1. Chapter 3 Key Issue 3 Why do People Migrate?

2. Big Questions
What are push and pull factors and describe cultural/political, social, environmental, and economic reasons for migrating. Give one specific example of each.

3. Key Terms Push Factors Floodplain Pull Factors Desertification
Cultural/Political Migration
Intervening Obstacles
Asylum
Refugees
Guest Workers
Internally Displaced Persons
Remittance
Social Migration
Unaccompanied Minors
Environmental Migration

4. Why do People Migrate?
Ravenstein claims people move for economic reasons as well as cultural and environmental reasons but he doesn’t place an order of importance on these reasons
The choice to migrate combines a decision to move away from someplace with a decision to move toward someplace else
The factors leading to a move away are known as push factors and the factors that attract them to settle in a specific place are known as push factors

5. Cultural/Political Reasons for Migrating
Cultural/Political Migration usually happens due to political instability or conflict
These migrants are fleeing from some form of discrimination, persecution, or arrest and they move to countries that support their views and will of them asylum (protection from the danger they faced in their home country)
These types of migrants are referred to as refugees (See. P.92)

6. Cultural/Political Reasons for Migrating
Refugees refers to those who cross international borders to avoid violence or persecution but those who migrate within their home country are known as internally displaced persons
As of 2014, the United Nations claims there are almost 20 million refugees, 38 million IDPs, and 1.8 million asylum seekers worldwide

7. Cultural/Political Reasons for Migrating
The largest number of these come from Afghanistan and Syria. The countries that take in the most of them are their neighbors, Pakistan and Iran from Afghanistan and Lebanon and Turkey from Syria
Examples of this from the United States would be the forced Native American migration known as the Trail of Tears, Mormon Migration of the 1840s, or Great Migration of African Americans from

8. Social Reasons for Migrating
Some people emigrate from one country to another for what may seem like forced reasons
Some of these social reasons include: To practice a religion/philosophy, unite with family or friends, escape a gender imbalance, seek an education, or pursue a lifestyle not accepted in home country

9. Environmental Reasons for Migrating
Could be voluntary but migrants are often forced to move to escape from natural disasters, drought, crop failure, and other unfavorable conditions and they move to areas that do not have the same environmental stresses
Some are attracted to warm climates, mountains, or seasides and migrate for personal reasons (ex. Elderly to Florida or the southern coasts of England and France, city people to the Rockies or Alps, or people who are tired of cold move to Arizona or Southern Spain

10. Environmental Reasons for Migrating
The most common environmental threat is water as many people live in a floodplain and do not realize it
Lack of water also creates problems such as the American farmers in the 1930s escaping from the “Dust Bowl” of the Great Plains or those in Africa escaping the desert-like conditions created by desertification

11. Environmental Reasons for Migrating
A hindrance to migration, could be environmental, economic, or political, is known as an intervening obstacle
Historically, crossing mountains or oceans has been an obstacle to migrants but with new transportation improvements, this has diminished
Intervening obstacles could also be lack of money to get to destination, trouble getting immigration documents, or being kidnapped by traffickers

12. Economic Reasons for Migrating
The most common reason for migration is people looking for work
Areas that have people leaving to find jobs can sometimes become ones that have net in-migration later (ex. The American South or Ireland)
Economic Reasons for Migrating

13. Economic Reasons for Migrating
It is often hard to tell the difference between economic migrants and refugees escaping for political reasons
It is important to be able to distinguish because Canada, the United States, and European counties treat the two differently

14. Economic Reasons for Migrating
Migrants that do make it into a country are usually let in on a temporary basis, but sometimes end up making it permanent.
South and East Asia are the world’s largest source of migrants who emigrate in search of work…more than 2 million per year

15. Economic Reasons for Migrating
More than 50 million Chinese have emigrated to other countries including Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Indonesia
25 million Indians have emigrated for work to countries such as Nepal, Myanmar, Malaysia, and the U.S.

16. Economic Reasons for Migrating
Southwest Asia (Middle East) has many jobs due to their oil reserves and has become a major destination of migrants from South and East Asia
Immigrants make up the majority population of countries such as the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait

17. Economic Reasons for Migrating
Workers to the Middle East often become Guest Workers and are eventually sent back home
Working conditions in these countries can be awful which has led some Asian countries to ban migration there
Middle Eastern countries have recently been concerned about guest workers sparking political unrest and threatening their Muslim culture

18. Economic Reasons for Migrating
A remittance is the transfer of money by workers to people in the country from which they emigrated
In 2013, $550 billion dollars was remitted worldwide and this money has become extremely important for those still living in the home country

19. Gender and Age of Migrants
Ravenstein claimed adult males were the most likely to migrate long distances to other countries
Searching for work was the main reason for this international migration
This has historically been true in countries such as the U.S. and those in Western Europe but has shifted since the 1970s when female migrants outnumbered males

20. Gender and Age of Migrants
This change in developed countries was caused by greater social equality being available for women and those countries allowing females to join husbands who have already immigrated
Males emigrants from developing countries still outnumber females but does vary by region

21. Gender and Age of Migrants
Ravenstein also claimed that young adults were more likely to make the long international journeys than were children and the elderly
Recent immigration patterns show that Ravenstein’s theory generally holds true in developed countries but tends to be inaccurate for immigrants moving to developing countries

22. Gender and Age of Migrants
The number of unaccompanied minors coming to the U.S from Central America has risen dramatically in the last 10 years, which complicates Ravenstein’s theory
These minors are making the dangerous journey from countries such as Honduras and El Salvador to escape gang violence

23. Big Question & Key Terms
What are push and pull factors and describe cultural/political, social, environmental, and economic reasons for migrating. Give one specific example of each.
Push Factors
Floodplain
Pull Factors
Desertification
Cultural/Political Migration
Intervening Obstacles
Asylum
Refugees
Guest Workers
Internally Displaced Persons
Remittance
Social Migration
Unaccompanied Minors
Environmental Migration