What would it take for you to pack up just a few of your most cherished possessions and move permanently to another country—war, famine, or persecution due to your religion, race, or political beliefs?
Or would you move simply for the chance to make a lot more money than you now have? Throughout 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, perhaps never to be seen again. You cannot be sure whether your new country will welcome or shun you. Will you find work and a decent home? Will you learn the language and customs of your new land easily? These are just some of the trials facing immigrants—people who move into another country.
Human beings have been on the move since prehistoric times. One of the most ancient migrations that we know about brought Asians to the Americas some 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, in what is now called the Atlantic Migration. Ever since the last part of the twentieth century, there have been mass migrations of refugees from war and economic trouble all over the globe.
Come with Kids Discover and meet some courageous people who have struck out for new lands.
