Why Do Migrants Face Obstacles?

Explain how a country’s stage in the DTM can determine its net-in/net-out migration. (HINT: where are migrants coming from and going and what stages are these respective countries in?)

Used to be historically environmental Now they are mostly cultural Examples?

MaleFemale Male Foreign BornNative Age Slide graphic courtesy of Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue, Hofstra University

U.S. quota laws The Quota Act (1921) and The National Origins Act (1924) Due to isolationist policies after WWI Established quotas- only 2% of people from that country already living in US could immigrate. Does not include refugees Applications to come exceeded quotas Priorities had to be set (skilled labor and family of citizens first) Quota system for individual countries abolished in 1965

Most immigrants were from West Europe at that time (the “lighter” Europe) The quotas severely restricted immigration from Southern and eastern Europe (the “darker” Europe) Quotas also contribute to brain drain- US will only accept the best and brightest from a country

Immigration policies and National security mix Stop terrorists from entering country Asylum-seeker crack down Operation Liberty Shield 33 countries were “marked” due to the presence of terrorist organizations; asylum-seekers from these countries were automatically detained Terminated in 2003 Justice department policies allowed to detain any illegal immigrant using Haiti and Mexico as a staging points Will these polices stop or intensify terrorism? Promoting (even more) hatred for US government?

Temporary migration for work Guest workers- in Europe and Middle East Protected by labor laws of that country Take low-status, low-skilled jobs Reduces unemployment in home country Remittances; earn more money than they would back home Time-contract workers (type of guest worker) Recruited for a fixed period of time Stayed in country after contract ended (Chinese in Western US)

North Africa and Southwest Asia Sub-Saharan Africa South Asia Southeast Asia Europe

N. Africa and SW Asia Israel- Displaced Arab peoples Afghanistan- Escaping Taliban Iraq- Kurdish peoples Africa Sudan- Civil war between North (Arab Muslim) and South (Black Christian/Animist); Janjaweed; Darfur region: genocide against non-Arab Muslims Dem. Rep. of the Congo- Rwandan refugees creating ethnic problems

South Asia Pakistan- accommodating Afghanistan’s refugees Sri Lanka- Civil War- Tamil minority trying to create own country from a Sinhalese dominated island (IDPs) Southeast Asia Vietnam- after Vietnam War Cambodia- violence Myanmar- IDPs from repressive rule on minorities

Europe Yugoslavia- collapse of country caused movement as new countries were trying to be created Other Regions Columbia- IDPs from drug problems: “narcoterrorists” Only country in Western Hemisphere with a serious IDP problem

The Sudan

Majority of refugees flee poor countries and go to neighboring countries that are also poor Migrating from regions of dislocation Since priority is given to skilled migrants (economic pulls) and refugees have no quota (all are accepted), we must distinguish between these two groups.

Cuba Deemed as refugees in 1959 “Mariel Boatlift” in 1980; some Cubans allowed to leave Since 1987, US lets 20,000 Cuban immigrants a year

Haiti Under persecution from “Papa Doc” and “Baby Doc” ( ) Haitians tried to immigrate in 1980’s for “economic reasons”, so they were denied entrance to US US did not consider the Haitians as refugees since Haiti was not allied with Soviet Union and Cuba was

Vietnam After Vietnam War, South Vietnamese were considered refugees (fearing persecution under new Communist government) until late 1980’s After late 1980’s, US judged the Vietnamese “Boat People” as economic migrants (economic pull now outweighed political push) Were placed in detention camps by UN then returned home

Migrants risk their lives to find better opportunities in a new country. What would be the ultimate push/pull factors for you to have to decide to leave the US and your family? Where would you go (pull factor)?

US attitudes “Tolerated” early immigrants because they helped “expand” the US’s frontier Once frontier was closed/maxed-out, so should immigration Increased hostility when immigrants were no longer coming from Western European countries Recent hostility towards illegal immigration (Arizona Law, denial of the DREAM Act)

Attitudes towards guest workers Poor social conditions: single, lonely man with little money in a different culture Supposed to be temporary but may become permanent Disliked by Western Europeans (affecting culture) Use money to open own business May be forced to leave if they want to marry or have opposing beliefs (Palestinian's in Kuwait) Global recession has limited economic migrants because of bleak job outlook in desired countries

Slide graphic courtesy of Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue, Hofstra University Most illegal immigrants in the US are “overstays”; people who come to the US legally but overstay their Visa

Visas granted by CountryFY 2007FY 2012 Brazil90%97% China79%91% Dominican Rep.60%68% Ecuador72%81% India78%76% Indonesia60%88% Iran55%62% Jamaica62%58% Mexico67%89% Nicaragua54%72% Nigeria68%66% Pakistan60%63% Philippines68%76% Russia88%90% Saudi Arabia94%92% Turkey85%93% Should we focus on this issue instead of “beefing up” the boarder?

Whites becoming the majority- minority?