The Great Migration: Snow White and Grumpy Edition

In the early 20th century, the population of Europe boomed dramatically. Although birthrates were decreasing, death rates were also decreasing due to the rising standard of living and the medical revolution around the world. Thus, the population of Europe nearly doubled between 1800 and 1900. Coupled with this growing influx of people in the world came a growing influx of people migrating out of Europe. Historians entitle this large movement "the great migration." Much like birds flying south for the winter, between 1815 and 1932, over 60 million people left Europe and settled in the "areas of European settlement," notably North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, and Siberia.

So, you may be asking yourself, What kind of people left Europe? and What were their reasons for doing so? Well lucky for you, the 7 dwarfs have your answer!

The typical, European migrant was most often a person who felt trapped by the "dwarf economy." Frederich List coined this term in reference to the economy before rapid industrialization, consisting of tiny landholdings and declining craft industries. The small peasant landowner or craftsman felt threatened (or was "Grumpy") by the growth of industry and the decrease in available land; therefore, they migrated to countries with greater opportunities for them to escape poverty. The emigrants were extremely useful to their new countries, since they were young and were eager to "work it"....or how snow white would say it....

....you t"work" it snow white.

Many immigrants who migrated had no intention of settling abroad permanently. For example, the Italians were largely dependent on an agricultural based society. With industry failing to provide adequate jobs for the growing population and the imports of North American wheat into Italy, many small, landowning peasants abandoned their land in Italy. Many Italians who fled from their country with no intention of remaining abroad were nicknamed "swallows." 

This was a very "Sleepy" process. After harvesting wheat in Italy, the swallows "flew" to Argentina for the harvest season between December and April, and then returned to Italy for the spring planting. 

Although the Italians had a hard life, I personally think the Asians had a harder life. Most of the Asian migrants worked as indentured laborers under incredibly difficult conditions, often on plantations or gold mines in Latin America, southern Asia, Africa, or California. They were harshly discriminated against and accused of knowing nothing about the "Caucasian civilization." Because of this claim, Americans and Australians built great white walls, or discriminatory laws designed to keep Asians out. 

I bet the Asians were pretty "Grumpy" about these laws...