Response Paper: Migration Literature & Language Essay

This week, your assignment is to write a response paper.
Objectives:
To reinforce an understanding of the core concepts including types, extent, challenges and consequences of migration
To learn to synthesize material from the different lectures and write comprehensively
To identify, understand and analyze data from different sources
Instructions for response paper:
The paper should be 1000 words.
The paper is due in two weeks (Mar 10 , 2020)
You may discuss it with your classmates, but please don't plagiarise
Structure of the response paper:
Begin by providing a brief overview of migration (types, statistics, examples)– here is where you can use the previous two discussion board responses.
Then address the various methods by which migration is studied/understood. Comment on the pros and cons of these methods
Next, compare the experiences of domestic and international migration using examples from the migration narratives you read today (refer to slides 4 and 5 for the specific questions you might ask).
Finally address why we cannot ignore migration and need to understand it better. Look up (from weeks 1 and 2) the challenges of migration and include these in your response, and include them in your discussion for this section
Feel free to use additional (non-Wikipedia) sources, include charts, graphs etc.

France

• Immigration stock (total): 8.3 million (2019)


• Immigration stock %: 12.8% (2019)


• Migrant flow 

Immigration Flow: 332.6 thousand (2019)

Emigration Flow: 300.8 thousand (2019)

• Development 

Remittances Paid: 13.5B USD (2017)

Remittances Received: 26.4B USD (2017)

• Integration and well-being 

The unemployment rate of Foreign-Born: 14.6% (2018)

Secondary Education Rate: -11.6 percentage points (2010)

• Public opinion 

Emigration Plans: 1.7% (2015)

Attitudes Towards Increasing Diversity: 26.8% (2016)

Why did you choose the country that you chose?

I chose France because France has always been my favorite country. Its cuisine, fashion design industry, architecture, and beautiful French Alps are always unforgettable factors for me. France is really a very diverse society, especially in Paris. I chose France because I wanted to learn more about its diversity.

What surprised you about migration in regards to your chosen country?

One statistic that strikes me the most is that the unemployment rate of foreign-born is 14.6%. This figure can be considered very high when considering that the overall unemployment rate in France is 8.5 percent. The French figure is even more surprising when compared with America's which is only 3.5 percent, even slightly lower than the overall unemployment rate.

Why do you think you see the migration trends that you see from/to this country? In other words, what do you think is responsible for the statistics you see?

I believe the influx of refugees in recent years has been an important factor. In addition, France is the preferred destination for many African countries because their mother tongue is French.  France's higher education and fashion industries are also important factors in attracting immigrants

What is being represented on the x-axis?

The X-axis represents different age groups.

What is being represented on the y-axis?

The Y-axis represents Net Migrants per 100 Individuals (the difference between the number of immigrants and the number of emigrants).

What do the different colors represent?

Different colors represent migrants statistics sorted by different periods of time.

What information do the lines give you? (one sentence)

These different lines tell me how net migration has changed over time by age group.

This chart above shows the population change in Philadelphia county from 2000 to 2016. As can be seen from the figure, the total number of the population has been on the rise over the past 16 years, from 1517550 to 1559938. The proportion of non-white people, which was already much higher than the national average in 2000, kept rising, reaching 65 percent of the total population in 2016. The share of 25 to 54-year-olds who are employed rose 3 percent to 69% in 2016. Although this specific share of Philadelphia county is on the rise, it is still significantly lower than the national average. At the same time, the share of the population ages 65+ fell by 1 percent from 14% in 2000 to 13% in 2016.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer's article 'Slow, but steady,' Philadelphia's population has been on a trend of growth for 12 years in a row. This increase is mainly due to increased international migration and higher birth rates than death rates. It is worth mentioning that Philadelphia's domestic net migration has been in a negative growth state for a long time. The Philadelphia Citizen's article "Why jobs matter" points out that the number one reason people leaving Philadelphia is job opportunities, at 26 percent. As many as 34 percents of emigrants in the Philadelphia region under The age of 30 see job opportunities as the biggest reason. Philadelphia has one of the nation's highest business taxes, one of the main reasons the job market has been slow to grow.

Nothing surprising. This is Philadelphia.