Deep Thought
 How many times have you and your
family moved?
 Be ready to share 
Why is migration part of geography?
 It has contributed to the
evolution and
development of
separate cultures
 It has contributed to the
diffusion of cultures
by interchange and
communication.
 It has contributed to the
complex mix of people
and cultures found in
different regions of the
world today..
Remember…
 With migration, as with everything else,
geographers are concerned with
WHERE and WHY!
Why move?
 Most people move for
economic reasons.
1. -better jobs
2. -better natural
resources
3. -more freedom for
economic
advancement
4. -can shift/change
 Also Cultural
Reasons
1.
2.
3.
-Freedom
-Democracy
-School
Why move?
 Environmental Factors
1.
2.
3.
4.
Environmentally attractive
Away from dangerous
areas
Mountains, seasides, warm
climates
Water issues
 Forced Migrations
1.
2.
3.
Slaves
Prisoners
Political Refugees
 Palestinians
 Afghans
 Sudan
 Columbia
Surprising Statistic…
 Only 3% of the world’s population
currently lives outside of their country of
birth.
Observations of migration can be summarized
into
Ravenstein’s Laws of Migration
1. Most migrants only go a short
distance.
 2. Longer distance migration
favors big-city destinations. Large
cities are migrant magnets.
 3. Most migration proceeds step by
step.
Ravenstein’s Laws of
Migration
 4. Most migration is rural to urban.
 5. Each migration flow produces a
counter flow.
 6. Most migrants are adults;
families are less likely to make
international moves.
 7. Most international migrants are
young males. (This is now changing
as women become more educated)
Migration occurs at different
scales.
 >GLOBAL/Transnational
 Intercontinental Movements: from
continent to continent
 Motivated by
better economic conditions
 changes in life cycles e.g.,
moving at retirement to a
warmer climate, getting
married, having children)

Migration occurs at different
scales.
 >REGIONAL

 Intracontinental
and Interregional
Migrations: between
countries and within
countries.
 flight from disastrous
environmental or
political conditions,
e.g.

refugees, Hong
Kong Chinese
moving to avoid
China's take over
International and Interregional
Migrations
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcoO
ENLfpUI
Migration occurs at different scales.
LOCAL
> Rural to Urban Migration: from the
countryside (rural areas) to cities (urban areas)
 Began on a large scale with the Industrial
Revolution >
 advanced economies of Europe and the
United States when job opportunities
opened up in factories in urban areas.
 This process is now taking place in the
developing economies of the world in South
America, Africa, and Asia where
industrialization is just now occurring.
Migration occurs at different
scales.
 Local Residential Shifts:
1. Suburbanization
2. neighborhood relocations
3. counterurbanization…
US Migration Patterns
 http://www.forbes.com/special-
report/2011/migration.html
Definition: Factors
that cause a person
to leave an area
E
Emigrants:
X
I
T
People moving out of a country
Examples: Famine, disease, violence, war, religious,
political, or cultural persecution
Scarcity of jobs, economic depression, lack
of or poor educational opportunities
Environmental Degredation, poor weather
conditions that create floods or droughts.
Definition:
Factors that cause you
to move TO a certain a
Often called Immigrants: People moving into a country
N
T
O
Examples:
Perceptions of freedom, security, peace, safety,
democracy
Adequate jobs, higher wages, better schools
Improved health conditions, and being with family members
Push and Pull Factors
 Both factors are affected by place
utility, an individual's existing degree of
satisfaction or dissatisfaction with a
place.
 Two other related concepts are distance
decay and intervening opportunity.
Movers seek to minimize the friction of
distance. Migrants tend to choose the
closer location if both are equal in other
ways. Information about distant areas is
less complet
Intervening Obstacles
 Environmental or Cultural features that
hinder migration
 Used to be mainly environmental
 Example: Europeans migrating to US:
Atlantic Ocean was an obstacle.
 Now more likely to be governmental
policies
Migrations can be classified into 5
types.
 1. Primitive Migration: in
response to environmental
conditions; usually undertaken
by people at low levels of
development.
 2. Forced Migration:
compulsory transfer of a group
of people, usually by a
government.
 Each type can then be
classified as either
conservative or
innovative.
 An innovative move is
one in which the migrant
undertakes a new way
of life.
 A conservative move
preserves an
accustomed way of life
in new surroundings.
Migrations can be classified
into 5 types.
 3. Impelled/Imposed Migration: similar
to Forced Migration but it differs in that
migrants retain some ability to decide
whether to move or not.
 4. Free/Voluntary Migration: individual
movements for economic betterment.
 5. Mass Migration: large numbers,
entire communities, moving en masse
without being fully informed on an
individual basis of what to expect.
1. Primitive Migration
 Response to
Environment
 Nomads moving
to follow animal
herds
 Transhumance

Seasonal
migration
• 2. Forced Migration –
Basically - leave or die
Relocation of Native Americans
Forced migration in Rwanda, Africa
3. Impelled/Imposed Migration
 People have
some choice, but
not much
 Mormon Migration
from Illinois to
Utah
4. Free/Voluntary Migration
 Usually done by
individuals
 Usually prompted
by economic
decisions
 People migrating
from Mexico for
jobs in the US
5. Mass Migrations
 Large
communities
moving
 Don’t necessarily
know what to
expect
 Mormons to Utah
 India/Pakistan
Barriers to migration
 Migration is limited by a knowledge of
opportunities in other places, i.e.,
information.
 Migration is limited by costs, both
financial and emotional. It is difficult to
leave one's home to try a completely
new way of life.
 Migration is limited by physical features
such as wide rivers, high mountains,
climate, etc… esp. in developing world…
Barriers to migration
 Migration is limited by political
restrictions, e.g., immigration policies
 Migration is limited by personal
characteristics, e.g., culture, age,
gender, education, and economic status.
Well-educated males, between the ages
of 18-34 who are affluent are MOST
mobile; poorly educated females who
are old and poor are the LEAST mobile.
Review Time!
 What type of
 Most migrations
migration would
the Gold Rush
be?
 What was an
intervening
obstacle for
Europeans to
America?
 Why do most
people migrate?
today are limited
by?
 Someone
migrating from the
East Coast to the
gold rush would
be innovative or
conservative?
 What did EG
Ravenstein do?
Immigration Interview
Assignment
 Due Tuesday, Oct
16th
 Find a friend,
family member,
teacher, neighbor,
etc. who has
immigrated here
from another
country
 Be prepared to
share their story
Deep Thought
 Do you know your family’s history of
migration?
 Be ready to share 
Net in- vs. Net out Net in-migration:
 If the number of immigrants exceeds the
number of emigrants, the net migration is
positive
Net in- vs. Net out Net out-migration
 If the number of emigrants exceeds the
number of immigrants, the net migration
is negative
Global Patterns
 Asia, Latin America, Africa
 Net out-migration
 From less developed to more
developed
Wilber Zelinsky
 Noticed patterns between DTM and
Migration
 Stage 1: Rarely migrate far, but lots of
primitive local migration
 Stage 2: Intercontinental migration to
relieve pop. pressures
 Stage 3 and 4: Internal Migration: Rural
to Urban or Urban to Suburban
IMMIGRATION TO THE USA
the 1st wave – North and West
Europe
> 90% of immigrants between 1607
and 1840 were from Great Britain
1840’s to 1850’s
immigrants came from
North and Western
Europe
 The industrial
revolution had sent
them into stage 2 of
the DTM, jobs were
available in the US.

Germany has sent the most
European immigrants to the
USA
IMMIGRATION TO THE USA > the 2nd
Peak
 Immigration
declined during the
Civil War – too
busy fighting
w/each other…
 1870’s to 1890’s –
most from
Germany &
Scandinavian
countries
3. Third Peak >E Europe/Latin
America/Asia

A. 1890’s to 1914 – most
immigrants were from Russian,
southern and eastern Europe.
(this coincided with the diffusion
of the Ind. Revolution)
 B. 1914 – World War I –ended
large scale migration for the time
being
 Post WWII, Migration to US slows
down due to Great Depression
 C. Migration from Asia, Latin
America increased in 20th
century.
 Mexican immigration has now
surpassed German #
 (Dom Rep and El Salvador Are 2
and 3 from L. Am…)
Asia and Latin America
 Asia
 Latin America
 1800s- 1900s China,
 1820-Today
Turkey, Japan
 Last 25 years- Major
increase
 Today: China, India,
Vietnam, Philippines
 Mainly Chain Migration
 1990’s = Peak
 Mexico has
passed Germany
for sending the
most immigrants
 Mainly economic
reasons
Europe’s Legacy
 As Europe moved into Stage 2
population grew
 Consolidation of farmland
 US was a safety valve for Europe’s
population
 As Europe moved into Stage 4, less
emigration
 Wilbur Zelinsky’s pattern
Europe’s Legacy
 Diffusion of culture



Languages
Religion
Political/Economic
Structures
 Spread of conflict



Extraction of
resources
Imposing cultural
values on
indigenous
populations
Lasting effects of
conflicts…Africa
Undocumented Immigration
 Impossible to know how many
 Immigration quotas
 Mainly due to desire to work, but do not
have government permission
 Half enter legally as students or tourists but
overstay visas
 Border Difficulties
 Controversy of undocumented migration
Where to?...Proximity
 4 States-California, Texas, Florida, New
York
1. Mexico=CA, TX, FL
2. Caribbean= NY, FL
3. China/India= NY, CA
4. Asia=CA
Chain migration
 Poland=Illinois
 Iran=California
 People settle where other people from
their same country as settled. Also
known as Founder Effect.
Review
 During what Stage of the DTM do
countries experience net out migration?
 Most immigration to US in the 1700 and
1800s was from what part of Europe?
 Most modern Asian migration is what
kind of migration?
 Where is most net out migration coming
from today?
 What is it called if the number of
immigrants exceeds the number of
Nicaragua Case Study
 Highlight Pull Factors
 Highlight Push Factors
 Highlight Chain Migration
 Highlight Refugee issues
 Highlight Intervening Obstacles
 On Back: Should they leave or stay?
Deep Thought
 If you could live anywhere, where would
you live and why?
Why do migrants face
obstacles?
 In the past, primarily physical obstacles
 Today:


Gaining permission to enter a new country
Hostile attitudes of citizens once they have
entered the new country
US Quota Laws
 1921 Quota Act
 1924 National Origins Act
 Established maximum limits on the
number of people who could immigrate
to the US rom each country during a 1
year period.
 Only allowed 2% of current numbers
 Designed to insure that most immigrants
to US came from Western Europe
Quota Law Revisions
 Immigration Act of 1965—Hemisphere
quotas
 1978—Global Quotas, but max of 20,000
from one country
 Currently the law allows 480,000 familysponsored immigrants and 140,000
employment related immigrants
 Typical wait time for a spouse: 5 years
Quota law revisions
 Besides family, the other immigrant
numbers are made up of skilled labors
and exceptionally talented professionals
 Lottery of “diversity category” from
countries that historically sent few
people to the US
Exception to Quota Laws
 Refugees
 Spouses of US citizens
Brain Drain
 Other countries worry that the US giving
immigration preference to skilled
professionals creates a brain drain, or
large scale emigration of talented people
 For example, in 2005, 84% of college
educated citizens of Haiti lived abroad
Temporary Migration
 Usually for work
 Common in Europe (guest workers)
 Guest workers are protected by
minimum wage laws, labor unions, etc,
but still considered foreign and low class
 Come from North Africa, Middle East,
South and Eastern Europe and Asia
 Follow patterns: Immigrate to a country
that formerly colonized, has a similar
language, or government agreement
Benefits to Europe
 Guest workers do jobs that European
citizens don’t want
 Guest workers accept minimum wages
 European countries with declining
populations may depend on guest
workers
Benefits to guest workers
 European minimum wage is much more
money than they would earn at home
 Poorer countries reduce their
unemployment
 Boosts the economy of home country by
sending money back home
Refugees vs. Economic
Migrants
 Both groups usually migrate to the US,
Canada, and Western Europe
 Refugees=Political Factors
 Refugees receive special priority status
over economic migrants
 Political and economic decisions go into
whether or not the governments of US,
Canada, or Europe label migrants as
refugees or migrants
Case Study: Cuba
 1959 Revolution: Communist
government, Fidel Castro
 US has regarded emigrants from Cuba
as political refugees
 Most relocate to South Florida
 1980 Mariel boatlift—Extremely
dangerous 125 mile crossing
 US unprepared for Cuban influx
Case Study: Cuba
 Many refugees stayed at Orange Bowl
stadium until they gained sponsors
 When football season started, refugees
transferred to tents under I-95
 Since 1987, US agrees to 20,000 Cuban
migrants per year
Case Study: Haiti
 1957-1986 Duvalier Dictatorships
 Persecuted political opponents as
harshly as Cuba had
 US government did not classify Haitians
as political refugees
 Denied admittance to the US when
Haitians came by boat
 Haitians sued the US government and
won refugee status
Case Study: Vietnam
 Vietnam War ends in 1975, Communist
North captured South
 US evacuated several thousand South
Vietnamese so they would avoid
persecution
 1000s of other South Vietnamese who
were not evacuated by helicopter fled to
boats hoping to be picked up by US navy
so they could apply as refugees
Case Study: Vietnam
 US Navy wants to help the Vietnamese
boat people, but also wants to honor
refugee applicants already waiting.
 1980s another wave of boat people
leaves Vietnam. Those who can prove
political persectution are refugees, those
who can’t are economic migrants
 Economic migrants put in detention
camps and eventually returned to
Vietnam.
Attitudes towards Immigrants
and Guest Workers
US Attitudes towards
Immigrants
 When frontier closed, much less
tolerance for immigrants
 Opposition to immigrants intensified
when most immigrants no longer came
from Western Europe
 Debates in the US continue over
whether or not children of recent
immigrants should receive social service
and public education
Migration Centers
 Migrate into groups of 4
 You and your partners will look at 8
major migration patterns (likely to show
up on Test)
 Complete appropriate box for each one,
we will rotate centers after 7 minutes
Deep Thought
 Could you pass the US citizenship test?
 http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/me
nuitem.d72b75bdf98917853423754f526
e0aa0/?vgnextoid=afd6618bfe12f210Vg
nVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextch
annel=afd6618bfe12f210VgnVCM10000
0082ca60aRCRD&print=0
 http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/01
04/Could-you-pass-a-US-citizenshiptest/Who-signs-bills
Population Center
 US Census Bureau calculates population
center with each census
 Average location of everyone in the
country
 “Center of population gravity”
 Has moved consistently West over the
last 200 years and more recently, slightly
South
Changing Center of Population
Trend is
moving
steadily West
US Interregional Migration
 Until 1790 US pop. clustered around
Atlantic Coast
 Intervening Obstacle: Appalachian
Mountains
 Erie Canal opens up Midwest
 California Gold Rush
 Great Plains initially an obstacle
 Expansion of railroads
 Recent growth of the South-Sun Belt vs
Rust Belt
Case Study: Russia
Interregional
 Soviet policy was to open factories near
resources, not near population centers
 Not enough voluntary migration to
Siberia, so Soviet government forced
migration
 Later, tried voluntary with incentives
 Now government tends to build factories
near population centers
Case Study: Brazil
Interregional
 Most of population naturally settled
around coast
 Government has encouraged migration
to the interior by moving capitol from Rio
to Brasilia. This is known as a “forward
capitol”
Intraregional
 Migration within One Region
 Urbanization
 Migration from Rural to Urban
 1800s US and Europe
 Today, Asia, Africa, Latin America
 75% of the world is urban now
 Driven by jobs
Intraregional
 Migration within One Region
 Urban to Suburban
 MDCs
 Change in Lifestyle
Urban Sprawl
 Cities continue to expand, Unrestricted
growth
 Leads to problems of traffic, cost of gas
prices, overuse of city’s resources
 Accelerated with the invention of the
automobile
Counterurbanization
 Newest trend in intraregional migration
 People moving from urban to non-urban
(Rural) areas
 Not always farmers
 Modern communication such as online
shopping makes counterurbanization
possible
Review
 What direction has the US population
center moved?
 What is the newest trend in intraregional
migration?
 What invention led to urbanization?
 What part of the world is now
experiencing urbanization?
 Why do people in MDCs move from
Urban to Suburban?
 How did Brazil encourage interregional
migration?
Risking it all- Across Mexico
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KvG
8BwhSUs
A nice review…
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOZmq
Iwqur4
 As you watch, record 10 facts from the
video as a review.