Guatemalan History in Tuscarawas County

Who are the Guatemalans?

The Latinos that reside in Tuscarawas County are mainly from the country of Guatemala in Central America. The migration to our county first started around 30 years ago with the men being recruited by local companies to work. Through the years, the men’s families migrated to join them here as they started to find a new way of life and become a part of the community.

Guatemala is a very diverse country that is made up of 21 different Indigenous Mayan communities that make up an estimated 51 percent of the national population. That same diversity is reflected here in Tuscarawas County. The main two communities in our county are the K’iche’ and Ixil communities which have their own languages with the same name. It is true that most families speak Spanish, however, it is their second language following the Mayan language. This means that many of them are already bilingual before they learn English. You can also spot the difference between groups by the designs on their ‘cortes’ (skirts) that the women wear.