ABSTRACT
This early migration was mainly made up of Christians from Bethlehem, Ramallah and Jerusalem on a trek to various parts of the Americas. Most of the early migrants eventually returned to Palestine. Many engaged in business and trade. For the next generation to conduct the journey across the Atlantic, economic motivations continued to be important. Now many also attempted to escape harsh Ottoman treatment and army conscription at the outbreak of World War I (Smith 1984; González 1992; Tsimhoni 1993). Frequently, migrants made their way to kin and relatives already settled in the Americas (Tsimhoni 1993:18).
