Understanding the “Push” and “pull” factors that
influence human movement
What would it take to get your family to move? A better job, your parents dream
house, a better life away from a busy air polluted city. From the earliest times,
people have migrated for economic, political, social, and environmental reasons.
Think about the United States for example. The U.S. deals with the issue of
migration on a day to day basis. Many people from other countries long to live the
life of freedom that we Americans enjoy. It is this desire to be “American” that drives
foreign people into the U.S. We call these people that come from other countries to
the United States immigrants.
So what causes people from other countries to desire to leave their homeland?
These causes are called “push” factors. Let’s take a look at how a real “push”
factor works by looking at a historical event that occurred in Ireland between 18451849. This event is known as the Irish Potato Famine. Potatoes which were a main
food crop in Ireland began to die due to disease. Since the potato was relied upon so
heavily, and the potato crop started to fail, many Irish citizens began to die of
starvation. Many of the Irish living in Ireland faced a difficult decision: Stay in their
homeland and face possible starvation, or leave Ireland and come to America where
they could start a new life. As a direct result of the Irish Potato Famine, Texas saw
the largest percentage increase of Irish immigration in its history between 1850 and
1880.
The most common “push” and “pull” factors are related to issues such as political
oppression, religious freedom, and economic opportunity. Can you think of any
“push” or “pull” factors that have caused your family or friends to migrate from
one place to another? Keep in mind that the same “push” and “pull” factors that
cause immigration from country to country are at work in the United States causing
movement of people from state to state.
“Pull” factors are the causes that draw people to an area. As mentioned in the
example with the Irish Potato Famine Irish immigrants were pushed out of their
country due to a shortage of food, but why did they choose to come to America?
Well, their decision to come to America was based upon the “pull” factors at work.
During the mid 1800’s, there was an abundance of land in the United States
(especially in Texas). Well, land back in the 1800’s was used primarily for
agricultural use, so these Irish immigrants, most of which were farmers, were
attracted to the opportunity of land ownership in The U.S.
“Push” and “pull” factors are interdependent. Simply put, this means that they
generally occur at the same time to cause migration of people. The very same needs
that were pushing Irish citizens out of their homeland (the need to eat) were pulling
these Irish immigrants to the Unites States due to land availability.
Created by Mr. Michael Wetz