Library Guides: Migration and Immigration: Home

Definitions

There are many different processes and situations incorporated in the heading "migration studies". People who migrate may be termed:

emigrants (people leaving a country)
immigrants (people arriving in a country)
forced migrants (people being forced to migrate)
refugees (people being forced to migrate, and with specific legal status and protections)
secondary migrants (after an original migration, people who move again)
asylees (migrants seeking legal protection on arrival to a new country)
and more

While there are many resources for researching migration within countries, such as this project on America's Great Migrations, this guide focuses on international migrant movements, basically using these definitions from the International Rescue Committee:

An immigrant is someone who makes a conscious decision to leave their home and move to a foreign country with the intention of settling there. Immigrants often go through a lengthy vetting process to immigrate to a new country. Many become lawful permanent residents and eventually citizens.

A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee their home because of war, violence or persecution, often without warning. They are unable to return home unless and until conditions in their native lands are safe for them again. An official entity such as a government or the United Nations Refugee Agency determines whether a person seeking international protection meets the definition of a refugee, based on well-founded fear.

An asylum seeker is someone who is also seeking international protection from dangers in their home country, but whose claim for refugee status hasn’t been determined legally. Asylum seekers must apply for protection in the country of destination—meaning they must arrive at or cross a border in order to apply.Then, they must be able to prove to authorities there that they meet the criteria to be covered by refugee protections. Not every asylum seeker will be recognized as a refugee.

UC Berkeley Starting Points

Exhibits

Exhibit: Immigration, Deportation and Citizenship, 1908-2018: Selected Resources from the IGS and Ethnic Studies Libraries
An exhibit of books, articles, films, pamphlets, and reports.
Exhibit: Echoes of Freedom: South Asian Pioneers in California, 1899-1965
Exhibit: Silicon Raj: Making a Difference to America's Future
"Silicon Raj is a photo documentary work in progress, a project to honor the contributions of Indians in America - in the high tech industry, medicine, biotechnology, publishing, academic, social service, arts and culture - and their entrepreneurial leadership in creating jobs and prosperity for all Americans to welcome their presence and help in their integration."
Exhibit: On the Same Page 2020: Exit West
"The UC Berkeley On the Same Page program gives new students (and everyone else!) at Cal something to talk about. This year, we’re all on the same page reading Exit West, by Mohsin Hamid. Learn more about the novel, the author, special events and courses relating to the theme"

Library Research Guides

Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia of American Studies This link opens in a new window
Online encylopedia covering the history, philosophy, arts, and cultures of the United States in relation to the world, from pre-colonial days to the present, from various perspectives and the global American Studies movement.
Sponsored by the American Studies Association (ASA), this encyclopedia covers a wide range of disciplines related to the history and cultures of the United States, from pre-colonial days to the present.
Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619-1896 This link opens in a new window
Full text scholarly encyclopedia of African American history from Colonial Times through the age of Frederick Douglass
Entries on African American history from Colonial Times through the age of Frederick Douglass. This resource is part of Oxford African American Studies Center (OAASC).
Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896-present This link opens in a new window
Full text scholarly encyclopedia of African American history covering the transition from the Reconstruction Era to the age of Jim Crow, the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Movement up through the election of Barack Obama. (From the Colonial Period to the Age of Frederick Douglass)
"Contains approximately 1,200 references covering the transition from the Reconstruction Era to the age of Jim Crow, the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Movement up through the election of Barack Obama. This resource is part of Oxford African American Studies Center (OAASC)."
Encyclopedia of Diasporas: Immigrant and Refugee Cultures around the World This link opens in a new window
Online encyclopedia with extensive articles about history, political aspects, and cultural dimensions of diaspora.
Arranged in two volumes, with Vol. 1 focused on Overviews and Topics, and Vol. 2, Diaspora Communities. Edited by Melvin Ember, Carol Ember and Ian Skoggard, all of Human Relations Area Files at Yale University.
Encyclopedia of Empire This link opens in a new window
In-depth, comparative coverage of empires throughout human history and around the world. Covers ancient, medieval and modern periods, European and non-European experiences.
"Features articles written by international and interdisciplinary scholars about world empires, including individual empires from the Assyrians of the ancient Near East to the Zapotecs of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica; from the Asante Kingdom of West Africa to the Dutch East Indian.
Subjects covered include history, geography, literature, architecture, urban planning, gender studies, linguistics, and anthropology. Articles include bibliographies, illustrations and maps"
International Encyclopedia of Human Geography This link opens in a new window
Covers all topics in human geography and related disciplines.
Includes over 1,000 detailed entries on topics in human geography and related disciplines, covering philosophy, concepts, methods, practices, cartography and GIS, development geography, economic geography, medical geography, historical geography, nature/environment, political geography, population geography, rural geography, social and cultural geography, transport geography, and urban geography.
Oxford Reference Online - History This link opens in a new window
Scholarly online historical encyclopedias and dictionaries, including military history, the Enlightenment, the Middle Ages, World War II, world exploration, African American history and more.
Access to more than 40 reference sources published by Oxford University Press on history. Topics of reference volumes include: military history, the Enlightenment, the Middle Ages, World War II, world exploration, African American history and much more. Search sources collectively or search within an individual title.
Oxford Reference Online - Society and Culture This link opens in a new window
Scholarly online encyclopedias and dictionaries covering folklore, mythology, food and drink, sports, sexuality and more.
Access to a number of dictionaries covering folklore, mythology, food and drink, sports, sexuality more published by Oxford University Press. Search sources collectively or search within an individual title.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in Contemporary Politics, Law, and Social Movements This link opens in a new window
Covers diverse historical and contemporary experiences of Latinos and Latinas in the United States and addresses the influence these populations have on political, legal, and social institutions.
Survey essays and biographies are included in addition to legal cases, political movements and organizations, immigration legislation, minority-rights laws, and bibliographies listing important recent and historical works.

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Migration and Immigration

Definitions

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