+

Chapter 3: Migration

Key Issue 2: Where are migrants distributed???

+Global Migration Patterns

Asia, Latin America, and Africa have out-migration

North America, Europe, and Oceania have in-migration

Reflects importance of migration from LDC’s to MDC’s

+ U.S. Immigration

Pop of US includes 40 million foreign born individuals ½ are from Latin

America ¼ are from Asia

Other MDCs with high net migration Australia Canada Oil rich Middle East

Countries

+US Immigration Patterns

U.S. immigration patterns offer unique study 3rd most populous

country in the world Inhabited overwhelming

by descendents of immigrants

Three era’s of immigrations Settlement of colonies Mid 19th century- early

20th century 1970’s -today

+ Era I: Colonial Immigration from England and Africa 1600s- 1776

Sources: Africa Europe

Africa Slaves forced to migrate

400,000 shipped to 13 colonies

250,000 after 1808

European voluntary

Harsh economic conditions Religious persecution

1 million migrated prior to independence

1 million between 1700’s to 1840’s 1st to arrive settlers at

Jamestown, VA in 1607 90% prior to 1840 were British

+ Era II: 19th Century Immigration from Europe 40 million migrated to

US Pulled by economic

opportunities Mainly from Germany,

Italy, U.K, Ireland and Russia

3 peaks 1840s, 1850s 1880s 1900-1913

1840’s-1850’s 1st surge(4.3 million) Mainly came from Northern

and Western Europe Famine in Ireland (push) Germans

Welcomed Protestant/white/English

+2nd peak: 1880’s

500,000 migrants Northern and Western

Europe Many migrants from

Scandinavia Swedes Norwegians

Migrants coming from countries moving into Stage 2 of Demographic Transition due to the Industrial Revolution

+3rd peak of European Migration: 1900-1914

Nearly 2 million immigrants

2/3rds of immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe Italy Russia Austria-Hungary

Coincided with diffusion of Industrial Revolution

+Era III:1970s - Present

Asia: mainly 1970’s and 1980’s Mainly from China, Turkey,

and Japan During 1990’s and 2000’s

mainly from China, Philippines, and India

40% of Canadian immigration

Latin America Late 1800s, 1990’s, and

2000’s 500,000 a year to U.S. Mexico passes Germany in

2006 as the country that sent the US the most immigrants

Dominican Republic is #2 in L.A.

Pushed by: Poor conditions at home Land shortage Rapid population increase

Problems: US is no longer sparsely

settled No longer economically

booming Closed frontier

+

+Impact of Immigration on the United States

Legacy of European Migration Ended after WWI

Europe’s Demographic Transition

Rapid pop growth fueled migration

Migration was a safety valve

Europe now in Stage 4

Economies meet needs of people

Diffusion of European Culture

65 million European immigrants impacted world culture

Indo-European languages spoken by half the worlds population

Christianity most prevalent religion

Political and economic structures infused

Colonial empires

+ Undocumented Immigration to the United States

Legal immigration reached highest level in 20th century

More people want to enter than allowed

Called unauthorized (or undocumented) immigrants

Estimated at 11.9 million in 2008

59 % from Mexico22% from elsewhere in Latin America12% from Asia

Children2008 estimate:

6.3 million adult males4.1 million adult females

1.5 million children4 million children born in U.S. to undocumented parents

Creates conflict: Jobs

8.3 million of undocumented immigrants employed

Construction/ hospitality Border easy to cross

Border patrol Wall?

Some Americans angry at paying more taxes and losing jobs

Some favor work programs Belief that undocumented immigrants

take the jobs no one wants

Dream Act opposition

+

+ Destination of Immigrants within the United States

Clusters 1/5th in California

1/4th of undocumented 1/6th in New York Metro

Area

Proximity a factor Cuba / Florida Mexico/ Texas

Chain Migration Migration of people to a

specific location because relatives or members of same nationality previously migrated there

Job prospects affect settlement South and West have

rapid growth in jobs

+

Part II: Why do migrants face

obstacles?

+Immigration Policies of Host

Countries U.S. Quota Laws

Quota Act of 1921 and National Origins Act 1924 Unrestricted immigration ended

in 1921 Quotas established 1924: 2% of 1910 census

population Max 150,000

System continued until 1960’s Designed to ensure most

immigrants were European

Immigration Act of 1965 Quotas eliminated in 1968 and

replaced with hemisphere quotas Eastern = 170,000 Western= 120,000

1978 Quota Hemisphere quota replaced

with a global quota Total 290,000

Current Global Quota 620,000

7% max from one country

Today those with families are “preferred” Skilled workers preferred

Typical wait is 5 years Does not apply to refugees

Has to be “genuine”

+

+Immigration Issues

Brain Drain Most immigrants young,

well-educated US gives preference to

“skilled workers” Large-scale emigration

by talented people 84% in Haiti Asians

+Cultural Problems

US Attitudes Towards Immigrants Discrimination in 1840’s-

1850’s 1911: Southern and

Eastern Europeans were “inferior” Deemed “inclined towards

violent crimes” Resisted assimilation

When Frontier “closed” public thought so should immigration

Most recently undocumented workers have created a hostile issue CA, Arizona

Voted to deny unauthorized immigrants access to public services

+ Attitudes towards guest

workers In Europe, suffer from

poor social conditions Lonely life

Guest workers typically young males, no family

Issues with language create cultural barriers

Many oppose programs to improve guest workers living conditions France, Germany

Some try to pay workers to leave

+Guest Workers

Temporary Migration for Work Guest workers

Earn more than at home Help native populations

by sending $ back Take low-skill, low-

status jobs

Sending workers abroad is an economic strategy for peripheral and semi-peripheral countries Lessens local

unemployment Enables workers to send $

home Can help home countries

+Time-Contract Workers

Recruited for a fixed period to work in mines or on plantations When contract

expired, many stayed

Mainly in Asia China

American Example: Chinese railroad

workers 1860s

+Economic Migrants and

Refugees

Difficult to distinguish between Migrants seeking economic opportunity and refugees fleeing government persecution Examples:

Cuba Haiti Vietnam

Economic migrants are not admitted unless they have a special skills or a close relative Refugees have special priority

+Cuba

Cubans are regarded as political refugees since 1959 After Communist

Revolution/ Castro

600,000 admitted to US after revolution in 1959

2nd flood in 1980 when Fidel Castro allowed people to leave Political prisoners Criminals Mental patients

U.S. was unprepared for sudden influx Migrants had to stay at

camps

1987: US allowed 20,000 Cubans per year

+ Haiti 1957-1986

Duvalier Dictatorship Not associated with Soviet

Union Refugees not allowed

sued US government

1991 a coup to overthrow dictatorship led more immigrants to leave

Today: lots of immigrants, now economic

+Vietnam

Huge flux with end of Vietnam war and success of communist North Vietnam in 1975 Migrated to many regions

800,000 in US since 1975

2nd surge in 1980s Mainly economic migrants