1. Migration
Chapter 3

2. Push and Pull Factors
Push factors are things that push people away from their current place
Pull factors are things that pull people to new places
E.G. Ravenstein’s theory outlines 11 laws (rules) to geographic migration.
The 11 laws can be divided into 3 main reasons for migration (Economic, Cultural, and Environmental)

3. Why People Migrate Economic Cultural Environmental
New job opportunities
Valuable natural resources
Economic attractiveness
Highest number of migrants
Forced migration-slavery and political instability
Boundaries create forced international migration
Refugees
2 largest groups of refugees- Palestinians and Afghans
Freedom can be a pull factor (Fall of Communism)
Physically attractive places
Pushed from hazardous places
Attractive environments like mountains, sea sides, warm climates
Health conditions
Pushed by adverse physical conditions
Too much water or too little water

4. Intervening Obstacles
In the past, obstacles have been transportation issues
Other physical obstacles like mountains and water have hindered migration
Today’s migrants face obstacles not from physical or transportation issues, but cannot move due to lack of passports or legal documentation.
All countries require some sort of legal documents to allow you into their country

5. Distance of Migration Ravenstein’s Theory
International Migration
Internal Migration
Permanent move to another country
Very traumatic, done for extreme conditions or reasons
Voluntary migration – chosen to migrate
Forced migration- forced to move due to fear and possible death
Wilbur Zelinsky compared migration patterns to the DTM and found similar data (see chart handout)
Stages of the DTM correspond with migration patterns
Permanent move within same country
Less traumatic move, therefore more people migrate internally
Interregional migration is moving to another region within a country
Intraregional migration is moving within the same region within a country
Historically most moves have been rural to urban migration
But in recent years the trend has reversed to urban to environmentally attractive rural areas (Suburbs)

6. Characteristics of Migrants
Mostly male
Adults
Trend started to change in early 1990s
Increasingly more women and children are migrating
Less educated
Most are from rural areas in Mexico
Most work in agriculture

7. Sources and Destinations of Refugees

8. Migration Patterns

9. U.S. Immigration Patterns
1st era- Settlement of colonies and slave trade
400,000 were slaves
2nd era- Europeans migrating to U.S.
40 million to U.S.
3rd era- Latin America and Asia
7 million (Asia) 13 million (Latin America)
Immigration Reform and Control Act

10. Latin American and Asian Era
Current wave of migration
China, Philippines, India and Vietnam
Mexico, Dominican Republic, El Salvador
1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act gave documentation to illegal immigrants that entered U.S.
Reason for migration remains the same: economic push/pull factors

11. Migration from Latin America to the U.S.
Fig. 3-6: Mexico has been the largest source of migrants to the U.S., but migrants have also come from numerous other Latin American nations.

12. Impact of Migration to U.S.
Immigrants today are not entering a growing country (frontier) but a highly settled region where there is job competition
Cultural backgrounds travel with immigrants which shape the country
Christianity
Government and economic structure and colonial conflicts

13. Undocumented Immigration
BCIS estimates that there are 7 million illegals
Each year it grows by 350,000
Expired visas or border crossers
It is illegal to hire an illegal immigrant
Most of the time immigrants are deported back to Mexico if caught…no penalties
Texas, Florida, California and New York are the destinations of most migrants

14. U.S. States as Immigrant Destinations
Fig. 3-8: California is the destination of about 25% of all U.S. immigrants; another 25% go to New York and New Jersey. Other important destinations include Florida, Texas, and Illinois.

15. U.S. Quota Laws Established in the 1920’s
Set limits on legal migration
Changed in 1965, 1978 to eventual global quotas
480,000 family (chain migration) 120,000 employment immigration
Typically only skilled workers are granted visas
Brain Drain in countries where they emigrated from

16. Temporary and Time Contract Workers
Temporary workers are called guest workers
Temporary workers typically are found in Europe/M.E. and they are from poorer countries like Africa, M.E. ,E. Europe and Asia
Guest workers have some rights
Time contract workers are used for a fixed period of time then settle in new country once job is completed
Best example: Chinese building the U.S. railroads

17. Economic Migrant or Refugee?
Cuba, Haiti and Vietnam
Mariel boatlift
Cubans were viewed as refugees because Castro was an ally of the Soviet Union
Coup created refugees in Haiti
Communist North Vietnam
Very important to distinguish status

18. Prejudice against migrants
Early European immigrants faced prejudice
CA voted to deny immigrants access to public services
Kuwait expelled Palestinian guest workers
Fiji wanted only Fijians to control government and Indians to run business
Anti-immigration is attractive

19. Why do people migrate within a country?
Interregional migration developed U.S. frontier
Population centers moved steadily west
Interior-1830
Low land prices, canals, steam powered boats
Great Plains-1880
Farming improved, steel plows, well drilling
South- 1980
Job opportunities, sunbelt

20. Migration between regions of a country Interregional Migration
United States
Other Countries
Changing center of population
The center of population has moved west as our country became settled
Transportation helped the interior of the U.S. to be settled (think Gold Rush)
Agriculture technology helped the Great Plains become settled
Increase in job opportunities in the South caused the growth as well as the climate
African American migration
Russia
Important to develop areas near raw materials
Kosomol policy was used to encourage young students to work
Brazil
Moved capital to Brasilia to promote interior development
Indonesia
Government program to encourage development of islands and to move people away from Java
Europe
Southern Italian moving to Northern Italy for jobs (Mezzogiorno)

21. Migration between countries
Russia
Needed internal migration to develop industry
Komsomol
Brazil
Moved capital to Brasilia to promote movement
Indonesia
Gives incentive to move to other islands
Europe
Economic movement within country
India
State of Assam

22. Migration within one region Intraregional Migration
Rural-urban migration
Most people live in cities today
People moved to the city for jobs
Urban-suburban migration
Current trend of intraregional migration
Pulled by the lure of suburban lifestyle
Better schools, less crime
Migration from metropolitan to nonmetropolitan regions
Counterurbanization
People wanted to live in the country
Increased transportation allows a city worker to live in a rural area

23. Intraregional Migration in the U.S.
Fig. 3-14: Average annual migration among urban, suburban, and rural areas in the U.S. during the 1990s. The largest flow was from central cities to suburbs.