Migration is the prevalent process that contributed to the spread of human populations over Earth at the international scale and is evident in the population distribution of today. It donates to cultural dispersal and influences demographics, ethnicity, economics, culture, and social characteristics. Migration patterns tend to differ. They are influenced by push and pull factors. Push factors being the issues pushing them away from their current location, and pull factors being the object that lures them to their new location. People were motivated to migrate due to environmental, political, economical, and cultural reasons. A few examples are climate change, natural disasters, war, work, religious freedom, and education.
A. Patterns and Motivation
Falola and Usman (4) state that migration patterns are either internal or international. International migrations are people moving to other countries while internal migrations happen within the same country. MAFE indicates migration patterns as being informed by three things, that is, "the socio-demographic characteristics of migrants, the routes of migration, and the patterns of return migration and circulation” (MAFE para. 1). Pre-colonial migration in Africa depicted the economic activity of the group. The post-modern migration in Africa is mainly informed by the demographics of the migrants. The pattern reflects a move towards the more economically vibrant areas, especially the towns.
There are various factors motivating migration. One common thing for all is that migrants seek better conditions in the areas that they target. In some areas, migration is caused by undesirable events like tribal conflicts, land disputes or natural calamities like drought or floods. The affected communities then seek refuge in more stable environments which then become their homes. Other migrants seek better living conditions in the areas that they move to, while some seek to sustain their livelihood. For example, nomadic communities like the Turkana in Kenya move with their cattle in search of pasture. People from the rural areas also move to urban areas in search of jobs. Africans also migrate to Western countries in search of education and work opportunity.
The frequency of movement varied from one group to the other. For example, pastoralists seeking pasture would move every time the season changes or once they had exhausted the available feed for their animals. Those seeking education and job opportunities would often stay until they completed their studies or until their retirement time came.
In the pre-colonial Africa, period before the 18th Century, Migrations involved whole communities moving to a new area. It happened in the form of Tribes and clans. For example, the Bantus in Kenya moved from the Congo basin. Postmodern migrations in the 19th and 20th Century Africa is at an individual level unless in circumstances such as when fleeing from disaster.
African continental migration, to 1450
Before colonialization African was organized into communities that had their own systems of governance. This was in form of Kingdoms and Empires that were governed either by a ruler/ chief or a council of elders. For example Ahsante Kingdom of Ghana and Bono State of Mali, both existed in the 17th Century.
Continental migrating in Africa occurred mostly due to the need to avoid calamities and the search for netter living conditions. In Kenya for instance, groups belonging to the same tribes can be found in one area. The patterns reflect the socio-economic cultures of these people. The communities moved to areas that would sustain their livelihoods. For example, the Bantus, who are mainly farmers moved to the fertile lands of Western and Central Kenya while the River-Lake Nilotes settled along Lake Victoria. The patterns are also depicted in the languages in each region.
United States as an immigrant nation
Many people migrate to the United States due to its stability, economic prowess, established systems and opportunities available. For many countries in the world, The US presents opportunities that are not available in their countries of origin. Most immigrants in the US COME FROM Asian countries and from Africa. Many search for work and proper education. While some are there legally, others get there through illegal means like through smuggling and human trafficking.
From Africa to the US and beyond
The migration patterns continue to evolve overtime in all areas. While African communities are more stable now and the current migration is by those seeking work in urban centers and international education. Yaro states that, “European colonization of the African continent changed the contours of movement in Africa along purely commoditized norms. These have been entrenched after independence as African economies have not broken the shackles of colonization but continue to feed the metropolitan cores in Europe and America through the international commodity markets” (Yaro, 3).
While pre-colonial international migrations were forced and involved slavery, subsequent and current migrations are voluntary. In the past, the motivation was mainly calamities and recent migration patterns reflect a pursuit for better life. The current migration is also governed by laws and involves a lot of bureaucracy.
Works Cited
Falola, Toyin and Aribidesi Usman. Movements, Borders, and Identities in Africa.
ED.
Rochester: University of Rochester Press, 2009. Print.
MAFE. Patterns of Migration. 2010. Web
Yaro, Joseph. Migration in West Africa: Patterns, Issues and Challenges, 2010. Web
