CHAPTER 3

: MIG

RATIO

N

Why do people migrate?

Migration = a permanent move A type of relocation diffusion

Geographers document where people move from

and where they move to Geographers are especially interested in

why people move.

Emigration = migration from a place. A person emigrates from Guatemala

Immigration = migration to a place A person immigrates to the US

Net Migration = the difference between the two Net in-migration if more immigrants

than emigrants Net out-migration if more emigrants

than immigrants

This is measured in number of migrants/1,000

people in a year

North America (U.S. and Canada) has the highest instances of net in-migration, averaging over 3+/1,000 people each year.

Migration is a form of mobility, a general term that covers all types of movements from one place to another.

Circular mobility = occurs daily and weekly with routines… work, church, school

College students follow seasonal mobility.

Migration is the rarest type of mobility.

The shrinking scale of the world makes relocating more possible than in the past. When large groups migrate, pockets of local diversity are formed in other countries or regions.

P U S H FA C T O R S E N C O U R A G E P E O P L E T O M O V E .

P U L L FA C T O R S L U R E P E O P L E T O M O V E T O A N E W L O C A T I O N .

P E O P L E V I E W T H E I R C U R R E N T R E S I D E N C E S O N E G AT I V E LY T H AT T H E Y F E E L P U S H E D A W AY, A N D A N O T H E R P L A C E S O AT T R A C T I V E T H AT T H E Y F E E L P U L L E D T O W A R D I T.

Economic Push/Pull Factors

- People think about migrating from where there are few jobs to where there are plenty of jobs.

-Natural resources, new industries, and rapid population growth all encourage job seekers.

-US and Canada have been especially attractive to economic migrants.

The attractiveness of a region can shift.

Environmental Push/Pull Factors

- Pulled toward physically attractive regions and pushed from hazardous ones.

Attractiveness = seaside, mountains, warm climates. Some move for health.

- Pushed by too much or too little water, living in a flood plain (100 year flood plain), drought areas, overcrowding, etc.

Cultural Push/Pull Factors

-Slavery (historically) and political instability are two of the most common reasons for cultural migration.

-Political boundaries causes ethnic conflict

Wars have created refugees. Cannot return to their homelands until situation improves.

• Largest groups of refugees are Afghans and Palestinians.

Political situations can be a pull factor (such as “freedom” from communism)

U.S. Mexico

Economic Push/Pull

Political Push/Pull

Political Push/Pull

Sri Lankan refugees arriving in India

Afghan refugees in Iran

Refugees of the Darfur genocide in Chad

Environmental Push/Pull

Post-Katrina New Orleans

Drought in South Africa…2002 on right, 2003 on left

“The Dust Bowl”

INTERVENING OBSTACLES

Migrants have sometimes been blocked from going where they wanted by intervening obstacles.

These can be deserts, oceans, mountains (physical features)

• today, intervening obstacles have been reduced by cars and planes.

These can also be government policies or enforcement agencies

Internal InternationalA permanent move within a country.

Moves between countries.

2 types of internal migration…1. Interregional is a move

from one region to the next2. Intraregional is a move

within a region.

2 types of international…1. Voluntary – people choose to

move for economic reasons.2. Forced – compelled to move by

cultural factors

Internal migration usually occurs in stage 3-4 countries.

International migration (people leaving) usually occurs in stage 2 countries.

Stage 2 is the origin, stage 3-4 countries are the destination

Historically, movement has been from rural to urban.

Presently, move moves are from urban to suburban.

CHARACTERISTICS OF MIGRANTSAt the international level, males are most likely to migrate… 54% today.

Late 1980’s… 85% of Mexican immigrants to the U.S. were male. Today, about 55% are women!

Most likely b/c women were more compelled to find work due to poor economic times in Mexico

FAMILY STATUS OF MIGRANTSInternationally, most are single men.

Only 5% are over 65.

55% are between 18 and 44, or working age.

Percentage of immigrants under 17 is roughly equal to the % of people under 17 here.

Most are from rural areas from non-border areas of Mexico. Men leave in Spring and return in Fall. Money leaves our economy

and is spent in Mexico.

Obstacles to MigrationObstacles to Migration

Immigration policies of host countriesU.S. quota lawsTemporary migration for workTime-contract workersEconomic migrants or refugees?

Cultural problems living in other countriesU.S. attitudes toward immigrantsAttitudes toward guest workers

Immigration policies of host countriesU.S. quota lawsTemporary migration for workTime-contract workersEconomic migrants or refugees?

Cultural problems living in other countriesU.S. attitudes toward immigrantsAttitudes toward guest workers

Legislators were alarmed because of (1) the change in who was coming and (2) the change in how many were coming to the United States

Cheryl Shanks, 2001

Legislators were alarmed because of (1) the change in who was coming and (2) the change in how many were coming to the United States

Cheryl Shanks, 2001

Major Quotas of the 20th CenturyMajor Quotas of the 20th Century

1921- Quota Act, 1924- National

Origins Act Max limits on

immigrants from a given country in a one year period

1921- Quota Act, 1924- National

Origins Act Max limits on

immigrants from a given country in a one year period

Present 480,000 family

sponsored admitted annually

140,000 employment related Skilled workers

given preference- Brain Drain

Present 480,000 family

sponsored admitted annually

140,000 employment related Skilled workers

given preference- Brain Drain

1978 Hemisphere quota

changed to 290,000 global quota

20,000 max per country

1978 Hemisphere quota

changed to 290,000 global quota

20,000 max per country

Immigration Act of 1965 Quotas now

based on hemispheres

170,000 E. Hem 120,000 W. Hem

Immigration Act of 1965 Quotas now

based on hemispheres

170,000 E. Hem 120,000 W. Hem

Guest Workers in

Europe

Guest Workers in

Europe

Fig. 3-9: Guest workers emigrate mainly from Eastern Europe and North Africa to work in the wealthier countries of Western Europe.

Turkish Kebab Stand in Germany

Economic migrants vs. Refugees

Economic migrants vs. Refugees

Refugees- People who have been forced to migrate from their homes and can not return for fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a certain group, or political opinion Christian homeschoolers in Germany Saudi diplomat in the United States

Not included in immigration quotas if

seeking asylum in the United States Cuba Haiti Vietnam

Refugees- People who have been forced to migrate from their homes and can not return for fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a certain group, or political opinion Christian homeschoolers in Germany Saudi diplomat in the United States

Not included in immigration quotas if

seeking asylum in the United States Cuba Haiti Vietnam

Migration of

Vietnamese Boat

People

Migration of

Vietnamese Boat

People

Fig. 3-11: Many Vietnamese fled by sea as refugees after the war with the U.S. ended in 1975. Later boat people were often considered economic migrants.

Guest Workers in

Europe

Guest Workers in

Europe

Fig. 3-9: Guest workers emigrate mainly from Eastern Europe and North Africa to work in the wealthier countries of Western Europe.

Turkish Kebab Stand in Germany

An

ti-imm

igra

nt

sen

timen

tsA

nti-im

mig

ran

t se

ntim

en

tsHow have people in the United States reacted to immigration historically? Has this sentiment changed?

How have people in Europe reacted to guest workers?

Anti-Immigrant SentimentAnti-Immigrant Sentiment

"Far Right" Anti-Immigration Party Wins Seats In Swedish Parliament

“A conservative political party in Sweden has won seats in Parliament for the first time.  

It is the sort of far Right success that has been seen several times across Europe this year, and a prospect has struck fear in the hearts of Sweden's usually moderate voters who never thought they would see extremists get anywhere near power. The Sweden Democrat Party is opposed to Islamic immigration into Sweden. The party's leader, one Jimmie Akesson, has called Islam "the biggest threat to Sweden since the Second World War." Akesson has also charged that immigrant Muslims are responsible for an increase in rapes in Sweden, and for draining public benefits away from Swedish pensioners.”

–UK Telegraph

"Far Right" Anti-Immigration Party Wins Seats In Swedish Parliament

“A conservative political party in Sweden has won seats in Parliament for the first time.  

It is the sort of far Right success that has been seen several times across Europe this year, and a prospect has struck fear in the hearts of Sweden's usually moderate voters who never thought they would see extremists get anywhere near power. The Sweden Democrat Party is opposed to Islamic immigration into Sweden. The party's leader, one Jimmie Akesson, has called Islam "the biggest threat to Sweden since the Second World War." Akesson has also charged that immigrant Muslims are responsible for an increase in rapes in Sweden, and for draining public benefits away from Swedish pensioners.”

–UK Telegraph

“Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s call for immigration reform legislation is a moment of truth for a major campaign promise from President Obama: A “tough but fair” road to legalization.

Coming off a muscle-flexing summer of widespread protests and success in the off-year elections, the Tea Party coalition began its first major realignment Saturday, joining forces with anti-immigration reform groups in over 50 “Tea Party Against Amnesty and Illegal Immigration” rallies across the US in places from Anchorage, Alaska, to Snead, Alabama.

“What are the prospects for an immigration law to pass? In my view decent,” says Arian Campo-Flores in a Newsweek op-ed. “That…[is] given the fact that unemployment has topped 10 percent and tea-party activists are feeling more energized than ever.”

- NEWSWEEK

“Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s call for immigration reform legislation is a moment of truth for a major campaign promise from President Obama: A “tough but fair” road to legalization.

Coming off a muscle-flexing summer of widespread protests and success in the off-year elections, the Tea Party coalition began its first major realignment Saturday, joining forces with anti-immigration reform groups in over 50 “Tea Party Against Amnesty and Illegal Immigration” rallies across the US in places from Anchorage, Alaska, to Snead, Alabama.

“What are the prospects for an immigration law to pass? In my view decent,” says Arian Campo-Flores in a Newsweek op-ed. “That…[is] given the fact that unemployment has topped 10 percent and tea-party activists are feeling more energized than ever.”

- NEWSWEEK

Internal Migration:Migration within a Country

Migration between regions of a country (interregional)› Migration between regions within the U.S› Migration between regions in other countries

Migration within one region (intraregional)› Rural-urban migration› Urban-suburban migration› Migration from metropolitan to nonmetropolitan

regions

Highest Rates of Internal Migration (internal refugees in both cases)

The Sudan Colombia

Interregional MigrationWestward Movement in U.S.

Transcontinental Railroad, Utah

Lewis and Clark Expedition

http://www.corbis.com/BettMann100/Archive/BettmannArchive.asp

http://www.corbis.com/BettMann100/Archive/BettmannArchive.asp

Center of U.S. Population

http://www.davidrumsey.com/rumsey/Size4/D0117/0036043.jpgU.S. map circa 1834

Most settlements near the Atlantic coast– access to shipping, raw materials

Appalachian mountains acted as intervening obstacle– not only because of terrain, but because of hostile indigenous people

First census- 1790- Population center located in the Chesapeake Bay

(just east of Baltimore, MD)

1830s- Population center began to shift west at faster pace as people moved to the west

o Canal systems (Erie Canal) allowed to faster transportation of people and goods

California gold rush Most settlement to the East of the 98th parallel OR people

passed through the Great Plains toward the Pacific without stopping

Zebulon Pike- Land unfit for farming (most early settlers preferred to start farms from forested areas– more precipitation)

After 1880- Paced slowed to less than half the rate of the previous

half-century

Immigration “balanced” the center of U.S. population People finally began to fill the Great Plains area (today, one

the richest farming areas) Expansion of transcontinental railroad Railroad companies bought land and resold for profit

1950-1980-Fast pace South-Westward resumes, center crosses

Mississippi River

Net migration into Southern states increases Great plains are settled and Western states

become more populous

Interregional Migration in the U.S.

Interregional Migration in the U.S.

Fig. 3-13: Average annual migrations between regions in the U.S. in 1995 and in 2003

Brasilia, Brazil

Soviet Labor camps- based around centers of industry and natural resources

Intraregional migration

http://img1.planeteye.com/users/7/94/99/495184846227.jpg

Favelas in Brazil

Intraregional Migration in the U.S.

Fig. 3-14: Average annual migration among urban, suburban, and rural areas in the U.S. during the 1990s. The largest flow was from central cities to suburbs.

http://www.raftertales.com/wp-content/uploads/ranch-home-1950s-advertisement.jpg

Net Migration by County, 2000-04

Fig. 3-15: Rural counties in the southwest and Florida have had net in-migration, while there has been net out-migration from rural counties in the Great Plains