DTW GED PREP

Migration is the movement of large groups of people from one place to another, and it has been a significant part of human history. People migrate for a variety of reasons, including changes in population trends, environmental factors, and the pursuit of better opportunities. Geography and the environment play a major role in migration patterns. For example, people often move to areas with fertile land for farming, where they can grow crops more successfully. In other cases, people migrate in search of a better climate, employment opportunities, or natural resources. Migration can also be driven by the need to escape poverty, war, or the effects of natural disasters such as floods, droughts, or earthquakes.

There are different types of migration, including immigration and emigration. To immigrate means to move into a new country with the intention of settling there permanently. On the other hand, emigration refers to the act of leaving one’s homeland to settle in another place. These movements can be voluntary, such as when people seek better economic opportunities, or involuntary, such as when they are forced to flee from war or persecution.

In some cases, groups of people have been scattered from their homeland, either voluntarily or involuntarily, and this is referred to as a diaspora. Throughout history, diasporas have occurred due to various factors such as conquest, forced migration, or the search for better living conditions. For instance, the Jewish diaspora spread Jewish people across various parts of the world after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Similarly, the African diaspora occurred as millions of Africans were forcibly taken as slaves to the Americas.

Migration also brings about the exchange of cultures, as people bring their own traditions, beliefs, and practices with them when they move. Culture refers to the shared way of life of a group of people, including their arts, music, literature, language, values, religion, clothing, and food. When people from different cultures come into contact, cultural diffusion occurs. Cultural diffusion is the process through which cultural ideas, beliefs, and practices spread from one group to another. This can happen when people with different cultures live in close proximity, such as in multicultural cities, or when one culture conquers another, as seen throughout history in colonial conquests. The exchange of cultural elements can result in the blending of cultures, where traditions and practices from different backgrounds are combined.

Today, cultural diffusion is not only influenced by physical migration but also by technological advancements. The media, including television, films, and social media, as well as the Internet, have become powerful tools for spreading cultural ideas and beliefs across the globe. These technologies enable people from different parts of the world to share their cultures more easily and rapidly.

When people from different ethnic or cultural backgrounds move into a new society and become part of the dominant culture, they are said to assimilate. Assimilation involves adopting many of the cultural practices, values, and behaviors of the dominant culture. However, assimilation does not necessarily mean that individuals abandon their own traditional culture. In many cases, people continue to practice their own cultural traditions while also incorporating aspects of the mainstream culture. This process of cultural integration helps shape diverse societies and can lead to the development of a unique, multicultural identity.

In conclusion, migration has played a crucial role in shaping human history and continues to influence cultural exchange and the movement of people around the world. Whether through voluntary migration for better opportunities or forced migration due to conflict or disaster, people’s movements create opportunities for cultural diffusion and assimilation, contributing to the global interconnectedness of societies.

HUMAN MIGRATION

1. Tex-Mex, a blend of traditional Mexican cuisine and foods popular with American settlers in Texas, is an example of ________________.
   A. assimilation
   B. migration
   C. cultural diffusion
   D. sustainability
2. Read the passage, then answer the question. The great famine of 1845–1852 in Ireland was a catastrophe for the Irish. As many as 80% of Irish people left home and settled in countries as far away as the United States, Canada, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand. This mass emigration was one of history’s great diasporas. Which of the following would NOT be considered a diaspora?
   A. the expulsion of Jewish people from Europe prior to and during World War II
   B. the enslavement of West African people and their forcible transportation to the New World
   C. the migration of Chinese people throughout Southeast Asia in search of better economic opportunities
   D. the conquest of Native American peoples in South America by the Spanish

1. Tex-Mex, a blend of traditional Mexican cuisine and foods popular with American settlers in Texas, is an example of ________________.

✅ C. cultural diffusion

🟩 Explanation: Cultural diffusion is the spread and mixing of cultural elements between different groups. Tex-Mex is a fusion of Mexican and American food traditions, making it a prime example of cultural diffusion.

2. Which of the following would NOT be considered a diaspora?

✅ D. the conquest of Native American peoples in South America by the Spanish

🟩 Explanation: A diaspora refers to the large-scale movement or scattering of people from their homeland, usually involuntarily or due to hardship.

• A, B, and C all describe such movements.
• D, however, describes colonization and conquest, not a population dispersal from a homeland.