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The process whereby migratory movements are sustained through kinship or other links. An initial migration stream of innovators who make the first moves from home may be followed by others, as information is passed back from destination to point of origin so that, for example, a village may be linked to a particular residential area of a city by this process. Thus, a primary stream of migrants may be dominated by younger adults in search of better employment or a better standard of living, while the secondary stream may include their dependants, children or parents, as well as neighbours and other members of the home community. Occupational specialization as well as kin may be a powerful link in the migration chain. The creation of distinct ethnic residential areas, e.g. by Italians or Chinese in North American cities, may be aided by this process (see segregation; social area analysis). Chain migration is particularly evident in international movements over long distances where information about opportunities for intending migrants is available mainly through the experiences of those who have already moved. (PEO)
Suggested Reading Daugherty, H.G. and Kammeyer, K.C.W. 1995: An introduction to population. 2nd edn. New York and London: The Guilford Press, ch. 6. Dinnerstein, L., Nichols, R.L. and Reimers, D.M. 1996: Natives and strangers. A multicultural history of Americans. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ogden, P.E. 1984: Migration and geographical change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. White, P.E. and Woods, R.I., eds, 1980: The geographical impact of migration. London: Longman; Seattle: University of Washington Press. |
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