, but we’re already there.”
Often driven by rumors, fake news, or government warnings, mobile phones and social media have become vital instruments for their journey. Now, cellphones and social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok are drastically changing the equation once again, fueling the next evolution of global movement.
Today, migrants are the producers of an enormous digital almanac of the trek to the United States, documenting the route and its pitfalls in such detail that, in a few stretches, people can find their way on their own, without smugglers. And as migrants stream their struggles and successes to millions back home, some are becoming small-time celebrities and influencers in their own right, inspiring others to make the trek as well.
Their posts, pictures, videos, and memes are not just in Spanish but also in the array of languages spoken by migrants from around the globe who are increasingly showing up at the southern border of the United States.
According to a report from The New York Times, information flows in all languages with one common goal: the United States.
“In Mandarin, the route from South America to the United States is called ‘zouxian’ or ‘trek.’ In Hindi, Haryanvi, and Punjabi, languages spoken in India, it is part of ‘dunki,’ a reference to a ‘donkey’ or informal route. In Haitian Creole, the Darién jungle is ‘raje’ or ‘ditch.’ In Pashto and Persian, languages spoken in Afghanistan, migration through the Americas is often referred to as a ‘game.’
“But the content can be more profitable for social media companies, which make money from posts about migration the same way they do from cat videos, experts say: the longer viewers watch or scroll, the more advertisements they can be shown.”
Spanish-language posts with the tag #migracion on TikTok have nearly two billion views, according to figures reported by the platform. So do posts marked #darien, which sometimes appear between ads for H&M and the iPhone15.
On Facebook, migration-related groups flourish — one has more than half a million members — creating an open marketplace for smugglers who call themselves “advisers” or “guides.” The company says that offering smuggling services violates its policies, and that it makes an enormous effort to identify and remove such content, including working with the United Nations. Still, The New York Times found more than 900 cases of Facebook users offering passage toward the United States.
“Accompanying you toward your dreams!” read one recent Facebook post, where a group calling itself a “travel agency” advertises several routes through the Darién.
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