Migration to the United States
The Impact on People and Places
Chapter 8
What hurdles are there for people
who leave their homeland?
• Leaving family & Friends behind
• Leaving belongings behind
• Leaving a place you are familiar with and
going to a place you may know nothing about
• Having to learn a new language and customs
• Finding a home and employment
Why do people come to the US?
• Opportunity
• Escaping from something
• New Start
Vocabulary
pg. 121
Immigrate - the movement of non-native people
into a country; People who move to another
country area called immigrants
Emigrate - to leave one country or region to
settle in another; People who leave a country
are called Emigrants
Migrate - to go from one country, region, or
place to another
8.2 Geographic Setting
• Both Push & Pull factors drive people to move
to a new country
• Push Examples – War, poverty, discrimination,
famine
• Pull Examples – Freedom & Opportunity
• Since 1820, more than 65 million people have
moved to the US in three great waves
8.2 Continued
• Three Great Waves
1st – began with the founding of the US
– people came from mainly Northern & Western Europe
– Many were escaping poverty and hunger
2nd – Late 1800’s, many from Eastern & Southern Europe
– Fleeing War and Persecution, most worked in city factories
3rd – Late 1960’s to today, US changed immigration laws
– From 1970 to 2003 24 million people moved to US
– 75% came from Latin America & Asia
• Asians to the coasts, Mexicans in the Southwest, Cubans in
Florida, Large cities attracted people from all over
8.3 What Push Factors Drive
Emigration?
• “The Lost Boys of Sudan”
• Political Push Factors – war, fear of leaders &
persecution
• Environmental Push Factors – drought, natural
& human disasters
• Economic Push Factors – most common, not
able to make a living in home country
8.4 What Pull Factors Draw Immigration?
• “The Lost Boys of Sudan” came from Kenyan refugee
camp to Massachusetts
• They were looking forward to being safe, going to
school, and working
• Family Pull Factors – often young men leave first, get
established, and send for the family
• Education Pull Factors – many move to attend good
schools, older students come to attend college
• Quality-of-life Pull Factors – to achieve the
“American Dream” to create a better life for
themselves and family
8.5 How Does Immigration Affect the U.S.?
• “Lost Boys” trouble adjusting to life, homesick,
didn’t know how to shop for food or cook
because they have never seen a stove or
microwave, never used a phone
• The boys had jobs and were studying for
college, they knew they hold their future in
their hands
8.5 Continued
• Economic Impacts: Jobs – the US has always
depended on immigrant labor
• Many people come with few skills and often take low
paying jobs (low paying for US standards) laborers,
cab drivers, restaurant workers
• Some immigrants are highly educated and work as
doctors, professors, computer programmers,
athletes, musicians, & business owners
• Some “Native Born “ Americans resent having to
compete with immigrants for work
8.5 Continued
• Economic Impacts: Taxes – Immigrants pay
taxes that help the economy
• Some immigrants also use tax funded
programs (language classes, health care)
• Cultural Impacts: Neighborhoods, Foods, and
Holidays – immigrants introduce their culture
to US, creates a “Melting Pot”
8.5 Continued
• Newcomers often live close to people from their
homeland (Chinatown & Little Italy)
• They can speak their language, eat native food and
learn news from homeland
• Food - can be introduce to country (sushi, taco,
bagels, potstickers)
• Holiday’s – Natives often celebrate (St. Patrick’s Day,
Chinese New Year, Cinco de Mayo, Hmong New Year)
• Music & art
• Immigration helps people learn about the world
(what was taking place in the Sudan)
8.6 How Does Emigration Affect the
Homelands People Leave Behind?
• Economic Impacts: Brain Drain and Gain –
when people leave they take whatever they
contributed with them (called brain drain)
• Many immigrants send money back home –
Remittances
• Some leave for school and return (brain gain)
8.6 Continued
• Social Impacts: Divided Families and
Community Improvements – plus and minus
• Plus – money sent home can help families by
taking care of elderly and send kids to school
• Minus – families are separated, some never
come home
• Political Impacts: Working for Better
Government – refugees work hard to bring
democracy to their homeland
8.7 Beginning to Think Globally
• Other regions of the world are attracting
immigrants (Spain, Canada, Australia)
8.8 Global Connections
Questions
• Why might some regions “Push” more
migrants than they “Pull”?
• Why might some regions “Pull” more
migrants than they “Push”?
• How does migration change the places people
leave and those they come to?
8.8 Answers
• 2 big push factors – Poverty & Conflict – Africa
has seen a rise in both while the rest of the
world has seen a decline
• Attracted to developed regions – more jobs,
schools, health care, safety – often emigrants
move to the developed region nearest their
home
• Effects are mixed – too many leave the
economy can suffer, customs fade away & too
many people come can cause overcrowding