Students will emerge with a deeper understanding of the key concepts and themes that define modern Central American history, a more nuanced view of U.S. foreign policy in that history, and an appreciation of its impact on Latinx migration in recent years.

(1917–1980) Archbishop Oscar Romero was a religious leader and activist in El Salvador during the 1960s and 1970s.

(1893–1932) Farabundo Marti was born in Teotepeque, a small farming community in El Salvador.

Claudia Lars was born in Armenia, El Salvador in 1899 as Margarita del Carmen Brannon Vega.

(1944– ) Alvaro Rogelio Gómez Estrada was born in Santa Cruz del Quiché, Guatemala.

(1935–1975) Roque Dalton was born in Quetzaltepeque, El Salvador.

(1885–1936) Prudencia Ayala was a Salvadoran Afro-indigenous writer, social activist, and early campaigner for women's rights in El Salvador and first woman to run for president in El Salvador and Latin America.

(1935– ) Manlio Argueta was born in San Miguel, El Salvador. A student at the University of San Salvador, he helped found the University Literary Circle in 1956…

A 45-page free, downloadable bilingual book for children about the experiences of a 12-year-old boy in San Francisco who immigrated to the United States when he was 10.

This series of lessons invites students to investigate the role of the United States in Guatemala and El Salvador in the 20th century.

This series of lessons uses the country of El Salvador as a case study to provide important historical context for contemporary immigration issues.

In Central America, we generally associate indigenous peoples with Guatemala. However, if you look closely, you will also see much evidence of Salvadorans' indigenous heritage.

By  William Archila

In this two-part lesson, students learn about the history and culture of El Salvador through Claribel Alegria’s poem “Little Cambray Tamales” and also write their own recipe poems.

Poem by Claribel Alegria

Poem by Claudia Lars. PDF copy available.

Poem by Claribel Alegría. PDF copy available.

Poem by Roque Dalton. PDF copy available.

A brief overview of Salvadoran history up until the late 20th century.

In this instructional unit, students draw on the When We Were Young website and literature (fiction and nonfiction) to understand the civil wars in El Salvador and Guatemala and the ongoing effects of these conflicts on Central America and the United States.