Migrations

**Voluntary Versus Forced Migration **  The biggest difference between voluntary and forced migration is the reason for the movement: whether or not there was a “push” or a “pull.” When describing the movement of different ethnic groups, it can be difficult to determine whether or not the migration was voluntary or forced. **Voluntary Migration ** Voluntary migration is the movement of people into a new region by their own choice. People will migrate generally because the new place has “pull” factors that motivated their movement. Around 1850, there was a Chinese migration because of the Gold Rush in California. The Chinese immigrants wanted to become prosperous in the United States and then return to their homeland in China. Similar to the Chinese, during the 19th century, there was an Arab migration seeking economic prosperity. This pattern continues to occur, as many people from Central and South America continue to emigrate from their home countries to come to the United States in hopes of economical stability. **Forced Migration ** Forced migration is the movement of people into a new region for reasons other than their own choice. The migration is set into motion because of “push” factors, forcing people to move. One of the most powerful forced migrations was that of the African Americans during the days of the Triangle Trade. <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">These people had no choice in their relocation because they were kidnapped and sold into slavery. The majority of other forced migrations are for reason of turmoil in their homeland. Problems could be anywhere between physical (Nazi Germany), environmental (Louisiana and Hurricane Katrina), political (Middle Eastern Arabs in the second wave), economical (Irish), or even religious persecution. <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 13.5pt;">The Fine Line between Forced and Voluntary Migration ** <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Some migrations could be classified under both voluntary and forced migration. This is because not all migrations are solely dependent of “push” or “pull” factors. When describing most of the forced migrations (excluding the African American migration), there are usually some “pull” factors as well as “push.” This is because although they have a “push” out of their country, there was a choice or “pull” towards the specific country they chose. <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Voluntary migrations are more difficult to define because a lot of movements have “push” factors in addition to their “pull” factor that motivated their move. For example, the Chinese migration, previously mentioned, had certain push factors. China was having serious problems including: political anarchy, famine, and economic crisis. This is why when classifying migrations, it is necessary to determine which factors had the strongest influence on people’s decisions. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">