6.7: Effects of Migration

Effects on Home Societies

  • Often men left to work, leaving women with the family in the home country
    • This gave women more power in terms of family life
    • Women also made to take on more duties traditionally expected of men
    • Example of effect of gender role

Effects of Migration on Receiving Societies

  • Often migrants don’t want to abandon their culture and traditions
  • Ethnic enclave are clusters of people from the same country or culture
  • Sometimes these ethnic enclaves would impact the overall culture of the receiving country

Chinese Enclaves

  • In Southeast Asia, Chinese migrants thrived
    • French Indochina encouraged Chinese migrants to engage in commerce
    • Also even held government positions
    • Many setup opium farms
  • In the Americas, many came during the California Gold Rush but also became crucial to the development of railroads
  • Many also moved to Peru and Cuba to work as indentured servants on sugar plantations
    • Also worked on railroads and mined guano
  • Some Peruvian cuisine is a fusion of Chinese foods and ingredients
    • Ex: Lomo Saltado
  • Some also intermarried with Peruvians, increasing ethnic diversity

Indian Enclaves

  • Many signed up for Britain’s system of indentured servitude and as such they were sent all over the world
  • In Africa, many went to Mauritius where they worked on sugar plantations
    • Brought Hinduism
  • Many also migrated to Southeast Asia
    • In the kangani system, entire families were recruited to work on tea, coffee, and rubber plantations
      • Gave much more freedom compared to the men who signed up for indentured servitude

Irish Enclaves in North America

  • Mostly settled in urban areas and took low-wage factory work
  • Tended to live in low cost housing called tenements
  • Catholicism also spread in US

St. Patricks Day

  • Example of effect of Irish migrations to US
  • US still celebrates St. Patricks Day, a holiday brought over by the Irish

Italians in Argentina

  • The 1853 Argentine Constitution not only encouraged European immigration, but it also guaranteed to foreigners the same civil rights enjoyed by Argentine citizens
    • Embraced migrations
  • Even today, 55% of Argentina comes from Italian descent
  • Italians have had an enormous influence on all aspects of Argentine culture and language
    • Argentine Spanish has a lot of words borrowed from Italian

Responses to Migrations

  • With Argentina being a major exception, most countries didn’t like migrants coming in
  • Main resentment came from the fact that migrant workers were willing to work for lower wages than the native population
  • US’ Chinese Exclusion Act banned immigration of Chinese people
    • Australia also passed similar laws called the White Australia Policy