An Overview Of Ravenstien's Three Laws Of Immigration

The reasons for immigration are personal and linked to the individual or family making them. However, historians and researches understand that many of the reasons can be distilled down into a few overarching reasons. E. G. Ravenstien, a social scientist, developed three laws of immigration that in general have held true: the idea an immigrant will either be pushed or pulled into migration, the type of person that will migrate, and patterns that are established. These laws work on both a macro and micro level especially when considering the push and pull factors that drive people to immigrate (Daniels, pp. 18-19). There are two migration events that occurred in the United States that demonstrate Ravenstien’s laws at the macro and micro levels. The third wave of migration covers the period of 1890-1930 and

Most of the immigrants in the third wave were young, poorly educated from rural areas, and heavily male. Within the Greek immigrants about 87.8 percent were male and those from small villages lacked education (Daniels, pp. 202-203). The Eastern Jews were between the ages of fourteen and forty, with about 55 percent being male (Daniels, p. 225). The Chinese had a ratio of twenty males to one female with a population that ranged in age from 20-30 (Daniels, pp. 241, 251). The trend for the Eurasian landmass seems to bear out the second law at the macro level. The Wellton 26 would also show similar characteristics. All twenty six were males and many were from villages or rural areas. The education levels were not particularly high as it cost money to send kids to school and without money for food education was a luxury. The age range for the group was from fifteen to about forty fitting the young profile (Urrea, pp. 52-53). Again Ravenstien’s law holds at a micro level. Both groups of people had to be old enough and healthy to endure the journey, but young enough to enjoy the potential