Migration & Its CausesMigration & Its Causes

A. MIGRATIONA. MIGRATIONmigration: the permanent long-term relocation from one place to another

voluntary migration: people have a choice to move or stay

reluctant migration: less than fully voluntary, but not forced

Exs.: - any economic migrantany economic migrant- 75 million people from Europe to

Americas (1835-1935)- Indonesia: resettlement from

overcrowded Java

U.S. Immigration FlowsU.S. Immigration Flows

Migration from Latin America to the U.S.

Mexico has been the largest source of migrants to the U.S., but migrants have also come from numerous other Latin American nations

Migration from Asia to the U.S.

Migration in 2001. The largest numbers of migrants from Asia come from India, China, the Philippines, and Vietnam

forced migration: imposed relocation by one group over another causing “refugees”

Exs.: - African slavery- Australian convicts- Siberian labor camps- Trail of Tears- the Holocaust- Rwanda (1994)- Darfur, Sudan (present)

internal migration: relocation within a country’s borders

- Colombia (rural-urban)

- Russia- China (to industrial cities)

- U.S. (1800’s: “Westward Ho”; 1910-1930’s: “Great Migration”; today: west & south)

transhumance: semi-nomadic migration

B. Causes of migration:B. Causes of migration:

i. Political circumstancesi. Political circumstances

Haiti

Mariel BoatliftIdi Amin/Uganda

ii. Economic conditionsii. Economic conditions

Economic Opportunities

In late 1800s and early 1900s, Chinese migrated throughout Southeast Asia to work in trade, commerce, and finance.

iii. Armed conflict & civil wariii. Armed conflict & civil warGuatemalans

Vietnamese

Rwandans

Bosnians

iv. Environmental conditions:iv. Environmental conditions:Irish Population 1872

The Irish Potato Famine

v. Culture & Religionv. Culture & Religion

Pakistan-India Partition Russian Jews arriving in Israel

The Mormon Trek

Jewish Migration to Israel (post-1948)Jewish Migration to Israel (post-1948)

C. Push & Pull FactorsC. Push & Pull Factors

Push Factors: negative home conditions that “push” the decision to migrate (loss of job, lack of opportunities, overcrowding, famine, war, disease)

Pull Factors: positive attributes perceived to exist at the new location (jobs opportunities, better climate, lower taxes, more room, safer)

place utility: degree of satisfaction with a place

The decision to migrate: is it better to stay or to go?

““Guest Workers”Guest Workers”

- have short term work visas

- send remittances to home country

D. Migration PatternsD. Migration Patterns

Step migration: smaller, less extreme moves

Ex.: farm to village—to small town—to major city

Chain migration: an established linkage or chain for future migrants (creates a “migration field”)

– Migrants provide information, money, place to stay, a job for other family/friends

Channel Migration: clear pathways & travel routes are established

- Ex.: The Oregon Trail

Undocumented Immigration:Mexico to Arizona

The complex route of one group of undocumented migrants from a small village north of Mexico City to Phoenix, Arizona

E. Ravenstein’sE. Ravenstein’s “ “Laws of Migration”Laws of Migration”

1. short distance

2. step by step

3. rural to urban

4. each flow produces a counter flow

5. Most international migrants are young males

What is it like to be a refugee?What is it like to be a refugee?

1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is a person with:

refugee: “a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, or nationality.”

RWANDA 1994

DARFUR 2007

POLAND 1939

BOSNIA 1993

PALESTINIANS 1948

IRAQ 2007; 2 million people?

Genocide in Darfur Genocide in Darfur

The conflict in Darfur has led to the death of at least 350,000 and the displacement of 1.8 million people.

The Two Groups: “Arab” vs. “African”The Two Groups: “Arab” vs. “African”

A Darfur rebel fighter

Members of a Janjaweed milita group

International Migration from DarfurInternational Migration from Darfur

Displaced People within DarfurDisplaced People within Darfur