The Great Migration was the movement of some six million African Americans from rural areas of the Southern states of the United States to urban areas in the Northern states between 1916 and 1970. It occurred in two waves, basically before and after the Great Depression.

During the Great Migration, African Americans began to build a new place for themselves in public life, actively confronting racial prejudice as well as economic, political and social challenges to create a Black urban culture that would exert enormous influence in the decades to come.

The rapid mobilization of resources and weapons during World War II prompted many African Americans to migrate to Northern and Western cities in search of jobs in the booming munitions industry.

Economic exploitation, social terror and political disenfranchisement were the push factors. The political push factors being Jim Crow, and in particular, disenfranchisement. Black people lost the ability to vote.

Black soldiers returning from the war found the same socioeconomic ills and racist violence that they faced before. Despite their sacrifices overseas, they still struggled to get hired for well-paying jobs, encountered segregation and endured targeted brutality, especially while wearing their military uniforms.

The primary factors for migration among southern African Americans were segregation, an increase in the spread of racist ideology, widespread lynching (nearly 3,500 African Americans were lynched between 1882 and 1968), and lack of social and economic opportunities in the South.

African Americans came to Hartford for many different reasons during World War I. Some moved North in search of respite from Jim Crow laws, racial animosity, and vigilante violence in the Southern States. Others were seeking economic opportunities and alternatives to agricultural work.

A variety of push factors and pull factors were the cause of this massive migration. Blacks were “pushed” by Jim Crow law, rampant discrimination, segregation, and disenfranchisement, and lack of employment in the South and “pulled” by growing employment rates, industrialism and relative tolerance in the North.

In addition to the perils of war faced by all Civil War soldiers, black soldiers faced additional problems stemming from racial prejudice. Racial discrimination was prevalent even in the North, and discriminatory practices permeated the U.S. military.

More than ten million African Americans left the South for the North between 1910 and 1965; this was the greatest demographic shift in twentieth-century America. Black newspapers promoted the migration as an opportunity to acquire political rights and to earn higher wages.

The Pendleton Act provided that Federal Government jobs be awarded on the basis of merit and that Government employees be selected through competitive exams. The act also made it unlawful to fire or demote for political reasons employees who were covered by the law.

According to the United Nations, in 2019, the United States, Germany, and Saudi Arabia had the largest number of immigrants of any country, while Tuvalu, Saint Helena, and Tokelau had the lowest.

Illegal immigration tends to be financially upward, from poorer to richer countries. Illegal residence in another country creates the risk of detention, deportation, and/or other sanctions.

85.7 million people

Legal immigrants are foreign-born people legally admitted to the U.S. Undocumented immigrants, also called illegal aliens, are foreign-born people who do not possess a valid visa or other immigration documentation, because they entered the U.S. without inspection, stayed longer than their temporary visa permitted, or …

Procedures for Entering the United States

1. American citizens entering the U.S. must show a valid passport, U.S. passport card, a Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI, Global Entry or FAST), or an enhanced driver’s license.
2. Lawful permanent residents of the U.S. need to show a Permanent Resident Card (Green card).

There are two ways to become a United States (U.S.) citizen – by birth or through naturalization.

ten years

It is not mandatory to apply for US Citizenship and you can remain a Green Card holder forever. You can apply for jobs that require security clearance and only the permanent residents and the citizens of the United States, can get such clearance. This shows that this resident card provides more job opportunities.

If you obtained your green card through marriage to a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, a divorce (or annulment) may pose a problem. The good news is that there is nothing in the law saying that, once you are divorced or your marriage is annulled, your efforts to get a green card are automatically over.