Push and Pull Factors of Immigration Intro. August 2022

​​This lesson will help you look at history through the lens of PUSH and PULL factors (reasons) for migration and immigration. There are 4 main categories--Economic, Political, Environmental, and Social.

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A great way to learn about history is looking at why people move. Why do they migrate to other places within their home country? Why do they leave their home country and find a completely new place? Remember: Moving is a very difficult thing to do.

How many of you have moved to a new town or even a new state? How many of you have moved to a new country? Think about why/how people do it.

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It is much easier to move today than is it was hundreds of years ago? What are some things (technology/resources that allow people to be much more mobile today? ​

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Open Ended

It is much easier to move today than is it was hundreds of years ago? What are some things for example, technology/resources that allow people to be much more mobile today? ​Give at least 3 examples? You can discuss with a partner. COMPLETE SENTENCES ALWAYS!

Push and Pull Factors of Immigration Intro.

​Think about why people were coming to America between 1790-1860. What are some reasons people migrated/immigrated from other countries OR were forced to be here against their will?

4 Factors or reasons for Immigration or Migration

Political/Religious

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Economic--follow the $

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Environmental-Nature VS Man made

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Social (Cultural)

​What does it mean to migrate or immigrate?

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Here are some examples of the 4 types of PUSH and PULL factors . OR reasons people immigrate or migrant.

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Why are people streaming across the southern border into the U.S.? What do you think the # 1 reason is?​ NOTE: U.S. Border Patrol recorded 9,295 apprehensions along the Southwest border in July 2026. Total Southwest border apprehensions for Fiscal Year 2025 were 237,538, marking a multi-decade low.

Drag and Drop

1845–1851: The Potato Famine

A fungus known as potato ​

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created the Irish Potato Famine. It caused 2 million acres of potatoes to rot. Almost 1 million people starved to death as the food ​

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spread throughout Ireland. Nearly 1 million left for the United States. Settling in ​

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and ​ New York City, the Irish were the first large group of ​

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to the United States in the 1800s. Immigrants are people who ​

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from one country to another.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

migrate

move

relocate

blight

shortage

Boston

New York City

immigrants

Multiple Choice

Today, why are people streaming across the southern border into the U.S.? What do you think the # 1 reason is?​ hint: which one of the categories (political, economic, environmental, social)

• economic reasons for example, looking for a better paying job

• environmental reasons for example, moving away from floods or hurricanes

• political reasons for example, people in power you don't agree with makes you unsafe

• social reasons for example, moving to be close to friends or family

For most people the #1 factor ​for migration or immigration is ECONOMIC ($$). Always follow the money!! Most of the decisions made by people, states, and countries is for economic reasons. Business or Trade.

People always want better opportunities for their families. Better standard of living, better education jobs and choices (freedom to choose)​

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Political or Religious push/pull factors

​Political/Religious Persecution:

Background info: During the time the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) ruled most of the earth​. The early Christians (after Christ) were persecuted because they believed in 1 God (mono theistic) instead of the Roman pagans that believed in many gods (polytheistic).

​Analyze: In this modern political cartoon take a look and tell what you think it is saying?

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Open Ended

Analyze the political cartoon: What does the picture portray or show? Answer in 1-3 complete sentences

​Who are the Uyghurs (Wee-gurs) and why is China being accused of genocide?

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The Uyghurs are the largest minority ethnic group in China's north-western province of Xinjiang​

China has been accused of committing crimes against humanity and possibly genocide against the Uyghur population and other mostly-Muslim ethnic groups in the north-western region of Xinjiang.​

click the link below to read more. This is also in Canvas if you need to open it there.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-22278037

Open Ended

Do a quick dictionary or google search: What is the definition of genocide?

Open Ended

Based on the article about the Uyghur (Muslim) minorities in China. What is China being accused of? Answer in complete sentences.

Multiple Choice

Based on the article which choice below is an example of proof that shows the Uyghurs are being religiously/politically persecuted?

• American journalists have heard rumors of people being treated badly in work camps

• A British dude wrote the article so it has to be true

• Uyghur prisoners have escaped and have told news sources about being tortured

• China denies any involvement and treats every religious group with respect

Open Ended

According some sources and news outlets. China is being accused of putting the Uyghur people in work camps (concentration camps) and separating the men and women. Think about what means for the future populations of the Uyghur people? Is this a form of genocide? Explain your thinking in 2-5 complete sentences please!

Open Ended

Can you think of any other groups throughout history that have been targeted for genocide? What groups or ethnicities? Feel free to discuss with your group. Hint there are a lot.

Source Information: The Top 10 Worst Genocides in History

• LARRY SLAWSON

• JUL 1, 2022

Larry Slawson received his master's degree at UNC Charlotte. He specializes in Russian and Ukrainian history.

• Bangladesh Genocide (Border of India) Estimated Death Toll: 200,000 to 3,000,000 People

• Darfur Genocide (Sudan) Estimated Death Toll: 80,000 to 500,000 People (and climbing) NEW CIVIL STARTED in 2023 as well.

• Rwandan Genocide (central Africa Rwanda) Estimated Death Toll: 800,000 People

• Armenian Genocide (Turkey) Estimated Death Toll: 600,000 to 1.5 Million People (Ottoman Turks-WW1-killed Armenian Christians)

• Circassian Genocide (Russia) Estimated Death Toll: 800,000 to 1.5 Million People (Russian-led massacre (and mass killing) of Muslim Circassians living alongside the Black Sea.

• Khmer Rouge “Killing Fields” (Cambodia) Estimated Death Toll: 1.5 to 2 Million People (Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge killed anti-communists)

• Holodomor (Ukrainian Famine- Joseph Stalin 1932) Estimated Death Toll: 3.5 to 10 Million People

• The Holocaust (Mass killing of European Jews and other groups by the Nazi's) Estimated Death Toll: 7 to 11 Million People 

• The Great Leap Forward (Mao-Communist China 1958-1962) Estimated Death Toll: 55 to 60 Million People

• Mongol Invasions and Conquests (Invasion of China and Eurasia) Estimated Death Toll: 60 to 100+ Million People

The Top 10 Worst Genocides in History - Owlcation

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Open Ended

Give an example of a POLITICAL/RELIGIOUS push OR pull factor.

Can you see anything pulling people down the highway?

Where do people want to live?

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Economic PUSH/PULL factors are usually the most powerful.

People move to find employment (jobs) or better opportunities.

Environmental Factors

Think about the environment you live in. Is it a city or in the country? Does the environment have big problems like dirty water, or polluted air to breathe. Are there chemicals that poison the land or water? In some places this happens.

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Does anyone know when and where this picture takes place? ​

​This picture shows the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. August 2005. It caused $125 billion in damage

​​Hurricane Katrina

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​This picture shows damage from forrest fires in California. Many people lost everything they owned. Palisades Fire May 2021

​​Wild Fires in Ca.

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​ This image is from the Joplin Mo. tornado in 2011

Joplin Mo. tornado​

Man made Nuclear environmental disaster

An environmental disaster can make it so people can't live there and have to move (migrate)

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Bottom right: Can anyone guess

what this is a picture of? ​

The Bhopal disaster or Bhopal gas tragedy was a chemical accident on the night of 2–3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. In what is considered the world's worst industrial disaster,^[3] over 500,000 people in the small towns around the plant were exposed to the highly toxic gas methyl isocyanate (MIC).^[4] Estimates vary on the death toll, with the official number of immediate deaths being 2,259. In 2008, the Government of Madhya Pradesh paid compensation to the family members of 3,787 victims killed in the gas release, and to 574,366 injured victims.^[1] A government affidavit in 2006 stated that the leak caused 558,125 injuries, including 38,478 temporary partial injuries and approximately 3,900 severely and permanently disabling injuries.^[5] Others estimate that 8,000 died within two weeks, and another 8,000 or more have since died from gas-related diseases.^[6]

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​Man Made Environmental Disaster:
The world's worst industrial disaster harmed people even before they were born

Shortly after midnight on December 3, 1984, about 40 tons of deadly gas leaked out of a pesticide factory in the central Indian city of Bhopal. The highly toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) – used as an intermediary chemical for making pesticides – drifted across the city, exposing nearly half a million residents.

Click the link to read more.
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/06/17/1181244389/the-worlds-worst-industrial-disaster-harmed-people-even-before-they-were-born

Thousands of people died over the next several days, and it's estimated that many thousands more have died from related health issues since. Survivors who are alive today still struggle with a range of debilitating chronic health issues, from cancer to lung disorders to neurological damage.

Now, a new study shows that the accident – often considered the worst industrial disaster in history – affected not just those who were exposed to the gas that night but also the generation of babies still in the womb when the accident happened. In fact, men born in Bhopal in 1985 have a higher risk of cancer, lower education accomplishment and higher rates of disabilities compared with those born before or after 1985.

A multigenerational toxic legacy

The range of chronic health issues among survivors of the Bhopal gas accident have been documented by previous studies. But most of those studies have been limited to people directly exposed to methyl isocyanate that night and to people very close to the factory run by Union Carbide India Limited, a subsidiary of an American company.

Multiple Select

Check all the CORRECT answers that are Environmental push/pull factors.

• Hurricane

• poisoned water or (polluted water)

• Nuclear blast (war)

• no jobs

• fear of religious persecution

Social or Cultural PUSH/PULL factors

Think about your social circle or social groups. Do you have friends or family around you? If you don't have family does it make you want to move (migrate) to where they are?

Multiple Choice

Which is an example of a Social push OR pull factor?

• no job

• hurricane

• no family or friends

• no money

Open Ended

Write: Pick a push/pull factor- and write 3-4 things that you found interesting. Complete sentences please. hint: you can discuss a personal story, or the political/religious persecution, you can talk about environmental disasters, or economic reasons why people migrate or immigrate to another country. EXAMPLE: I think the picture of the tornado in Joplin Mo. was shocking because I remember when we almost had a tornado hit here in Overland Park that same day in 2011. Over my kids school the clouds were swirling and a funnel shaped cloud started to lower but never became a tornado. They said later, on the news that if the temperature had been 5 degrees higher it could have been a major disaster here as well, like what happened in Joplin.