Mass migrationrefers to themigrationof large groups of people from one geographical area to another. Mass migration is distinguished from individual or small-scale migration; and also fromseasonal migration,which may occur on a regular basis.
History and examples of mass migrations
editA specific mass migration that is seen as especially influential to the course of human cultural and anthropomorphic history may be referred to as a 'great migration'. For example, great migrations include theIndo-European migrationsto Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia during theBronze Age,theBantu migrationsacross sub-Saharan Africa,Barbarian invasionsduring theRoman Empire,theGreat Migration from Englandof the 1630s, theCalifornia Gold Rushfrom 1848–1850, theGreat Migration of African Americansfrom the rural American South to the industrial north during 1920–1950, andThe Great Oromo MigrationsofOromotribes during the 15th and 16th centuries in the Horn of Africa.UNHCRestimates 14 million Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims were displaced during thepartition of India,the largest mass migration in human history.[1][2]
The largest documented voluntary emigration in history was theItalian diaspora,which migrated from Italy between 1880 and 1915, with 13 million people leaving the country.[3][4]
Forced migration
editMass migrations may beforced displacements,such ashuman trafficking,deportationorpopulation cleansing.
Age of Mass Migration
editHistorians often identify an "age of mass migration" occurring from c. 1850 to 1914 (sometimes 1940), during which long-distance migration occurred at an unprecedented and exceptionally high rate.[5]
There were three factors that led to the 'age of mass migration'. First, the cost of migration decreased dramatically. Second, the benefits of migration rose (the return on migration was higher in the United States than in other countries). Third, open border regimes encouraged migration. The 'age of mass migration' usually refers to the voluntarytransatlantic migrationofEuropeanpeasantsand laborers to theAmericas.
Immigration from Europe accounted for about 40% of the total United States population growth in the late 19th century. It has been argued that the term should include other mass migrations that occurred in the same period since similarly, large numbers of people migrated long distances within the continent ofAsia,most notably during thePakistan Movementand the subsequentpartition of Indiain 1947.[6][2]
During open border regimes, immigrants were attracted by the falling costs of migration and higher wages in the United States.Depending on the relative wage premium in the U.S. for high and low-cost workers, as well as the relative cost of migration, the selection of migrants, varied over time and sending country. In the U.S. in the late 20th century, the number of migrants approximately equaled the number of native-born in the labor market.[clarify][7]
The partition of India caused the movement of 18 million people. This caused both religious and civil tensions between Hindus and Muslims.[8]This resulted in the highest casualty rate for one migration according to the Guinness Book of World Records 2014. One million people were killed and 12 million became homeless.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^"Rupture in South Asia"(PDF).UNHCR.Retrieved2014-08-16.
- ^abBates, Crispin (March 3, 2011)."The Hidden Story of Partition and its Legacies".BBC.RetrievedAugust 16,2014.
- ^Ben-Ghiat, Ruth; Hom, Stephanie Malia (2016).Italian Mobilities.Routledge.pp. Introduction.ISBN9781138778146.
- ^Scotto, Angelo (August 24, 2017)."From Emigration to Asylum Destination, Italy Navigates Shifting Migration Tides".Migration Policy Institute.RetrievedMay 20,2021.
Beginning with Italy's unification, emigration trends can be divided into three main periods. In the first period, from the 1860s to the end of the century, nearly 7 million migrants left Italy, primarily for other European countries. Then, from 1900 to 1928, 12 million Italians migrated, mostly toward non-European countries such as the United States, although after World War I emigration within Europe rose again. During the third period, from 1946 to 1965, more than 5 million Italians emigrated, mainly to neighboring countries such as Germany and Belgium.
- ^Eriksson, Katherine; Ward, Zachary (September 6, 2020)."Immigrants and Cities during the Age of Mass Migration".Regional Science and Urban Economics.94:103593.doi:10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2020.103593.ISSN0166-0462.S2CID225241854.
- ^"Rupture in South Asia"(PDF).UNHCR.RetrievedAugust 16,2014.
- ^McKeown, Adam."Global migrations 1846-1940".Journal of Global History.15(2): 155–189.
- ^"Separation: India and Pakistan".Beyond Books - Culture and Geography.Archived fromthe originalon August 9, 2007.RetrievedMay 20,2021.
- ^Glenday, Craig (2013).Guinness Book Of World Records 2014.Guinness World Records Limited.ISBN9781908843159.
Further reading
edit- Antunes, Cátia and Eric Tagliacozzo, eds.The Cambridge History of Global Migrations: Volume 1, Migrations, 1400–1800(2023)
- Borges, Marcelo J. and Madeline Y. Hsu, eds.The Cambridge History of Global Migrations: Volume 2, Migrations, 1800–Present(2023)
- Audebert, Cédric, and Mohamed Kamel Doraï, eds.Migration in a Globalised World: New Research Issues and Prospects(Amsterdam University Press, 2010)
- Koser, Khalid.International Migration: A Very Short Introduction(2008)
- Triandafyllidou, Anna, ed.Routledge Handbook of Immigration and Refugee Studies(2016)