Analysis Of Reasons Of The Great Migration
The Great Migration is regarded as the period between 1915 and 1960 where there was the mass movement of almost five million blacks from the southern region to the north and west. Most of the society members from the north moved to areas like Chicago, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Detroit, and Pittsburg among others. After the end of the World War II, the number of the immigrants heading to the northern side escalated where some of the individuals and families decided to go to western cities like California, Oregon, Portland, Washington, Oakland, San Francesco, Seattle, Oregon and Washington.
Historical analysis indicates that there the first large movement of the blacks occurred during the World War I. Over 4,500 southerners moved north. Further, a sum of another 800,000 individuals left the south back in 1920s and move to the north. The same trend was witnessed in 1930s when 398,000 blacks left the South in the favor of the north and west sides of the country. It is estimated that over 3,348,000 blacks managed to leave their southern homes in favor of the northern and western city.
Analysis of the reasons as to why the African Americans decided to move to the north instead of settling in the south was based on the economic motivations that justified their immigration. The desire to escape what can be regarded as the oppressive economic situations in the south coupled the promise of greater prosperity upon their arrival in the north prompted them to consider migrating. It will be noted that since the end of slavery that saw the whole operational framework being declared inhuman and derogatory, the blacks in the rural sides of the south suffered in the plantation economy that unfortunately failed to offer them enough chances for advancement. It will be noted that at that juncture, only a few blacks managed to acquire land where most of them were sharecroppers, farm labors and tenant farmers who could not take proper care of their families by then. The end of the World War I created what can be regarded as the huge demand for the workers in the northern factories that prompted an increased number of the southerners to take such opportunities and leave the oppressive tendencies and economic situations in the south.
The northern demand for workers emanated from the loss of over 5 million men that had went out of their ways including the armed forces Among others with limited financial advantages. There are various sectors of the economy that seemed to be so desperate for workers that went ahead to look for the blacks. The most demanding projects included the Pennsylvanian Railroad, The Central Railroad, factories and many others. The Pennsylvania Railroad needed workers to undertake various designated duties that the management decided to pay the travel expenses of 12,000 blacks. It is evident that the World War I became the first time since the end of the Civil War that the African Americans were determined and resilient for the sake of securing their futures.
Apart from the prospect of underlining that the blacks migrated due to the massive job opportunities in the south, they were also determined to ensure that they escape what can be regarded as the oppressive social, political and economic situation in the south. The unfair legal system, denial of suffrage, quality in education and the denial of the suffrage.
There were massive challenges that the blacks were facing in the society from a social and legal perspective owing to the fact that there were the Jim Crow laws that were meant to advance the white supremacist aspects. They served as the push factors that underlined the need for the blacks to move to the northern and western cities of the country. In the same regard, there were numerous encouraging reports regarding the good wages as well as the living conditions that were being spread by the African American newspapers and the word of mouth. Numerous advertisements for employment and housing as well as the firsthand information regarding the success situation in the north appearing in the Chicago Defender became one of the leading reasons as to why there was the Great Migration. Cities like Michigan, Cleveland, Detroit, Ohio and New York became the greatest beneficiaries of the migration.
Black immigrants faced numerous challenges in the northern and western cities having departed from the southern cities of the United States. Most of the new arrivals got jobs in the slaughterhouses, factories and foundries where the working conditions were mostly arduous and at times dangerous. Female immigrants found it increasingly harder to find work since they faced competition for the available domestic labor positions. Further, there were competitions regarding the living space in what became the increasingly crowded cities.
Segregation was not legalized in the cities that the blacks occupied courtesy of the Great Migration as it had been the case in the south but cases of racism and prejudice were experienced by the immigrants. After the U.S Supreme Court eventually declared the housing ordinances that were based on the racial obligations unconstitutional in 1917, there were some neighborhoods that enacted the convents that made it difficult to sell the houses to the blacks thus making it hard for the immigrants to occupy or own the houses of their choices until legal interventions were made in 1948.
The Black experience in Seattle and the concept of the Northwest as a utopian enclave
Utopian space is widely regarded as the imaginary enclave that exists within a real social order. In the context of the Blacks in Seattle, there was a group of people who were determined to establish a new social pattern that was based on the vision of a n ideal society having been withdrawn themselves from the larger community for the sake of embodying that vision. They felt the need to be part of the society that will have their interests at heart after having faced numerous challenges in the south over the years.
Seattle was no paradise for most of the African Americans though it managed to offer numerous opportunities that could not be found in other cities and towns across the country. The black community after settling in Seattle and having established their social institutions like good schools, strong family networks as well as the influential churches managed to become increasingly cohesive where they did not operate as their colleagues in troubled ghettoes that were part of the eastern cities that faced numerous difficulties until at least the 1950s.
It shall be noted that the Central District during the early 20th century was not exclusively inhabited by the blacks since there were whites and those from the Asian origin. In addition, the rates of homeownership among the blacks was the highest across the country. In 1910, only 27 percent of the blacks owned their homes. The figure rose to 39 percent in the 1930s but eventually decreased to 29 percent in 1940s in the aftermath of the Great Depression. At that time, only Los Angeles was a city that had such consistent figures over the years.
Parents within Seattle were generally delighted regarding the city school system despite the fact that few blacks finished high school and even a small fraction finished their college education. It was believed that additional years of education were seldom necessary when it comes to the prospect of facilitating more economic opportunities. Despite the limited cases of blacks graduating from college within Seattle, African-American parents were still grateful and appreciated the fact that the city schools availed the educational chances to their schools in such an enhanced manner better than what the southern states had ever offered.
It can be argued that the Black experience in Seattle relates to the concept of the Northwest as a utopian enclave since there has been massive progress that has led to the situation where almost everything has been transformed for the betterment of the lives of everyone that is part of the society. Massive progress has been made by the blacks in such a way that has changed the situations of the families and individuals by offering the opportunities for progress. The old settlers after the Great Immigration and the new arrivals have managed to found the common cause in resisting prejudice where the common interests have always -been advanced based on the requirements of the African-American culture.
There has been an increased number of employment opportunities that had never been witnessed before. The city’s mobilization for defense production that led to the increased hiring of the African Americans has served as the best framework that has propelled the blacks into having a community that reflects their dreams and aspirations. While residing in the Southern cities, the blacks yearned to have a community that would present them with endless political, social and economic platforms that would transform their lives. Unfortunately, they did not see such freedom coming their way thus promoting them to migrate.
Once they settled into the northwestern cities like Seattle, they managed to get the space and opportunities to advance their interest. The Jim Crow rules and other aspects had limited their progress in the south but once they got into the northern and western cities their situations changed. Seattle in this regard can be regarded as an example of a city that has enabled the blacks to establish a new social pattern that is based on the vision of an ideal society that is meant to embody the vision of success and greatness among the African-Americans.
Black utopian aspirations and postmodern imaginary
Utopians are regarded as being the idealized visions regarding a perfect society. The members of the Black community attempted to achieve social, economic and political perfection that facilitated the movements from the southern to the northern and western cities where they strongly believed that they had better chances of enhancing their lives moving forward. These are the milestones that have been so far achieved since there have been the enactments of the relevant laws and rules that have been used to facilitate a society that is more equitable and tolerant to various ideologies than it was the case in the 19th and 20th centuries respectively. However, the Black utopian aspirations as well as the postmodern imaginary visions appears to have diverged from the mainstream aspirations and visions.
It is a situation that has been facilitated by the fact that the world as a whole has transformed and modernized quite a lot in the recent decades where the aspirations and visions of the various sections of the society have managed to be adjusted in that regard. The civilizations and other societal aspects have changed to accommodate the new realities in such a way that the utopian visions have also been revised in that regard moving forward. The quest for equity in matters economic, social and political has been overtaken by the identity crisis that has become a contentious issue among the members of the black community across the United States and beyond.
Elite members of the black American community have the conviction that there has to be the revival and strengthening of the Pan-Africanism. Various meetings and forums have been organized and held to facilitate the formulation and implementation of the necessary mechanisms that would necessitate the situation in which the individuals of African origin would embrace the original aspects of the utopian enclave in which there was the need to have a new society that would advance the visions and aspirations of the blacks. In the last two decades, delegations of the black Americans have met on several occasions with their counterparts drawn from Africa and elsewhere with the view of having the modalities that would necessitate the mutual cooperation and struggle to adjust to the new realities. The lack of values and interests are believed to have affected the black Americans regarding the shared historical experiences and cultural values.
There is a common foe that is believed to have dominated the American society in the form of the Euro-Americans that is regarded as the Eurocentric threat. It is perceived as the threat of cultural alienation, perpetual dominance and annihilation. It is supposedly dominating each facet of the Black American heritage from the cultural, social, political and economic perspectives. Analysts drawn from the African-American community have the conviction that it is a concept whose motivation is to facilitate the creation of a new world order in which white supremacy has to dominate where there has to be the subordination of the blacks. Pan-Africanism has been identified as the ideal tool to tackle the emerging situation.
Eurocentrism is meant to advance the historical heritage and experiences of the whites at a time when it also negates the history of the blacks implying that identity, cultural heritage and history are disregarded thus making them vulnerable to the ideas and concepts advanced by their white counterparts. In this regard, the adjustments to the aspiration and visions of the utopian aspects of the black community are meant to prevent the domineering effect of the Eurocentrism that is aimed at dismantling the historical and cultural progress that has been made by the blacks over the years. It is a negation from the utopian aspirations that were part of the members of the black community that managed to move to the northern and western cities during the Great Migration as a way of creating new societies that could enable them to realize their potentials.
Their visions and aspirations have diverged from the ones that were part of the society during the onset of the 20th century due to the situations that have been transpiring over the years. Blacks are concerned that their white counterparts are determined to disregard their historical and cultural developments where emphasis has to be laid on advancing the eurocentrism notions that do not capture their struggles and achievements never the years. It is an aspect that has led them to disregard the push for the other goals that they used to pursue earlier on because much progress has been attained since the end of the Great Migration and the Great Depression. The legal and political adjustments that have been witnessed in the country have led to a more equitable society in terms of the allocation of resources and other aspects where the blacks are concerned that Eurocentrism as a concept would drag them back to the dark eras that were characterized by the cases of slavery and racism among others.
What the future hold in terms of migration
Analysis of the immigration situation in the United States indicates that the period between 1915 and 1965 was associated by a small percentage based on the historical standards. The next four decades covering 1970 and 2010 managed to witness an increased number of population inflows from abroad. The data from 2010 indicates that the population of the foreigners in the country had increased to almost 13 percent that is close to 14.7 percent which is the historical peak that was recorded in 1910. A large number of the new entrants are from Asia and Latin America.
Majority of the foreigners living within America do not possess the right authorization where roughly one third of such individuals are undocumented. In that regard, the future of the U.S is tied to the welfare of the present and incoming immigrants and their children. In the European context, more than one million people managed to enter into various nations while nearly 4000 died in their attempts to get into the continent. The United States and Western Europe are regarded as the leading destinations for the immigrants emanating from the various parts of the world. The rationale for such understanding is based on the economic and social aspects of those destinations that makes it possible for newcomers to enhance their chances of living comparatively better lives moving forward.
The number of the immigrants is going to keep on increasing across the United States moving into the unforeseeable future. Projections have indicated that the new immigrants and their descendants are going to drive the population growth in the country in the next 50 years as they have done in the past half-century. In 2065, the US population is going to increase to 441 million where 78 million will be immigrants and at least 81 million are going to be individuals born in the US to the immigrant parents. Such changes in the population makeup are going to have serious implications in various aspects where they will alter the face of the electorate, raising the education level among the increased foreign-born population as well as altering the nation’s birth patterns.
It is expected that the non-Hispanic whites are going to remain as the leading ethnic/racial group in the US population but will become less than a majority. They are going to drop from 65 percent to 46 percent of the population in 2065. Hispanics will increase from 18 percent to 24 percent, Asians will be 14 percent from 6 percent and the blacks will increase to 13 percent from 12 percent. African-American immigrants represents one of the fastest growing members of the U.S immigrant population that has managed to increase by 200 percent in the 1980s and 1990s and by approximately 100 percent in the 2000s.
The United States will keep on attracting well-educated African immigrants where they are among the immigrant groups that are more likely to be admitted as refugees or via the diversity visa program. The increased number of the channels of admission has led to the situation where the African immigrants in the US has continued to comprise a population that is believed to more diverse in its origins. However, it has to be noted that despite the various attributes of such immigrants like higher levels of human capital, strong English skills and high employment rates, the African immigrants continue to earn less than the native born Americans.
The Trump administration has adopted the immigration policy that is meant to address the concerns regarding the issue of the undocumented immigration to the US. The proposals regarding the building of the border wall at the US-Mexican born and relooking into the green card situation are some of the policy frameworks that are meant to address the immigration issues. However, African immigrants will continue moving into the US for various reasons though the percentages of those who will be admitted will keep on deteriorating owing to the revamping of the various aspects of the immigration policy. The highly educated and experienced professionals from the African continent are going to have better chances of living in the US moving into the unfordable future.
The separation of families has become a contentious issue since the Trump administration started deporting the undocumented refugees who had been staying in the US illegally. There are situation where parents have been deported back to their native countries leaving behind their US-born children who are unable to support themselves. There have been increased cases of corporate influences and lobbying around the process of making laws that are meant to address the deportation and the overall immigration policy in humane and fair ways. The likes of Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Boeing among others have been issuing statements and engaging in other aspects that are meant to address the immigration situation in the country.
The recent cases of separation of families that have been witnessed at the U.S-Mexican border have been the situations that have roiled the relations between the Federal government and the leading firms in the tech industry. There have been consistent calls on the relevant authorities within the government to address the immigration issues in a more considerate and enhanced manner than what has been witnessed recently. Microsoft has been categorical in its condemnation of how the government has failed to protect children whose parents have been deported for the lack of the documentation that meets the set thresholds.
There has to be the gentrification modalities that are meant to address the immigration issues diligently moving forward. The history of the US has always been characterized by both the domestic and foreign migrations where individuals have been determined to move in search of new livelihoods. The Great Migration that featured nearly 6 million African-Americans who migrated from southern to the northern and western cities should serve as an example of the significance of the geographical movements of individuals. Further, the immigration of individuals and families from all over the world Africa included has been of great essence to the enrichment of the American civilization and economic prowess among other several aspects.
