Introduction to International Migration

United States- A Nation of Immigrants

Emigrant vs. Immigrant Emigrant- Someone exiting a country Immigrant- Someone coming into a country

Push Factors War/violence (most powerful reason) Poverty (most common reason) Persecution—when you are treated unfairly for something. Can be: Religious persecution Ethnic persecution Political persecution

Poverty and Unemployment Most common push factor Main reason people migrated from Latin America to the USA over the last 3 decades

Pull Factors Good economy/jobs (Most common) Freedom Political Religious Ethnic Peace (Most powerful) Stability

Immigration Barriers Obstacles that stop or slow immigration Can be quota laws Can also be physical barriers, like mountain ranges, oceans, or inhospitable land Emotional barriers?

Man-made barriers Barriers can also be man-made, like walls Examples Wall along border between U.S. and Mexico 2 more examples coming…

Israeli built wall on border with Palestinian territories

Berlin Wall between East and West Berlin during the Cold War

Source regions and destination regions—which are which?

Where do we have net-in migration? Net-out migration?

Transportation Important part of infrastructure, allows people to relocate easily Examples Manifest Destiny—The railroad allowed people to move west Trains in India, Mexico

Natural Resources Can cause voluntary migration Areas with valuable resources, like petroleum and uranium, attract miners and engineers Ex. Saudi Arabia,Gulf States, the Gulf Coast of the U.S.

Forced Migration Migration where the migrant has to leave to survive Ex.—Atlantic Slave Trade (17th-19th century) Europeans captured millions of Africans and shipped them to the Americas (mainly Caribbean and Brazil)

Access to Resources Can also cause forced migration People tend to live close to natural resources Aral Sea—Shrinking because its water has been used for failed irrigation projects Led to a huge decrease in population near the sea

Access to Resources Drought and Famine (mass starvation) Western Europe—In the 1840’s a disease destroyed the Irish potato crop, and thousands of Irish came to the United States. United States in the 1930’s—Parts of Oklahoma became known as the Dust Bowl. Drought forced many people to migrate west to California

Urbanization The growth of urban areas Currently, 54% of the world lives in urban areas (cities), and the number is growing (projected to be 66% by 2050) Happens because people go to urban areas looking for jobs and economic opportunities

Review! What is the difference between an immigrant and an emigrant? Use different global examples to explain how natural resources can be both a push or a pull factor. Give 2 real world examples of involuntary migration. What is the strongest push factor? How does migration lead to urbanization? Is global urbanization a good thing, or a bad thing? Explain.