Assignment #5

 

America has always been a nation of immigrants. The displacement of people from their place of origin to other places, areas or countries, immigration has existed as long as humans. These displacements or changes occur for many different reasons: foraging, settlement of new lands, forced relocation of slaves, exodus of ethnic or religious minorities harassed by violence, horror of wars, political causes and so on.

Many groups and individuals have migrated involuntarily. From the fifteenth century to the first half of the nineteenth century, millions of Africans, often captured by other African peoples, were arrested, taken from their land and sold into slavery in distant countries. First were sent to Portugal and then to other European countries, it reaching east to as far away as India and west to the United States, South America.

The development of the Industrial Revolution gave origin to the greater migration process at the whole story but it is taking new forms: the rural exodus (The Great European Migration between 1800 and 1950) which involved thousands of millions of farmers around the world. It originated an uncontrolled and excessive growth of large cities. Besides, it is estimated that international migration will increase throughout the nineteenth century and these are one of the most reliable indicators of globalization of the world system. Additionally, the 49% of international migrants in 2005 were women, being also more numerous than men in developed countries.

Migratory movements generated a series of demographic, economic and sociological consequences, both in places of origin and destination. In places (countries, regions, cities) of origin, the most visible benefits are the financial contribution received by the families of migrants, the decline in unemployment by reducing the working age population (which is what usually migrate) and reducing social tensions. The negative consequences can be, among others, lack of balance which are produced in the demographic structure by reducing young people, both male and female (depending on country), and increased aging rate, the interest to invest in technology, education , health and basic infrastructure, and the rupture of the family in case of individual migrations.

On the other hand, in the places of destination, some of the most important positive consequences were: increasing young population and birth control, the contribution of manpower in order to sustain economic development, the social security income, and cultural enrichment. Negative effects include the social integration, conflicts, social tensions caused by xenophobic and racist attitudes; and the increased of illegal immigration.

During the nineteenth century until the Depression of the thirties of the twentieth century it was migrated more than 60 million Europeans. In a first immigrant’s wave, they departed for the United States and Canada European countries in central and northern Europe: UK, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, and Norway. In the last third of the nineteenth century Europeans were united (the southern and eastern Europe, particularly Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland and the Russian Empire). They expanded the immigration space also covering central and South America: mainly Argentina and Brazil.

The beginnings of industrialization in North America, a continent practically uninhabited, offered multiple investment opportunities and working to the people of central and northern Europe, primarily affected by the processes of industrialization. When at the end of the century South America was integrated into the international trading system, specializing in the export of agricultural products, the job offer was extended and brought to the people of southern Europe, which at that time began the process of modernization economic.