Migration - AP Human Geography

For many years, industrial centers in the midwest like Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland were home to booming economies and burgeoning populations; however, as American industry began to decline as a global force in the second half of the twentieth century, there were far fewer jobs available. This led many Americans to migrate south and west in search of greater economic opportunity and better weather. The region they left behind became known as the “Rust Belt” to reflect how the heavy machinery was going to rust due to disuse.

In general, the majority of contemporary human migration is from South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa to North America and Europe. The general pattern is north and west.

The former British colony of Australia has an interesting and somewhat unique early history compared to other British colonies. After the abolition of slave labor in the British Empire, the British began to send convicted criminals to Australia in a forced resettlement. Conditions were harsh for the convicts and their lives often shared many similarities with the lives of slaves. It is worth noting that when the Europeans arrived in Australia they did not find a deserted continent devoid of human life. There, as most everywhere else, they encountered native people (in Australia usually called Aboriginals) and violently suppressed them.

The territory that comprises the modern day state of Utah had long been settled by Native Americans when the first white settlers began to arrive in the nineteenth century. The first group to settle in Utah in large numbers was the Mormons, who were fleeing religious persecution in the East of the United States.

The Donation Land Claim Act was passed to encourage Americans to migrate westward to the Oregon Territory in the North-West of America. The act promised a sizeable grant of free land to anyone who made the endeavor and intended to reside there permanently. This sort of law was passed often in the early years of the American republic in order to encourage the westward expansion of the young nation. In the Oregon Territory it was of particular importance for the American government to encourage settlement because control over the area was disputed by the British government. If enough Americans lived there it would seem to be “natural” American territory.

A “push factor” is something that encourages an individual to migrate away from a certain place. Natural disasters, political revolutions, civil war, and economic stagnation are all reasons why people might want to migrate away from a certain area. Job placement, however, is an example of a “pull factor,” something that makes an individual want to migrate to a certain area.

In geographic terminology, when discussing migration you will often hear “push and pull factors.” A “push-factor” is something that encourages an individual to leave, or emigrate from, a certain place. A “pull-factor” is something that attracts individuals to migrate to a certain place.

Voluntary migration is migration that is undertaken willingly by the group or individual involved. People are significantly more likely to undertake voluntary migration for economic opportunity than any other reason. Political freedom and cultural affiliation are more likely to be pull factors for refugees and victims of civil conflict who are undergoing forced migration.

Brazil and the Caribbean were by far the most common destinations for enslaved Africans during the era of the Atlantic Slave Trade. This is because the climates of Brazil and the Caribbean were perfect for growing all sorts of different plantation-based cash crops like sugar, rubber, and cotton.

A chain migration occurs when individuals from within a community follow the path of a previous group or individual within the community and emigrate to a new region. In this instance the young Indian man began the chain-reaction and soon enough nine other individuals had joined him. This is a common process in modern times and explains why many neighborhoods in big cities have concentrated populations of immigrants from other countries (Chinatown, Little Italy, etc.)

A “pull factor” is something that attracts an individual to migrate to a certain place. Educational opportunity, temperate weather, job placement, and cultural attraction are all reasons why someone might emigrate from one country to another, or one region to another; however, economic stagnation is a “push factor,” or something that encourages an individual to leave a certain place. To provide possible clarification, “economic stagnation” means the economy is not growing and job opportunities are scarce.

In geographic terminology you will often hear the term “push and pull factors.” A “pull factor” is something that attracts an individual to migrate to a certain place; it “pulls” the individual in. A “push factor” is something that encourages individuals to migrate away from a certain place; it “pushes” the individual away.

The USA has promising economic and educational pull factors. Many immigrants to the USA come to the country in hopes of starting a new life that is better financially than their last one. Pull factors are the good elements of a nation or region that draw immigrants to that location.

Push factors are factors that encourage people to leave a region or country. These can vary from economic factors to daily lifestyle changes.

Pull factors are factors that encourage people to migrate to a region or country.

Pull factors are positive factors that attract people to new areas from other areas. A booming job market is a pull factor because many people seek jobs in order to provide for their family.

Push factors are negative factors that deter people from their original locale. Poor medical care is a push factor because it could prevent people from effectively battling illnesses.

Internal migration involves movement within a nation-state (e.g., the United States). Mikey's movement from New York to New Hampshire is a good example of internal migration.

Hearth, relocation, expansion, hierarchical, contagious, and stimulus are all different types of diffusion.

The “Sun Belt” is the name used to describe much of the South and West of the United States. Beginning in the second half of the twentieth century, cities in these regions experienced dramatic population growth as many Americans migrated away from the Northeast and the Midwest. Chicago is a northern city, so it is not considered part of the “Sun Belt.”