3.Internal Migration

Americans are and have always been a highly mobile people.What factors cause them to move？The desire for economic betterment is generally the most important force inducing migration.Thus the volume and direction of migration are usually determined by geographic difference in economic opportunity，as reflected by such factors as differences in employment opportunities and earning power for workers and differences in the availability and the price of land for farmers.This is not to deny the role of noneconomic factors，such as climate，racial attitudes，and family ties，in influencing migration.Here is a case showing clearly the trend of migration in the country.When New England was declining in textile industry，there were many people moving out of it.When California has the phenomenal growth of the aircraft，motion picture，and electric industry，there is a large scale of in-migration to the state.

Since 1970，there has appeared a new trend of migration in the US.More and more Americans migrated from cities to suburbs or nonmetropolitan areas.There are several factors for this phenomenon.The widespread use of automobiles and the construction of express highways made it possible for people to live farther away from their jobs.The telephone reduced the need for them to work or live in close proximity to one another.Besides these economic and technological changes，important social factors were involved.Suburban areas offered more living space than cities，lower crime rates，less pollution，and superior schools.It is generally believed that they are a better place for raising children.Many middle-income families now live in the suburbs.This new trend in migration prevailed in all regions except the South，where the metropolitan areas had the highest growth rate of population.Despite the new trend in migration，about 70%of the American population are still living in metropolitan areas.

Notes

1.US Census Bureau：a unit of the US Department of Commerce，established in 1902by the Act of Congress.It collects，tabulates，and publishes census statistics about America，its people，and its economy.Population and housing censuses are performed every ten years.

2.White Anglo-Saxon Protestant：often abbreviated to Wasp or WASP，an American of British ancestry who belongs to the Protestant Church.

3.indentured servant：the person who sold his labor for a period of four to seven years in exchange for passage to America.Such a servant signed a contract，or indenture，with a company or a wealthy person.The contract entitled the indentured servant to food，clothing，and shelter.At the end of his terra of service，the servant became free and began to seek his own fortune.

4.barrio：the section in a US city inhabited mainly by Spanish-speaking people.

5.metropolitan area：a very large urban settlement in the US comprising the continuous built-up area and its adjoining suburbs divided administratively into two zones：the inner（the central city）and the outer（consisting of the independent municipalities together with unincorporated parts of the counties lying in the built-up area）.

Exercises

Ⅰ.Choose the correct answer.

1.The over 3million of early Americans in 1790were mostlyof________ ancestry.

A.Spanish　　　B.French　　　C.British　　　D.Dutch

2.How many immigrants were legally received by the US each year during the 1980s？

A.About 270，000.　　　B.About 700，000.

C.About 675，000.　　　D.About 800，000.

3.The official racial segregation continued to be the law of the US until________.

A.1860　　　B.1863　　　C.1918　　　D.1954

4.American Indians now mainlylive in the________.

A.South　　B.West　　C.Midwest　　D.Northeast

5.The majority of American Hispanics are from the following countries except________.

A.Mexico　　B.Cuba　　C.Spain　　D.Puerto Rico

6.According to the text，which region now leads in percentage increase in population？

A.The Northeast.　　B.The Great Plains.

C.The South.　　　　D.The West.

7.According to the 1994US census，the second most populous state in the US is________.

A.California　　　B.New York

C.Texas　　　　　 D.Washington

8.The trend in migration from cities to suburbs now prevailed in all regions except________.

A.the Northeast　　　B.the South

C.the Midwest　　　　D.the West

Ⅱ.Fill in the blanks.

1.The United States is the________most populous nation in the world.

2.Prior to________anyone from any country could enter the US freely and take up________there.Later the US Congress passed laws restricting immigration on the basis of________，________，and________.The 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act reaffirmed ________as the chief criterion for eligibility and established a preferential system for ________workers and for ________of the US citizens.For many years the US restricted to total number of immigrants to ________each year，although the real immigrants numbered much greater than the limit.The 1990Immigration Act limits the total number of immigrants to ________from 1992 to 1995 and ________thereafter.

3.The first blacks arrived in Jamestown in 1619 as________，but soon after 1619 they were brought to colonies as________.The blacks were formally freed in________，but continued to suffer the institutionalized segregation for about a century.Today manyblacks still live in the________，some have entered the middle class，but one-third of all black families still live below the________.

4.The Chinese-Americans have proved to be ________and________.They are now viewed as a“________”in the US.According to the 2010US census，there were about 3.8million Chinese-Americans living in the US.This figure was more than________what it was in 1990.

Ⅲ.Questions for discussion.

1.Why is the United States known as a“melting pot”？

2.What factors cause the Americans to move frequently within the United States？

3.Why do many Americans now migrate from cities to suburbs？