ABSTRACT

A variety of conditions, from political and economic to religious, military, agricultural, and environmental, have motivated migrations of whole populations from one region of the world to another. On rare occasions it has been from continent to continent. It is important at the outset of this discussion to distinguish migratory movements from nomadic or simple commuting. A migration may entail a whole population moving with the intent to conquer and settle in or move on to further conquests. In this sense, the term “migrant farm labor” is a misnomer because the individuals, though they may move with large numbers, usually have no intention of making a permanent home. They simply “move with the crops,” hoping to earn enough to return to their place of origin to survive until the next season. Migrant workers come closer to the nomadic or even a gypsy lifestyle, which makes little effort to be assimilated or to leave a lasting impression on the people among whom they have lived for a brief time.