While past research has been conducted on the effects of the United States’ interference with Guatemala over the past century, and how that has affected the state of the country politically, there has been a lack of discussion regarding how this has affected Guatemalan people culturally. Guatemala is a country that often is outcasted by a large percentage of Latin America socially, and continues to be silenced in the politically, especially in the United States, due to false misconceptions that have been created and continue to be widespread based on the effects of the bioterrorism the country experienced at the hands of the U.S., as well as it's silent Holocaust and how that affected its people.

 This research is inspired by my experiences growing up as a Guatemalan American woman in the U.S., learning from my parents' cultural experiences growing up in Guatemala and migrating to the United States. Living in Los Angeles, where there is a significant percentage of the Guatemalans residing in the country, I've witnessed various first hand narratives

Through collecting data from digital sources such as online research journals and databases, I've also collected first-hand testimonies from the Guatemalan community about how these misconceptions have followed them throughout their lives and ultimately had a negative effect on them in various aspects. I have also collected examples of our government's repeated exclusion of the country, and how this has affected the Guatemalan people living in the United states, who make up a significant portion of our country's population as migration of Guatemalan immigrants continues to rise. 

Ultimately, I hope this research can inspire a call to action to bring more awareness, both  culturally, and legislatively, to the issues Guatemalan people have faced at the hands of our country, and encourage the start of reparation.