Migration Streams and Counterstreams

Ken Keller – DHS

2004

Migration Streams = highly channelized flow from a

particular origin to destination• Opportunities are localized.

• Migrants follow established routes of transportation.

• Focused information flows.

• Mutual aid and assistance

Arizona migration partners in 1999-2000

• 38,203 from California

• 6,770 from Texas

• 5,358 from Illinois

• 5,042 from Washington

• 4,675 from New Mexico

• 4,400 from Colorado

• 3,304 from Nevada

New Immigrants are highly concentrated in American cities.

• 95% settle in one of the nation’s metropolitan areas.• 66.5% of Cubans settle in Miami area• 1/3 of Salvadorans in LA area; 16% in Washington

DC; another 15% in NYC area.• Haitians in S. Florida and NYC • Chinese in CA and NYC area• Dominicans in S. Florida and NYC area• Vietnamese in CA, Washington, DC, NY• Bosnians in Washington, DC., St. Louis, and Phoenix

Immigrants from abroad were focused on different destinations

than domestic migrants.

Counterstreams = return movement

• Dissatisfaction with destination

• Communications channels evolve

1935 – 1940 Streams

• Growth of megalopolis in the northeast

• Beginnings of suburbanization from NY to NJ

• Dustbowl migration from Oklahoma and Texas to CA

• Impression that migration involves the poor in search of new opportunity

1955 to 1960 Streams

• Emergence of a national migration system. Previously streams had been regional in scope.

• NY to NY represents suburbanization.• NY to FL represents the beginnings of retirement

migration.• The fact that the other three steams terminate in

CA shows attractiveness of CA to a wide geographical area.

1965 to 1970

• Similar to 1955 to 1960 except for the evolution of a CA to WA stream.

• CA begins to emerge as a redistributor of population – attracts migrants from the Midwest and East and redistributes them across the West.

1975 to 1980 Streams

• NY to FL becomes more important than NY to NJ. Working age New Yorkers are now moving to FL for economic opportunity as well as for retirement.

• Declining attractiveness of CA as TX to CA stream drops out and CA becomes an important origin for movers

Post 1980 Streams

• CA continues its role as a redistributor. Florida also becomes a redistributor -- attracts from NE and then redistributes migrants across S.

• West is important migration destination during the 1990s.

• South grows but with states other than Florida taking the lead.

Black migration streams and counterstreams

• African Americans migrated from the rural South to the urban North after WWI until around 1970.– Discrimination in the South

– Income inequalities

– Protectionist immigration laws restrict immigrants from Europe

– Increased information and better transportation

– Northern industries recruited southern blacks

Stream is reversed around 1970

• Why?– Race riots and deteriorating economic

conditions in large American cities– Growing economic opportunity in the South.

Whites also moved to the South although they began a decade earlier.

– Improved social conditions due to the Civil Rights movement

Significant Geography

• Highly channelized movement from South to North: NE to South Atlantic states; Midwest to AL, MS, MO, TN; and LA, OK, and TX to California.

• Streams are weaker during the 1970s than 1960s. • Counterstreams become stronger.• Counterstreams connect the same origins and

destinations.