Latin American Migrants, Vulnerability, and Financial Access: A Study on the San Diego–Tijuana Border

In the San Diego–Tijuana border region, characterized by human mobility dynamics, institutional vulnerability, and inequalities, experiences of financial exclusion among Latin American migrants are deeply intertwined. This study draws on in-depth interviews with 14 migrants from Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, including both men and women. It analyzes factors such as undocumented status, institutional mistrust, cultural barriers, and regulatory requirements that shape access to financial services. In contexts of exclusion, migrants resort to social support networks, informal strategies, and emerging digital options such as fintech. The study adopts a qualitative design, using an analysis based on emerging categories to construct analytical dimensions grounded in participants’ trajectories and voices. The findings show that financial inclusion does not depend solely on access to services, but also on recognizing the lived experiences, emotions, and everyday obstacles faced by migrants. Far from being passive recipients, migrants play an active role in building responses to exclusion. The study concludes that making these practices visible and designing policies grounded in migrants’ realities are essential steps toward a more just and accessible financial system.