WHERE DO PEOPLE MOVE TO OR FROM?
Mary Frances Higuchi
11/93 (Rev. 9/98)

BACKGROUND

PURPOSE: To give students some background information on the migration patterns to the United States. It is hoped that if students get a better understanding and knowledge of their own backgrounds and those of the recent immigrants, prejudices and hostilities between newcomers and those who have lived in an area for a long time will be decreased. As the saying goes, many of our ancestors were immigrants at one time.

FOCUS QUESTION: Why do people move and what / how do they alter the character of their new homeland?

OBJECTIVES: Students will be able to:

(Part 1):
1. Identify countries of origin of their ancestors.
2. Graph patterns of migration to the U.S. and Hawaii.
3. Utilize oral history as a primary document by interviewing their ancestors or parents to explain why their ancestors moved to their new homeland.
4. Read/listen to stories about people moving.
5. Determine whether people migrated because of "push" or "pull" factors.
6. Explain causes and effects of migration streams.
7. Describe ways in which people moved.

   (Part 2):

8. Identify cultural markers in their area.
9. List ideas brought to Hawaii from their parents' or grandparents' homeland.
10. Compare and contrast different cultural contributions.
11. Speculate the implications of the immigrants' arrival in Hawaii.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHY STANDARDS:

9: Knows and understands the characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on Earth's surface

GEOGRAPHY SKILLS:

• Asking geographic questions
  Why do people move? Why did your ancestors move to America/Hawaii? What did they bring to their new homeland? What patterns of migration have emerged?

• Acquiring geographic information
  Use a variety of resources to locate and collect information on different ethnic groups that came to America/Hawaii. How many people migrated? When did they migrate? Conduct interviews of your ancestors or others who can provide information. Use historical maps to collect and compile data. Read books, articles, etc. to gather background information.

• Organizing geographic information
  Prepare graphs to display data. Prepare maps to show patterns of migration. Organize materials for a multimedia report on migration.

• Analyzing geographic information
  Use graphs, maps, diagrams, and pictures to interpret the information obtained.

• Answering geographic information
  Develop and present a multimedia report to show why people move and how the cultural landscape has changed.

ASSESSMENT:

Part 1:

Explain migration streams over time by identifying causes and effects of migration.

Part 2:

Using maps, readings, and pictures that illustrate changes due to migration, describe ways in which human migration influences the character of a place.

RESOURCES

MATERIALS:

• Yarn - two colors or star stickers
• Wall World map that has been laminated
• Blank world map (opt.)
• Tape - clear
• Data and graphs for U.S. and Hawaii

PROCEDURE:

(Part I):
1. Discuss with students what migration means. Go over terms and definitions.

2. Discuss why students, parents, or grandparents have moved to Hawaii. Discuss if it was due to a "push" factor or "pull" factor.

3. Using the blue yarn for "push" factors and the red yarn for "pull" factors, have students plot their family's route from their country of origin to Hawaii. Students should tape the yarn on the laminated wall world map. Or, use sticky stars to place on the countries of origin.

4. Have students gather information on the number of people that migrated to the United States and Hawaii. Or, use the information included with the lesson. Students should use the information to complete the immigrant data graphs for U.S. and Hawaii. Generalize the information. Students can locate those countries on the map.

5. Have students read books or articles that illustrate migration. Discuss. Students can also generalize whether the characters moved because of "push" or "pull" factors. (For older students use the readings from "A History of Hawaii" by Linda Menton and Eileen Tamura [Pg. 98-102]). After older students have read the stories that pertain to Hawaii's immigrants, have students compare their findings by organizing their information in a chart. Possible categories: Place of origin, Destination, Reason for move, Push or pull, Better life?, Living conditions, Physical conditions, Other. Students should compare, contrast, and make generalizations.

6. Students should prepare maps to show patterns of migration. Have them use their charts, maps, and other information to organize, develop, interpret, and present a multimedia report on migration to show why people move.

   (Part II):

7. Show the cultural t-shirt to students. Discuss what different groups brought to the islands. Ex. foods like Chinese seeds, shaved ice, saimin, malasadas....Discuss additional items with recent ethnic groups immigrating to Hawaii. What about other cultural influences that add to the landscape, ie., architecture, gardens, traditions.

8. Have students gather historical maps, photos, etc. that show changes that have occurred during the past century, i.e., rice paddies, taro, sugar cane, churches.

9. To see where the cultural markers are in their area, have students gather data (i.e., restaurants) from the telephone books or yellow pages. Let them graph the information and come up with generalizations.

10. Discuss with students what would have happened if the different ethnic groups didn't come to Hawaii as laborers on the sugar plantations.

11. Develop and present a multimedia report to show how human migration influenced the cultural landscape of Hawaii.

EXTENSIONS:

1. Students can create travel brochures of their family's homeland.
2. Students can create a chart of ideas brought to Hawaii.
3. Students can collect evidence of ideas brought to Hawaii.
4. Discuss why people move from Hawaii and where their destinations are.
5. Students can create their own version of an immigrant coming to Hawaii.
6. Primary documents could be included in a research project on any immigrant group.