september 18, 2015s. mathews & d. six1 human geography by james rubenstein chapter 3 key issue 3...

April 19, 2023 S. Mathews & D. Six 1

Human Geography

By James Rubenstein

Chapter 3Key Issue 3

Why do migrants face obstacles?


Ellis Island


The principal obstacle traditionally faced by

migrants to other countries was:

The long arduous, and expensive passage over

land or sea.


Today motor vehicles and airplanes bring

most immigrants speedily and reasonably

comfortably to the U.S. and other

countries.


Major Difficulties Facing Immigrants

Gaining permission to enter a new country.

Hostile attitudes of citizens once they enter the country.


Immigration Policies of Host Countries

The U.S. limits immigration of foreign citizens through a quota system.

Western Europe and the Middle East permit temporary guest workers.


Unrestricted Immigration to the U.S. Ended when

The Congress passed Quota Act of 1921, and

the National Origins Act of 1924.


Quotas

Maximum limit on the number of people who could immigrate to the U.S. from each country

during a one-year period.


U.S. Quota Laws Designed to ensure that

immigrants continued to be mostly Europeans.

Asians were limited to 5% of all immigrants during the late 19th century and the early 20th century.

In 1968, country quotas were replaced by hemisphere quotas.


Global Quotas as of 1978

Current law limits immigration to 620,000 per year.

No more than 7% of quota from any one country.

Numerous qualifications and exceptions alter the limit.

Quota does not apply to refugees and family members of U.S. citizens


Quota Preferences Applicants exceed quotas. 480,000 family sponsored

immigrants per year (3/4th are admitted to reunify families)

140,000 employment related immigrants per year.

Others are admitted under a diversity lottery.


Chain Migration

Migration of people to a specific location because relatives or members of

the same nationality previously migrated

there.


Chain Migration Well-educated Asians immigrate

under the preference for skilled workers.

Once admitted, they can bring in relatives under the family-reunification provisions of the quota.

The relatives brought in can bring in other relatives to be reunified.


Brain Drain

Large-scale emigration by talented people.


Brain Drain Countries charge that the skilled

worker immigration preference policy of the United States and Europe cause a brain drain.

3/4th of the immigrants from India and Africa have college degrees.

The average immigrant has received more education than Americans.


Guest Workers

Citizens of poor countries who obtain jobs in

Western Europe and the Middle East.


Guest Workers Temporary work migrants in

Europe and the Middle East. ½ of labor force in Luxemburg,

1/6th in Switzerland, and 1/10th in Austria, Belgium, and Germany.

They take the low-status, low-skilled jobs.


Guest Workers continued

They earn far more as guest workers, than in their own country.

They reduce their home country’s unemployment.

Inject foreign capital into their home economies.


Time-Contract Workers

Citizens of other countries who are

recruited for a fixed period of time.


Time-Contract Workers Millions of Asians migrated in the 19th

century as time-contract laborers,• Recruited for a fixed period to work in mines or on plantations.

• When contract expired, many would settle permanently in new country.


Time-Contract Workers Indians went to Africa, SE Asia and

Pacific Islands.

Japanese & Filipinos went to Hawaii.

Chinese to the U.S. West Coast.


Time-Contract Workers More than 29 million ethnic Chinese

currently live permanently in other countries (mostly from SE Asia):• 3/4th of population of Singapore.• 1/3rd of Malaysia.• 1/10th of Thailand.


Chinese Asian

immigration patterns


Distinguishing Between Economic Migrants and

Refugees. Important to the United States,

Canada, and Western Europe. Economic migrants are subject to

specific regulations. Refugees receive special priority

in admission.


Emigrants from Cuba

U.S. government has regarded emigrants from Cuba as political refugees since 1959 Communist revolution.

1960s- more than 600,000 Cubans admitted to U.S.


Emigrants from Cuba

Second wave began in 1980- more than 125,000 left Cuba (“Mariel boatlift”).

1987- U.S. agreed to permit 20,000 Cubans per year into the U.S.


Emigrants from Haiti

Like Cuba, Haitian government (1671-1986) severely persecuted political opponents.

But Haiti was not a Communist country & was not supported by the Soviet Union, like Cuba.



The U.S. would not let Haitians aboard boats stay (U.S. claimed they were economic migrants, not refugees).

After lawsuit, the U.S. agreed to admit Haitians.



Continuing political unrest in Haiti and poor economic conditions continued to ‘push’ Haitians toward the U.S.


Emigrants from Vietnam

Vietnam War ended in 1975.

U.S. evacuated several thousand people from Saigon, who had been U.S. supporters.


The last Huey out of Saigon, Vietnam War



Thousands more tried to leave by boat, hoping to be picked up by the U.S. Navy.

Some were allowed aboard U.S. vessels but many were turned away.



Second surge of Vietnamese boat people began in late 1980s.

Majority were placed in detention camps, funded by U.N.

Some were allowed into the U.S., Canada, Australia, and France.



1996-Detention camps closed; remaining boat people sent back to Vietnam.

80,000 Vietnamese reached U.S. since end of Vietnam War; another 1 million in other countries.



Vietnam remains a major source of immigrants to the U.S.

Most now come for economic reasons rather than political persecution.


Vietnamese

migration patterns


Cultural Problems living in Other

Countries U.S. attitudes toward immigrants.

Attitudes toward Guest Workers.


U.S. Attitudes Toward Immigrants.

New arrivals have always been regarded with suspicion.

Opposition intensified when migration shifted from Northern and Western Europe.

Recent laws reflect an unwillingness to provide public services to undocumented immigrants.


European Attitudes Toward Guest Workers.

Many Guest Workers suffer from poor social conditions.

Political parties that support restrictions on immigration have grown in popularity.

Western Europe countries pay guest workers to return home.


Middle Eastern Attitudes Toward Guest Workers.

Fear that Guest Workers will spark political unrest and abandonment of traditional Islam.

M.E. countries force migrants to return home to marry and refuse to allow them to return with family.


Migration by Asians nearly a century ago

is producing contemporary

problems in several countries.


Fiji Islands Between 1879 and 1920, the

British brought Indians as indentured laborers to the Islands.

Today Fiji has more Indians than native Fijians.


Fiji Islands Indians controlled most of the

country’s businesses, and the Fijians dominated the

government and army. In 1987, the Indian party won

the elections.


Fiji Islands Riots broke out between the two

groups.

The Fijian army officers seized temporary control of the government.


Fiji IslandsA new constitution in 1990

insured that Fijians would hold the majority seats in the

parliament.


Anti-Immigrant Arguments

Arguments of anti-immigrant politicians are seductive.

In an economically integrated world, such arguments have little scientific basis.

In a culturally diverse world such arguments have racist overtones.

september 18, 2015s. mathews & d. six1 human geography by james rubenstein chapter 3 key issue 3...

Documents

country quotas

skilled workers

temporary guest workers

timecontract workers

new country

timecontract workerscitizens

quota act

timecontract laborers