Case study of international migration:

1. Case study of international migration: Mexico to USA

2. Why? Where? What? Who? When?

3. Background information • There’s been a wave of international migration from Mexico to the USA since the 1990’s (economic boom) – the USA now receives about 1 million Mexican migrants per year! • At least 10% (over 10 million people) of Mexico’s population is now living in the USA, at least half of which are illegally living there. • 15% (1 in every 7) of Mexico’s ‘economically active’ (aged 18 -60) is working in the USA. • The border between Mexico and the USA is over 3,000km long! • Mexican immigrants represent 1 in every 25 of the US workforce. • Estimate: only 1 in every 7 illegal migrants are caught. • The easy routes into the US (eg San Diego, El Paso) are now tightly patrolled by border patrol. More dangerous routes are now taken (across deserts and mountains), with several migrants losing their life (due to dehydration or hypothermia) • Many migrants pay human smugglers (aka ‘coyotes’) to get them across the border (expensive!)

4. We are going to look at … • Some ideas that we have already looked at: • Push factors (from Mexico) • Pull factors (towards USA) • Intervening obstacles • And a couple of new thoughts • The effects of migration on Mexico – good and bad • The effects of migration on USA – good and bad

5. Images of Tijuana, Mexico... This town is in on the border – why might they want to leave?

6. There are many pushes – which do you think are the 4 most important? • Lots of poverty (40% of populationn live below the poverty line). • High unemployment & underemployment rate (of 28%). • Only a small range of jobs available. • Low wages (especially in rural areas). • Poor healthcare & medical facilities (only 1 doctor per 1800 people; infant mortality rate is 20 deaths per thousand live births). • Poor education system (literacy rate is 92%, which means that 8% of the population - just over 8 million people - cannot read and write). • Scarce & polluted water resources in many areas. • Poor response to natural disasters (such as earthquakes & hurricanes).

7. San Diego, California USA Why might Mexicans want to go to the USA?

8. There are many pulls – which do you think are the 4 most important? • Strong economy (GNP is over $40,000 per capita) • Less poverty (12% live below the poverty line) • Low unemployment/underemployment rate (5%) • Many low quality jobs available (eg gardener, maid, dishwasher) which require no training or education. • Higher wages – a rural migrant can earn up to 10 x more doing the same job in the US. • Excellent healthcare & medical facilities (1 doctor per 400 people; infant mortality rate is only 6 deaths per thousand live births; life expectancy is 78 years) – although healthcare costs are high! • Good education system (literacy rate is 99%.) • Clean, regular water supply piped to each house. • Quick and effective response to natural disasters.

9. What do you think might be intervening obstacles?

10. There are many intervening obstacles – which do you think are the 4 most likely to put people off? • Difficulty gaining an entry visa & work permit (‘Green Card’). • If entering illegally, difficulty getting across the border (border walls and fences; border patrol guards; harsh landscapes to cross eg deserts, mountains, rivers). • Long distance to travel. • Lack of transport (no car). • Cost of transport (expensive airfare or bus fare). • Language difficulties (Mexicans speak Spanish, not English). • Homesickness – would miss family and friends back home in Mexico. • Sick or elderly family members back home in Mexico need looking after..

11. What do you think are the gains and loses for Mexico as a result of the large numbers leaving to work in USA?

12. Effects of migration on Mexico (the ‘donor’ country) • Benefits (Positive): • Immigrants send home $20 billion a year back to Mexico; many migrants send home at least $100 each month.) • This money can then support a better standard of living for those in Mexico (better quality housing, healthcare & education). • Less competition for jobs (less unemployment) & housing in Mexico. • Costs (Negative/ Problems): • Large scale depopulation of towns and villages (eg the town of Tendeparacua: popn in 1985 was 6,000; now only 600). • Many men emigrate, leaving a majority of women who have trouble finding marriage partners. • Migration can break up families (wife on own with children, or the man & wife in USA and children left in Mexico with relatives). • Young people tend to migrate, leaving the old and very young. • Rural areas in Mexico have a shortage of economically active people (lack of ‘key workers’ eg doctors, teachers etc).

13. What do you think are the gains and loses for USA as a result of the large numbers arriving to work in USA?

14. Effects of Migration on the USA(the ‘host’ country) • Benefits (Positive): • Mexican migrants benefit the US economy by working for low wages (they earn around half as much as an American would earn doing the same job), which results in cheaper prices for the American customer and more profit for American businesses. • The migrants are willing to do the low quality jobs many American’s don’t want to do. • Mexican culture (eg food, language, music) has enriched many US towns. • Costs (Negative/ Problems): • Unskilled American workers find it harder to get jobs. • Wages are kept low, which affects how much the American workers earn. • Increased cultural and racial tension, especially in the towns. • Illegal migration is seen as a drain on the American economy (costs of border patrols; the illegal immigrants don’t pay taxes but use the services).

15. Internal migration NE Brazil to Sao Paulo

16. Human Development index North East Sao Paulo

17. Intro • What is rural-urban migration? • Rural-urban migration is the movement of people • from the countryside to the city. • This causes two things to happen: • 1. Urban growth - towns and cities are expanding, covering a greater area of land. • 2. Urbanisation - an increasing proportion of • people living in towns and cities. Mega cities - those with over 10 million people.

18. Reasons • We are going to look at why people have left the North-East and why they chose to go to Sao Paulo. • We are also going to look at the positives and negatives to each community as a result of these migrations

19. Pushes • NE Brazil (e.g. State of Bahia) 80% of Brazil’s farmland is owned by 10% of farmers. The other 90% struggle to make any money at all with small plots of poor land. • Historically the large farms had slaves to do the labour. Once slavery was abolished the people had no education or skills to do anything else so continued as poorly paid farm labourers. • However as Brazil has developed, machines have been bought to do most of the work on the big farms. This means there are less jobs in the countryside.

20. Pushes • As well as the mechanisation of farming, there are many other PUSH factors from NE Brazil, such as: • Lack of services e.g. schools, hospitals. • Drought can make farming the land hard, especially as overgrazing with cattle has led to soil erosion in many areas. • Malaria is a killer disease, especially with poor healthcare. • Lack of job opportunities (agriculture is the only option for most people) • Pressure on the land – land is subdivided in large families leaving smaller and smaller plots of land.

21. Pulls • Attraction to the urban areas • People are attracted to urban areas because they think that they will have greater opportunities there. For many, life is better but some end up in poverty. • It has over two thirds of the nation’s wealth • Most of Brazil’s industries are located here so there are a greater range of employment opportunities • Higher wages than in the Northeast • More and better quality services (school, hospitals, roads) • Attraction of the ‘bright lights’ of the city (e.g. Carnival in Rio) • Perception of a better quality of life, better housing etc. (though this might not necessarily be the reality when they arrive in the favelas)

22. Intervening obstacles • There are no case study specific intervening obstacles. • But could you come up with a reasonable list of things that might get in the way of people migrating? The effect of the migration on a rural area • What might be the advantages? • The disadvantages?

23. Rural depopulation is usually when numbers of working age people migrate from the countryside to earn more money in the city. On the positive side: Rural depopulation does reduce pressure on the land, improving the agricultural opportunities of those left behind. Migrants often send money back to their home villages from the city which may improve quality of life and investment back in rural areas. The rural environment

24. Disadvantages But rural depopulation can mean that the old and the very young are left behind to try to cope with farming by themselves. This often leads to a “downward spiral” where things get worse and worse. Commercial agriculture (cash crops) may force people away from their land Loss of community spirit Villages have an ageing population as it is mainly young people that move away looking for new opportunities and start families in the city Mainly men who leave first leaving a gender imbalance The elderly and women left behind may have to work harder with no young men to do the work and support them The rural environment

25. For Urban areas What could be the advantages of immigration? And the disadvantages?

26. Advantages Provides a constant supply of cheap labour for Brazil’s growing industries Once families get established in the city there quality of life often improves and many favelas have been made permanent and improved. The Urban environment

27. Disadvantages Services cannot cope with rapid population increase – overcrowded schools and hospitals Not enough housing available – people forced to live in squatter settlements called ‘favelas’ which (at first) do not have running water, sanitation, electricity, roads or refuse collections. There may not be jobs available for all migrants which has led many to turn to crime in the city The Urban environment

28. Homework • Using the HOMEWORKtemplate provided in the HW folder/wiki, type up the notes you made in lesson time – please do not use the another copy of the classwork one!! • Remember 3 or 4 points well understood and remembered are much better than a long list that you cannot explain properly. • So do not just wholesale lift from the PowerPoint – you need to be discriminating!