Migration & Its CausesMigration & Its Causes

A. MIGRATIONA. MIGRATIONmigration: the permanent long-term relocation from one place to another

voluntary migration: people have a choice to move or stay

reluctant migration: less than fully voluntary, but not forced

Exs.: - any economic migrantany economic migrant- 75 million people from Europe to

Americas (1835-1935)- Indonesia: resettlement from

overcrowded Java

U.S. Immigration FlowsU.S. Immigration Flows

Migration from Latin America to the U.S.

Mexico has been the largest source of migrants to the U.S., but migrants have also come from numerous other Latin American nations

Migration from Asia to the U.S.

Migration in 2001. The largest numbers of migrants from Asia come from India, China, the Philippines, and Vietnam

forced migration: imposed relocation by one group over another causing “refugees”

Exs.: - African slavery- Australian convicts- Siberian labor camps- Trail of Tears- the Holocaust- Rwanda (1994)- Darfur, Sudan (present)

internal migration: relocation within a country’s borders

- Colombia (rural-urban)

- Russia- China (to industrial cities)

- U.S. (1800’s: “Westward Ho”; 1910-1930’s: “Great Migration”; today: west & south)

transhumance: semi-nomadic migration

B. Causes of migration:B. Causes of migration:

i. Political circumstancesi. Political circumstances

Haiti

Mariel BoatliftIdi Amin/Uganda

Haiti• In 1957, Francois Duvalier (called "Papa Doc"

by the Haitians) installed a dictatorship. "Papa Doc" established his own private police force known as the Tontons Macoutes. Their bloody terror tactics helped keep him in power. When "Papa Doc" died in 1971, his son, Jean Claude Duvalier (known as "Baby Doc") took power. In contrast to "Baby Doc's" rich lifestyle, Haitians continued to suffer under the heel of poverty, government corruption, and murderous repression.In

Haiti• In 1986, public demonstrations forced "Baby Doc" to

flee Haiti. Joyous mobs surged into the streets of Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital. A five-member council, led by a general, took control of the government. It promised democratic elections, but failed to carry through on the promise. Many important Haitians still owed their wealth and power to the old way of doing things. The leading opponent of the wealthy elite was Jean-Bertrand Aristide . A Roman Catholic priest, Aristide spoke out on behalf of Haiti's slum dwellers and rural peasants.

Haiti• In 1988, armed men attacked Aristide's church and

killed 13 of his parishioners. Aristide went into hiding.In 1990, the United States and the United Nations forced a presidential election on Haiti's military government. Aristide ran, and he won an overwhelming victory in the first truly democratic election held in Haiti's 200-year history.Seven months after taking office, Aristide was overthrown by another military revolt. President Aristide fled to Venezuela and later sought asylum in the United States.

• The Haitian Boat People• Back in Haiti, many of Aristide's supporters were beaten, imprisoned,

tortured, and murdered. With the country in turmOil, the economy shattered, and poverty taking its toll, nearly 40,000 people tried to escape Haiti by boat during the winter of 1991-92. They headed for the United States, about 600 miles away. Many died at sea. The U.S. Coast Guard intercepted most of the survivors and took them to the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Here the refugees were interviewed to determine if they were seeking asylum or simply escaping from Haiti's terrible poverty. Most qualified for asylum.

UGANDA• Amin began his rule with popular actions,

including freeing several political prisoners. Simultaneously, however, he sent out “killer squads” to hunt down and murder Obote's supporters, predominantly those from the Acholi and Lango ethnic groups, military personnel and civilians. His victims soon came to include people from every order and rank, including journalists, lawyers, homosexuals, students and senior bureaucrats

• He expelled all Asians from Uganda in 1972, an action that led to the breakdown of his country's economy.Amin became known as the “Butcher of Uganda” for his brutality. It is believed that some 300,000 people were killed during his presidency. In July 1976 he was personally involved in the hijacking of a French airliner to Entebbe.

UGANDA

• In October 1978 Amin ordered an attack on Tanzania. Aided by Ugandan nationalists, Tanzanian troops eventually overpowered the Ugandan army. As the Tanzanian-led forces neared Kampala, Uganda's capital, on April 13, 1979, Amin fled the city. Escaping first to Libya, he finally settled in Saudi Arabia. 

ii. Economic conditionsii. Economic conditions

Economic OpportunitiesIn late 1800s and early 1900s, Chinese migrated throughout Southeast Asia to work in trade, commerce, and finance.

iii. Armed conflict & civil wariii. Armed conflict & civil warGuatemalans

Vietnamese

Rwandans

Bosnians

iv. Environmental conditions:iv. Environmental conditions:Irish Population 1872

The Irish Potato Famine

v. Culture & Religionv. Culture & Religion

Pakistan-India Partition Russian Jews arriving in Israel

The Mormon Trek

Jewish Migration to Israel (post-1948)Jewish Migration to Israel (post-1948)

C. Push & Pull FactorsC. Push & Pull FactorsPush Factors: negative home conditions that “push” the decision to migrate (loss of job, lack of opportunities, overcrowding, famine, war, disease)

Pull Factors: positive attributes perceived to exist at the new location (jobs opportunities, better climate, lower taxes, more room, safer)

place utility: degree of satisfaction with a place

The decision to migrate: is it better to stay or to go?

““Guest Workers”Guest Workers”

- have short term work visas- send remittances to home country

D. Migration PatternsD. Migration Patterns

Step migration: smaller, less extreme moves

Ex.: farm to village—to small town—to major city

Chain migration: an established linkage or chain for future migrants (creates a “migration field”)

– Migrants provide information, money, place to stay, a job for other family/friends

Channel Migration: clear pathways & travel routes are established

- Ex.: The Oregon Trail

Undocumented Immigration:Mexico to Arizona

The complex route of one group of undocumented migrants from a small village north of Mexico City to Phoenix, Arizona

E. Ravenstein’sE. Ravenstein’s “ “Laws of Migration”Laws of Migration”1. short distance

2. step by step

3. rural to urban

4. each flow produces a counter flow

5. Most international migrants are young males

What is it like to be a refugee?What is it like to be a refugee?

1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is a person with:

refugee: “a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, or nationality.”

RWANDA 1994

DARFUR 2007

POLAND 1939

BOSNIA 1993

PALESTINIANS 1948

IRAQ 2007; 2 million people?

Genocide in Darfur Genocide in Darfur

The conflict in Darfur has led to the death of at least 350,000 and the displacement of 1.8 million people.

The Two Groups: “Arab” vs. “African”The Two Groups: “Arab” vs. “African”

A Darfur rebel fighter

Members of a Janjaweed milita group

International Migration from DarfurInternational Migration from Darfur

Displaced People within DarfurDisplaced People within Darfur