They maintain strong ties despite the border, drawn in the 1800s, and the effects of the civil war in Guatemala which forced many Guatemalan Chuj to flee to Mexico and live as refugees in the 1980s and 90s. Now, about 6,000 Chuj live in 36 settlements in the area of Tziscao, the largest Chuj community in Mexico.
Most of the Chuj refugees from Guatemala are now Mexican citizens, but the Mexican government continues to deny the Chuj, both those born in Mexico and those naturalized later, their own cultural heritage. They are forced to live in confined communities with little land for farming in a region where there are few other job opportunities. The few government-built schools do not offer any intercultural education and they are located far away so that most students walk an hour or two each way, a grave safety concern, especially for girls.