The Politics of International Migration Class 17 – Thursday, 10 November 2011 J A Morrison 1 US-Mexican Border

The Politics of International Migration

Class 17 – Thursday, 10 November 2011J A Morrison 1

US-Mexican Border


I. Beyond the EconomicsII. Migration PoliticsIII.Migration Trends: Yesterday and

TodayIV.Explaining Migration Policy

2




3

Last time, we thought about migration primarily as an economic phenomenon.

Migrants were a factor of production, albeit a

“special” factor.

4

5

≠

But…

6

>

Obviously, shuffling people around is not the same

(economically) as shipping commodities or wiring

capital.

But migration has some considerable non-economic

dimensions as well.7

Social/Cultural Effects of Immigration

• Cultural diversification– Better food: Tikka Masala– Ethnic tension: Sharks & Jets; Natives vs

Dead Rabbits

• Linguistic division challenges to social fabric and organization

8

Social/Cultural Effects of Emigration

• Homogenization of population– E.g. Central & Eastern Europe after WWII

• Loss of particular socio-economic classes– “Brain drain”– Loss of “undesirables”

• Creation of Migration/Diaspora culture– Consciousness of loss: Ireland; Africa

9

10“Ireland Forever”

Jewish Life in Holland

Marcus Garvey

11Nas’ 2010 Album

Political Dimension

• Redistribution of political power• Introduction of alternative political

culture– Can non-democratic peoples live in a

democracy?

• Security concerns– Terrorists & criminals as “migrants”– Movement of contraband

• Liberty– Should we restrict the freedom of

movement?– Allowing migration to protect human rights

12




13

II. Migration Politics

1. Integration2. Migration & Security3. Migration under Duress4. Migration Policy Across Time

14

One of the key political questions about migration is: how well do migrants

integrate into their adopted societies?

15

The Melting Pot

16

"America is God's Crucible, the great Melting-Pot where all the races of Europe are melting and reforming... Germans and Frenchmen, Irishmen and Englishmen, Jews and Russians - into the Crucible with you all! God is making the American.”

-- Israel Zangwill, The Melting Pot (1908)

“There is no room in this country for -hyphenated Americanism…When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans…The men who do not become Americans and nothing else are hyphenated Americans; and there ought to be no room for them in this country…The only man who is a good American is the man who is an American and nothing else.” – Teddy Roosevelt, Address to the Knights of Columbus (12 October 1915)

But not everyone agrees.

Samuel Huntington suggests the latest group of

immigrants into the US is different from all the

previous groups…

18

“In the end, the results could be similar: the creation of a large, distinct, Spanish-speaking community with economic and political resources sufficient to sustain its Hispanic identity apart from the national identity of other Americans and also able to influence U.S. politics, government, and society.”– Samuel Huntington, The Hispanic Challenge

This position has a long, distinguished pedigree…

20

“They will bring with them the principles of the government they leave…These principles, with their language, they will transmit to their children. In proportion to their numbers, they will share with us the legislation. They will infuse into it their spirit, warp and bias its direction, and render it a heterogeneous, incoherent mass” – Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia 1784

And these views may be more prevalent than we immediately suspect…

22

Nick Griffin

• Chairman of the British National Party (BNP)

• Member of the European Parliament for North West England

(Griffin explains his surreptitious strategy. YouTube)

23



24

Over time, many have feared migrants would be the instruments of foreign

governments and interests.

25

Such as Guy Fawkes…

26

Gunpowder Plot of 1605• 1558: Elizabeth I confirms English

Reformation• 1602: Pope orders English Jesuits to resist

Protestant Succession• 1603: James I ascends, disappoint Catholics• Gunpowder Plot is devised to kill king, start

rebellion, and install James’ nine-year-old daughter as Catholic monarch

• Guy Fawkes buries gunpowder under House of Lords

• 5 Nov 1605: Plot is discovered & Fawkes arrested 27

While the conspirators were primarily English, many

contemporaries viewed them as acting at the behest of foreign interests (i.e. the

Pope).

The Gunpowder Plot inspired dramatic anti-Catholic

sentiment and redoubled English efforts to root out

foreign allegiances. 28

(Happy Guy Fawkes Day—a few days later!)

29

John Locke went so far as to advocate a “general

naturalization”—a policy of accepting just about anyone.

30

“Naturalisation is the shortest and easiest way of increasing your people, which all wise governments have encouraged by privileges granted to the fathers of children…And that because (1) People are the strength of any country or government…[and] (2) 'Tis the number of people that make the riches of any country.” – John Locke, “For a General Naturalization” (1693)

And Locke advocated toleration.

But he famously excepted Roman Catholics, on the

grounds that their allegiances lay with Rome, not London.

32

Is all of this fear justified?

33

Migrants’ Violence

34

Assassination of William McKinley

(Sept 1901)

Assassination of Franz Ferdinand (June 1914)

And, of course…

35



36

Frequently, migration occurs under duress.

The “pushes” and “pulls” are often coercive.

37

Slavery• Israelites in Egypt• Caesar & Gaul• Iroquois’ mourning wars• African slavery• Axis powers during WWII• Slavery today

38

Expulsion

• 1492: Spain expels Moors, Jews• 19th C: US expels blacks & Native

Americans from various territories• 1840s: Irish Catholics “encouraged”

to leave(?)• 1930s & 1940s: Nazi Germany’s

expulsion of Jews, gypsies, other minorities

• 1980: Castro sends criminals & insane to US

39

And sometimes migration is forcibly limited…

40

The Berlin Wall

41

Korean DMZ



42

US Immigration Policy across Time

• 1798 – Alien and Sedition Acts– French Revolution, here? No thanks!

• 1840s-1850s – Know Nothing Party– Fears about the Irish and German

• Native American Resettlement (Indian Removal Act of 1830)

• Anti-Asian – Chinese Exclusion Act (1882), White Australia Policy (1901), Gentleman’s Agreement (1907)

• Early 20th C –Literacy Test (1917), Quota Act (1921)– Fears about Southern and Eastern Europeans,

“Radicals,” Communists• Today – Radical Right in Europe, Minute Men

– Fears about Hispanics in the US, Muslims in Europe

Key Issues in Current Debate

• Illegal immigrants: 12-15 million in US

• Border security/fence• High Tech workers• Guest worker programs• Employer sanctions• National ID

Recent Immigration Reform Acts

• 2007 Act: A “Compromise” Bill– Conservatives: Increased border security– Amnesty (essentially) for current “illegals”– Shift bias for new immigrants to high-

skilled

• Stillborn– A majority of Americans supported it– But Congress never voted on it, let it die

• Why? Seems that compromise included deal-

breakers for both sides




46

World migration 100 years ago

Important differences between 19th century and today:

•Europe has become a net receiver

•Latin America has become a net sender

•Much more migration between developing countries today than before

World Migration Today

Top Five Receivers (total)

Top Five Receivers (% population)

Top Five Senders (total)

Top Five Senders (% Population)

US Qatar Mexico Jamaica

Russian Federation Andorra Russian Federation Bosnia

Germany UAE India Trinidad and Tobago

Ukraine Monaco China Albania

France Kuwait Ukraine Armenia

Who is Moving Today?

• 2008: 190.6 million people (3% of world population) Still less than in the 19th Century (~5%)

• Refugees only 7.1% of migrants• Mostly low skill labor

US immigration over time

- Allowed in many more people in 19th century per capita

- Immigration per capita has not returned to the levels seen in 19th century




51

Interests• Economic Interests

– Low skilled labor face competition– Employers demand more/different labor– Recipients of remittances– Fiscal implications

• Non-economic interests– Xenophobia– Cultural gain/loss– Keep families together– Political culture & transaction costs– Liberty

52

US Opinion on Immigration

53

Gallup: Should immigration be increased, decreased, or maintained at its present level?

Domestic Institutions

• Migrant’s social & political benefits– E.g. Can migrants vote? Get healthcare?

• Unequal protection under the law– E.g. Jim Crow South

• Cultural & Religious institutions– E.g. Wearing “the veil” in French schools

55

Ideas• Differing strategies about how to

maximize our preferences/interests– E.g. Foreign aid versus Immigration +

Remittances

• Migration policy as subordinate part of broader FEP bundle– E.g. Commitment to free trade and open

capital markets might suggest that migration is unnecessary

54

Structure of International System

• What is the effect of hegemony on migration?

• Two competing logics– Positive: Missionaries, settlers, civil

servants go abroad– Negative: Economic integration lessens

need to travel abroad for work

• Empirically: more migration with more hegemony--but we have an N of 2! 56

Next time, population growth…

57

Midterm Reviews

1. What is going well?2. What could go better?3. What could you do to have a better

experience?4. Other thoughts?

58

Documents

The Politics of International Migration Class 17 – Thursday, 10 November 2011 J A Morrison 1 US-Mexican Border