Migration

1. Migration Chapter 3

2. Migration • Geographers study from where people migrate and to where they migrate • They also study why they migrate • Migration- a permanent move to a new location • Type of relocation diffusion (spread of a characteristic through the bodily movement of people)

3. continued • Emigration- migration from a location • Immigration- migration to a location • Net migration- the difference b/w the # of immigrants and the # of emigrants • If # of immigrants is higher, net migration is positive—known as net in-migration • If # of emigrants is higher, net migration is negative– net out-migration

4. Why Do People Migrate? • E. G. Ravenstein wrote 11 “laws” of migration in 19th century • Serves as basis for modern migration study • “laws” concerned three areas of study • Why migrants move • The distance they typically move • The characteristics of migrants

5. Reasons for Migrating • Push factor- induces people to move out of their current location • Pull factor- induces people to move into a new location • Both factors usually play a role • 3 major kinds of push and pull factors • Economic • Cultural • Environmental

6. Economic Push and Pull Factors • Most common reason for migrating • Move to places that seem to have opportunity and out of places that have very little • US and Canada historically have had many immigrants come for opportunity • Relative attractiveness of a region can shift with economic change

7. Cultural Push and Pull Factors • Forced international migration is a cultural push factor– ex.’s slavery and political instability • Ethnic segregation and wars cause people to migrate • Refugees- people who have been forced to migrate from their homes and cannot return for fear of prosecution due to their race, religion, nationality, or political opinion

8. continued • Refugees have no home unless another country agrees to take them in • 2 largest refugee groups are Palestinians and Afghans • Palestinians left Israel after it was created in 1948 or after it expanded in 1967 • 2 largest groups of internal refugees are the Sudanese (civil war) and the Columbians (drug lords and guerrillas)

9. continued • Political conditions can also be a pull factor • Lure of freedom

10. Environmental Push and Pull Factors • Pushed out of hazardous regions– pulled into attractive ones • Attractive areas would include: mountains, beach, and warm climates • Too little or too much water is a major push factor • Drought and floodplains • An area subject to flooding during a specific number of years

11. Intervening Obstacles • Def.- an environmental or cultural factor that hinders migration • Historically, primarily environmental • Hard to travel across inhospitable environments • Ocean, mountains, desert • Modern transportation has made this much easier • Government and politics are obstacles today • Need passports to cross borders

12. Distance of Migration • Ravenstein said: • most migrants only move a short distance and remain within the same country • Long-distance migrants to other countries head major economic centers

13. Internal Migration • Def.- permanent movement within the same country • Adheres to the idea of distance decay • The farther away a place is located, the less likely people will migrate there • Explains why there are more internal migrants than international migrants • Easier because there is less culture shock

14. continued • 2 types of internal migration • Interregional migration- movement from one region of a country to another • Intraregional migration- movement within one region • Historically, interregional migration has been mostly rural to urban (but now environmentally attractive rural areas are becoming popular) • Intraregional is usually within urban areas – city to suburbs

15. International Migration • Def.- permanent movement from one country to another • 2 types • Voluntary migration- migrant has chosen to move for economic improvement • Forced migration- migrant has been compelled to move by cultural factors

16. Zelinsky’s Migration Transition • Def.- change in the migration pattern in a society that results from industrialization, pop. growth, and other social and economic changes that also produce the demographic transition • International migration is primarily a function of stage 2 (people leave to go to stage 3 or 4 countries) • Internal migration is more important in stages 3 and 4 (cities to suburbs)

17. Characteristics of Migrants • Historically, males were more likely than females to migrant internationally • Because men worked more than women and left to find job opportunities • Since the 1990s, female migrants are on the rise (about ½ in the US) • Most long distance migrants are young adults seeking work –not children or elderly

18. continued • 40% of US immigrants are b/w 25 and 39 (that demographic is only 23% of entire US pop.) • Only 5% of immigrants are over 65 • 16% are under 15 – this number is on the rise

19. Global Migration Patterns • Asia, LA, and Africa have net-out migration • NA, Europe, and Oceania have net-in migration • 3 biggest migration flows are form Asia to Europe, Asia to NA, LA to NA • Reflects the importance of migration from LDCs to MDCs • People want the prospect of better jobs and higher pay

21. continued • US has more than 35 million people born in other countries • More than half from LA • ¼ from Asia • 12% of US pop are immigrants • We have more immigrants than anybody • But, ¼ of Australian pop are immigrants • 1/6 of Canadian

22. continued • ½ the pop of the Middle East are immigrants • United Arab Emirates – 74%, Kuwait 68% • People from poorer areas of Middle East migrate to get jobs in Oil exporting industry

24. US Immigration Patterns • 70 million people have immigrated to the US since 1820 • The US has had 3 main eras of immigration • Colonial Immigration • 19th century European Immigration • Recent Immigration form LDCs

26. Colonial Immigration • 2 sources: Europe and Africa • About 1 million Europeans migrated to the American colonies before independence • 90% from Great Britain • About 400,000 African slaves were forced to migrate here during the same period

27. 19th Century Migration • 7.2 million from Germany • 5.4 million from Italy • 5.3 million from United Kingdom • 4.8 million from Ireland • 4.1 million from Russia

28. continued • 1840s-1850s 4.3 million came to US mostly from Western and Northern Europe • Mostly from Ireland and Germany • Pushed by bad economic factors • 1870s-1880s still mostly Western and Northern European • Many German and Irish, but also Norwegians and Swedes • Result of industrial revolution hitting those countries • Search for more land as pop. exploded

29. Continued (sort of) • During the first 15 years of 20th century, close to 1 million people migrated each year • Most came from Southern and Eastern Europe • Italy, Russia, and Austria-Hungary specifically • Once again the Industrial Revolution spread to these areas causing large pop increases (stage 2)

30. Recent Immigration from LDCs • Most from LA and Asia • In 2006 Mexico officially passed Germany as the country of origin of most total immigrants to the US • Probably actually happened in the 1980s because of all the undocumented immigrants • Also get a lot of Dominicans

31. continued • 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act • Issued visas to several hundred thousand illegal immigrants already living in the US

32. continued • China, Philippines, India, and Vietnam send the most immigrants to the US from Asia

33. Impact of Immigration on the United States • US was Europe’s “safety valve” for several hundred years • Pop boom in Europe after the industrial revolution led to rapid growth in stage 2 • The US had plenty of land for European Immigrants who found themselves without it • Now Europe has very low NIRs • Don’t send many immigrants to US • “safety valve” is no longer needed

34. continued • European migration greatly shaped World Culture • Indo-European languages, Christianity, art, music, philosophy and ethics have diffused around the world • In NA political and economic systems of Europe have diffused

35. Undocumented Immigration • Def.- immigration to a country without proper legal documentation • aka unauthorized immigrants • Estimates vary, but somewhere b/w 9.3 and 12 million illegals in US– most from Mexico • Most come for work • Make up 24% of US farm labor, 17% in cleaning, 14% in construction, and 12% in food prep.

36. continued • About 50% of undocumented immigrants come here legally with a student or tourist visa • Just don’t leave • Other half sneaks across border • Not very difficult to do • Guards patrol official border crossings, but the border is 2000 miles long

37. Notice break in fence >>>

38. Where would you rather live?????

39. continued • Undocumented often become “documented” by purchasing false documents • About 1.3 million are caught each year by Homeland Security – about 90% Mexican • They are escorted back home • Many just come right back

40. Destination of Immigrants Within the United States • More than ½ of recent immigrants are clustered in 4 states • California (most), NY, FL, and TX • Undocumented immigrants show a similar pattern • CA (most), TX, FL, NY, AZ, IL, GA, NJ • Pretty high in states relatively accessible to Mexico

41. continued • Mexicans go to CA, TX, IL • Caribbean islanders go to NY, FL • Chinese and Indians go to NY and CA • Proximity explains much about destinations • Whereas others choose where people from their country have previously settled • Chain migration- migration to a specific location, because relatives or members of the same nationality previously migrated there

42. Immigration Policies of Host Countries • Countries use 2 main policies to control the arrival of foreigners seeking work • The US uses a quota system • In Europe and the Middle East, they permit guest workers

43. US Quota Laws • Quotas- maximum limit on the number of people who could immigrate to the S from each country in a 1 year period • First established in 1924 • Updated in 1965, and replaced with hemisphere quotas instead of country quotas • 1978, changed to a global quota of 290,000, with a max of 20,000 per country • Today, 620,000, w/ max of 7% from one country

44. continued • Get more applications for immigration per year than the quota allows • Congress has set preferences • 480,000 family sponsored immigrants • 140,000 employment-related immigrants • Currently about a 5 year wait for a spouse to gain entry • Quotas do not account for refugees

45. continued • Brain drain- large scale emigration of talented people • In 2005, 84% of Haitians w/ a college degree lived abroad • 47% Ghana • 45% Mozambique

46. Temporary Migration for Work • Guest workers- citizens of poor countries who obtain jobs in W. Europe and the Middle East • Take low-status and low-skilled jobs that local residents won’t take • Low paid by European standards, but far more than could make at home • Helps the native country too • Lowers unemployment and large % of pay gets infused in local economy as money gets sent home to families

47. continued • Most guest workers in Europe come from N. Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Asia

49. continued • Millions of Asians migrated in the 19th century as time-contract laborers, recruited for a fixed period to work in mines or on plantations • many stayed after their contract was up

50. Distinguishing Between Economic Migrants and Refugees • The 2 groups are treated differently • Economic migratns must possess special skills or have a close relative already living their to be accepted • Refugees receive special priority in admission to other countries because of persecution from undemocratic governments • Read about Cuba, Haiti, and Vietnam p. 99-101