Notes

6.7, 6.8: Consequences of Migration

 

We have discussed patterns of migration globally, but why don’t we draw some light on the demographic and social impacts of it on society? 

 

• Most laborers travelling away from their families were predominantly male, leaving their wives and children back at home. This altered the demographic composition in these home countries, prompting women to take on many roles that were originally reserved for their men. 

• Many male laborers would send remittances (money from their earnings abroad) back home, which would allow women to further spend time with their children and provide for their education. 

 

In the receiving countries, migrants often formed various ethnic enclaves or clusters of people from similar ethnic backgrounds. Here, people adapted to a new life abroad by sharing their cultural and religious practices. 

• For example, Indians brought Islam and Hinduism to Africa and the Caribbean.

• Irish immigrants often established pubs, celebrated St. Patrick’s day, and brought Catholicism to the US.

• Italians in Argentina saw a blend of Italian and Spanish which developed into a distinct Argentinian dialect.

 

While immigration led to cultural blending which often enriched societies globally, nativism still persisted (where native populations believed that their interests should be protected over those of immigrants). Discrimination also rose as migrants were now competing with natives for work.

• The US Chinese Exclusion Act, which blocked Chinese immigration, being the first federal law to block immigration of a specific ethnic group.

• The White Australia Policy, which was a series of laws that hoped to maintain a White Australia limiting immigration from non-Caucasian countries (specifically blocking Chinese migration).

 

→ This course often refers to Mohandas Gandhi, who resisted systematic racism in South Africa and later founded the Indian National Congress. I am just inserting this fact in here for your reference.