Toward the 21st Century - Essay Example

TOWARD THE 21ST CENTURY This vast world created by the almighty is full of distinctions. Each and every place on the planet has its own distinct culture, customs, populace and norms. Ethnography is the method of writing that brings forward varying measures of qualitative and quantitative metaphors of human social behavior, based on fieldwork. Ethnography brings into vision the domino effects of a holistic research technique founded on the perception that a system's properties cannot unavoidably be precisely understood without help of each other. The type has both formal and historical associations to travel writing and colonial office reports. More than a few educational traditions, above all the constructivist and relativist paradigms, assert ethnographic research as an applicable research method. The aspect of immigration can be seen from this aspect. (Knott, 2005) In the context if migration US has been a very popular destination in world history. However, the analogy between black immigrates' experience in the US cities and that of their white European predecessors was mainly invalid. While looking into the matter it can primary be mentioned that migration is a subject that is studied on all levels when dealing with humanity and its idiosyncrasies. In order to understand migration we must understand the various components involved in migration, including internal migration, external migration, immigration and both refugees and Internally Displaced Persons. We must attempt to understand the reasons to migrate and how laws affect the various forms of migration and if there would be solutions to this practice of migration. The objective is to study the problems, the solutions and the reasoning behind migration as a whole. In order to understand the reasons behind migration of people we must first define the various components of migration. Migration refers to the movement of an individual from his or her home country, also known as the source country to another country as his or her destination. There are many different influences and consequences relative to migration for anyone that moves from where they originated. Factors that would have to do with migration include the economic growth and development of the country that people are leaving, specifically GDP, the level of domestic development, and finally income and quality of life within the countries. Another two factors include how urbanized an area would be and variations in that consideration along with levels of education that would in fact be available for children across the country of origin in place of isolated areas. Occasionally, the amount of US influence on a country can either adversely or conversely affect the amount of migration. (Fletcher, 2003) Coerced and free migration is a subject David Eltis and others have pursued for a better understanding of the methods and results of such actions. This tells about how the method behind migration has changed over the centuries of humanity. According to Eltis, "all migration hinges on a cultural differential between donor and recipient societies." (Eltis, 2002, 3) This is evident in the migration between poorer and more prosperous countries and free and restricted countries as well. This alone would give reason for migration to occur. The white migration to America started quite early. British merchant ships were trading on a regular basis with North America and West Indies (after the acquisition on Virginia in 1607 and Barbados in 1625) and by the end of the 17th century , a huge number of people (apprx 350,000) managed to emigrate across the Atlantic Ocean with these very ships. These people base helped to propagate and facilitate new markets for trade and commerce from England. In 1977, the British had the largest occupation America as compared to the other leading European powers, the French and the Dutch. The British suffered a great setback when the Independence war lost 13 of its American colonies but compensated with more acquisitions by 1815 when India, Guyana, Cape Colony, St Lucia, Trinidad, Tobago, Ceylon and Mauritius were added to the folds of the Empire. The name of the Empire where the sun never sets amply suited it by this time. With this the Empire controlled most of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans thereby gaining full monopoly of the seas and the trade navigational courses. These immigrations were not due to any compulsions but out of choice. But, the later immigrations into the US by others were mainly due to financial, physical or political compulsions. Thus, it can be stated that the analogy between black immigrates' experience in the US cities and that of their white European predecessors was mainly invalid. In the case of the Black population this migration was mainly economic in nature. When the industrial revolution took place (late 19th Century) career migration had taken precedence upon the subsistence migration which started in the mid 18th century. The seasonal migration and emigration to the close by locations were replaced by total immigration to far off lands for better living occupations and settlement. Initially, the migration was in a seasonal circle where people used to migrate from the country side ti the cities during off-time for additional income. By 19th century this became what was later called a chain migration where people from all over the world moved towards industrialized centers such as England (or France or Germany) in hope for better living. The transportation was again provided by the ships - mostly British - thereby promoting the industrialization revolution, catapulting trade with faraway places to an unprecedented high. The great migration during the 1900s was no different. During the early twentieth century, especially in the first couple of decades, it was found that the population of Indianapolis with specification of African American origin has doubled within a span of 20 years. When calculated it was found that the number increased from around 16,000 to a staggering 35,000. This was the scale of the great migration during the 1900s. It was soon found that the migration of the African American population was most acute in cities like Chicago and Detroit and the chief reason behind this was the principal of opportunity and work. (King, 2001) However, it can be enumerated on the present day that the great migration during the 1900s was an effective measure or was extremely instrumental in changing the cultural vibe of these cities. It can be always mentioned that the great migration during the 1900s hardly appeared as a dramatic impact on the resident population because the influx was proportional by a large extent in the southern states than in the northern states. In the northern cities it was found that the population of African-American origin was growing in a rapid state and the most rapid movement was during the decade of the First World War and this is for numerous reasons. The First World War provided the US to gear up sustainable production rates and thus instrumented a huge rise in the industrial sectors. The rise of industry demanded more workers and for the workers it was a great opportunity. As a net result the cities created a center of attention for the population of African-American origin who were already on the hunt for better living and decent jobs. As a logical result the population of African-American origin in Chicago rose by about 70,000 which were roughly equal to about 150% growth. On the other hand the city of Detroit saw an increase of the population of African-American origin by 40,000 making it a growth of about a staggering 615% rise. The chief reason behind this titanic rise for Detroit was that it was fast becoming the auto manufacturing capital of the world with its fast growing auto industry and everything mentioned happened between the time frame of 1910 and 1920. (King, 2001) It is but an obvious observation in this context to enumerate the great migration during the 1900s as a simple and logical economic effect. But if taken individually the great migration during the 1900s yields more than just an amalgamation of economic theories. It could be safely noted that the great migration during the 1900s had a deep rooted impact in the decades to follow and the ultimate result was more sociological than economical. The descendents of the great migration during the 1900s were the main force behind the agitations in the later era that yielded human rights and equality. But it had its price too. For example the power of Ku Klux Klan developed as the white fundamentalists tried to retaliate against the new population that was the direct result of the great migration during the 1900s. (Fletcher, 2003) However, it could be mentioned that the great migration during the 1900s brought a distinct development within the parameters of the city culture. It was soon found that the abundance of automobiles enabled the white communities to move out of the proper city and reside at the suburbs leaving the population of African-American origin to the older section of the cities making them live nearby to the downtown areas. Thus the cities became a flourishing prospect for the population of African-American origin and as a result businesses, organizations and buildings of black origin became more visible within the cities and the African-Americans started to incorporate themselves within the main stream of the American culture with a distinct identity of their own. This was the end result or positive outcome of the great migration during the 1900s. (Kar, 2006) When the issue of Asian migration into US is taken into account, it can be stated that migration in this case was mainly political. However, the late 20th century migration to US was mainly propelled by the dream of a better life than home. Though the phenomenon of the great migration during the 1900s is an incident of past it could be well enumerated that migration and immigration remains a difficult proposition for any country today. The number from the following countries would be, combined, 857,063 immigrants, migrants etc, from Nepal, Suriname, Yemen both north and south, Singapore, Burma, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Laos, India, China, South Korea and Vietnam. This tells us that there is a problem due to the fact that so much migration is being managed on an annual basis. (Madhav, 2006) Solutions have been in place for many years in regards to migration numbers including quotas for how many members of each country are allowed into the US in a single year. Crackdowns on human trafficking have occurred on all borders including the return of thousands of men, women and children to many Asian countries that would smuggle them into the US by boat, usually in suffocating and cramped conditions that caused injury, illness and even death. In the case of Latino population as immigrants into US the compulsion are mainly political as the population is always eager to leave their homeland in search of a peaceful livelihood. The US has gone so far as to create the Homeland Security office to ensure that human trafficking is policed, and have created new laws to create fencing between the US and Mexican border to prevent more immigrants from entering the country illegally. An attempt at appeasement for Mexico in regard to what was known as the bill to create a guest worker program failed in gaining the necessary acceptance. Regulation and policing will only go so far in slowing the amount of migration. Force rarely facilitates the ability to have residents of one country to remain in that country and there have been no recent incentives to have many of them stay in their own countries. The US may provide aid, and this may actually end up causing further migration in place of bringing a halt to it. Aid is not always the answer, unless that aid is universal in content coming from many donors in place of one. (Lamb, 2004) We see this today as we build walls along the US and Mexican border. We see it in the denials for migrants that are entering this country from all over the world as the numbers increase exponentially. The US has gone so far as to create the Homeland Security office to ensure that human trafficking is policed, and have created new laws to create fencing between the US and Mexican border to prevent more immigrants from entering the country illegally. An attempt at appeasement for Mexico in regard to what was known as the bill to create a guest worker program failed in gaining the necessary acceptance. (Fletcher, 2003) Migration from Mexico has generated a sizeable Mexican-born population in the United States. Mexican estimates compute this population in the range of 8 to 8.5 million, of which the non-authorized component is estimated between 3 and 3.5 million. The US Census Bureau estimates that there are more than nine million Mexican immigrants living in the United States. Of these, approximately 4.7 million, or over half, are undocumented. However, about 1.6 million, or one in five Mexicans, are naturalized US citizens (MPI, 2002). Regulation and policing will only go so far in slowing the amount of migration. Force rarely facilitates the ability to have residents of one country to remain in that country and there have been no recent incentives to have many of them stay in their own countries. The US may provide aid, and this may actually end up causing further migration in place of bringing a halt to it. Aid is not always the answer, unless that aid is universal in content coming from many donors in place of one. Thus, it can well be stated that under such problems related to the external and internal politics it is important to well formulate the different loose strings of the federal laws. It is also true that it is completely sensible and practical to employ the methods and practices employed by Bilbray. It is a complete logical element to support the views of the writer and it should always be remembered that laws should be formulated in a logical and emphatically so that no two laws are in direct conflict with each other. As in this case indicated by the writer the existing federal law related to the issue of illegal immigrations is in direct conflict with the immigration law that is due to be enforced in the end of 2007. It is only logical to support Bilbray in this issue because it is true from the example of Mexico that main cause of infiltration into US from Mexico is completely economical. Thus if some exceptions like political displacements from Cuba or China are not considered then it becomes evident that the financial reason of immigration remains the single most important issue. Under such circumstances, it is very logical to agree with the line of thinking of the writer Bilbray. Thus, it is agreeable to comply with the statement that "employer enforcement should be more than a benchmark; it should be the focal point of any illegal immigration plan." (Bilbray, 2007) Thus, it can well be stated that under such problems related to the external and internal politics it is important to well formulate the different loose strings of the federal laws. It is also true that it is completely sensible and practical to employ the methods and practices employed by Bilbray. It is a complete logical element to support the views of the writer and it should always be remembered that laws should be formulated in a logical and emphatically so that no two laws are in direct conflict with each other. It is only logical to support welfare in this issue because it is true from the example of Mexico that main cause of infiltration into US from Mexico is completely economical. Thus if some exceptions like political displacements from Cuba or China are not considered then it becomes evident that the financial reason of immigration remains the single most important issue. This is very relevant about immigrants from different parts of Asia and Africa along with East European regions. In this context, it should be mentioned that many experts believe a high rate of birth at a time of foreign-born illegal immigrant workers will be an important solution to a future labor shortage, when "baby boomers" reach at the age of retirement. When the baby boomers will reach at the stage of retirement the labor shortage will appear but the illegal immigrant workers will fill up the requirements. They may be less qualified. Therefore, the salary level may be lower than the usual level. In addition, the illegal immigrant workers come to live permanently in a country that is not their own. The workers should shift their residence in close proximity to the work place, which may be a big problem for the foreign workers. However, the central issue was to identify the reasons of immigration by different population over the years into US and compare them with the immigration of the early white settlers in US. The discussion has made it clear that where others had opted for immigration due to different compulsions the whites or the early European settlers migrated with enough of options and thus the analogy between black immigrates' experience (or any other later migrating groups) in the US cities and that of their white European predecessors was mainly invalid. References: Bilbray, Brian; "We Have to Crack Down on Employers to Solve Illegal Immigration"; The Hill's Congress Blog; 12th April 2007; pp 1, retrieved from http://blog.thehill.com/2007/04/12/we-have-to-crack-down-on-employers-to-solve-illegal-immigration-rep-brian-bilbray/ Engerman, Stanley L; (2002); "Changing Laws and Regulations and Their Impact on Migration." Coerced and Free Migration: Global Perspectives. Ed. David Eltis. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 75-93. Questia. Retrieved from http://www.questia.com/PM.qsta=o&d=102986371 Fletcher, R; (2003); Beliefs and Knowledge: Believing and Knowing; Howard & Price. Kar, P; (2006); History of Borders and related problems of Migration; Dasgupta & Chatterjee. King, H; (2001); International Relations Today; HBT & Brooks Ltd. Lamb, Davis; (2004); Cult to Culture: The Development of Civilization on the Strategic Strata; National Book Trust. Madhav, S. (2006); The Effective Measures against Human Traffic; People's Monthly; Alliance Publishers. 3 (6). 17, pare 6 Read More