Understanding why Central America invariably ranks as the most violent region in the world outside an official war zone has been a question that has always intrigued Maria Jose Mendez. But it was not until she started organizing with MIRAC (Minnesota Immigrants’ Rights Action Committee) that she realized the gravity of the matter and how the upsurge of violence in the region has led to increased migration. Moreover, Maria's participation in an activist caravan that traveled throughout Central America in March 2016 further attuned her to the deeper transnational dimensions of violence.

Maria has conducted multi-sited fieldwork in Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico and the United States between 2016 and 2018. During this research, she spoke to former gang members, local experts on the gang phenomenon, human rights activists, government officials, internally displaced peoples, and migrants.