What would it take for you to pack up just a few of your most cherished things and move to another country for good? Do you think it would take war, famine, or persecution due to your religion, race, or political beliefs?
Or would you move just for the chance to make a lot more money than you do now? All through history, people have become immigrants for these and other reasons. But no matter what the cause, the decision to leave home is never easy. Close friends and family may be left behind, and may never be seen again. You don’t know if your new country will welcome or reject you. Will you find work and a decent home? Will you learn the new language and customs easily? These are just some of the trials facing immigrants, people who move to another country.
Humans have been on the move since prehistoric times. One of the oldest known migrations brought Asians to the Americas about 30,000 years ago. The first written record of a mass migration is in the Bible. It’s the story of the Jews leaving Egypt to find the Promised Land. Between 1800 and 1970, 40 million people left Europe for North America. That is now called the Atlantic Migration. Ever since the last part of the twentieth century, mass migrations of refugees from war and economic trouble have moved people all around the globe.
Join Kids Discover as we meet some brave people who have set out for new lands.
