Migration within the U.S. since 1980

Find an answer to the sub questions
• What is meant by the Snowbelt and Sunbelt?
The Sunbelt (Highlighted in red on the first picture) is situated in the South-West of the U.S. In the Sunbelt. It’s very sunny, which explains the name; Sunbelt. The states Florida, Arizona, Texas, Nevada and California are typical Sunbelt places. When you live in the Sunbelt, you have pretty houses, a pretty landscape, sea beach and mountains. And also a beautiful centre with shops which have everything. The sun shines there 300 days a year. It’s a perfect place for when you’re regarded.
The Snowbelt (Highlighted in red on the second picture. And I have to say that I couldn’t find a good picture of where the Snowbelt was situated, so a highlighted it myself) is situated in the North-East of the U.S. In the winter it’s very cold over there. It doesn’t have the pretty beaches as the Sunbelt, but snow-covered roads and high sky-scrapers which have all kinds of offices located in it.

Another name for the Snowbelt is Manufacturing Belt because there are a lot of factories.

• Describe the development of net migration in the Snowbelt.
The development of net migration in the Snowbelt had become a lot less since 1980. People where only moving to abroad because the Snowbelt was looking very bad. It had a negative net migration. That means that more people are going out of that place than that there were coming in.
At this time the Snowbelt is becoming a bit better. Centres are build up again and the Manufacturing belt is coming back. Now a lot of people are coming to the Snowbelt again than that they’re moving away. And because of New York and Washington the Snowbelt will always stay an important location.

• How can you explain this net migration in the Snowbelt?
The Snowbelt is actually the Manufacturing belt. So in that time there were a lot of factories in that place, and people didn’t like that. I think because of all the pollution.
Later on a lot of factories were broke down, like in Detroit, cause they didn’t earn enough money. Also because they had large competitors in Japan, Europe and South-Asia. Cause of that the whites moved over to the suburbs and there came rows between the white and black people. Which was a new push factor to move away from the Snowbelt. The centres of the Snowbelt places where becoming worse and more people where moving away than that there where people moving to the Snowbelt. So it had a negative net migration at that time.

• Describe the development of net migration in the Sunbelt.
The development of net migration has become more since 1980. The Sunbelt had a positive net migration. That means that more people are moving to the Sunbelt, than that there a leaving the Sunbelt. People where moving over to the Sunbelt because it has a nice temperature throughout the year. The Sunbelt got some problems, after invest in weapon industry they earned a lot of money again. But after the fall down of communism there was less ‘government money’ applicable.
That was a reason for some people to move away from the Sunbelt.

But in general, there was a positive net migration.

• How can you explain this net migration in the Sunbelt?
A lot of people moved over to the Sunbelt because of its sunny climate. It has good schools and universities. Another pull factor for the Sunbelt was employment. The Sunbelt is no Manufacturing Belt (that is for heavy industries). The Sunbelt was more likely for light industries.
Because of this, a lot of people moved to the Sunbelt. Because they could start for instance an own company. The last pull factor for this question is; workman came with their employer to get a job.
A test has worked out that people in the Sunbelt are happier than people who don’t live in the Sunbelt.

• Which of the Sunbelt states is growing most strongly and why?
Arizona and part of Nevada. Because that are one of the closest and most attractive states in the Sunbelt for the Latin Americans, also Hispanics. I mean like that Arizona and Nevada are very close to Latin America so the Hispanics are going to live there. And in the Hispanic culture condoms are forbidden so every time Hispanics make love, they will probably get a baby. So the population is growing very strongly.

• Are the names Sunbelt and Snowbelt well chosen and are they opposites of each other?
At first, I think the name Sunbelt is well chosen, because the sun shines there 300 days a year. I’m not very sure about the name Snowbelt. Of course, there lays snow, but not the whole year. Only in winter.
Than, at second, of course are they opposites when you look at the climate. But you can’t make a definite line between the two states because they also have some things in comment. Like they both have a industry and you can’t say; “They are both different. Look: Snowbelt; cold and working. Sunbelt; paradise.”. Because there is work going on in the Sunbelt as well.

Answer to the main question
• What is the pattern of internal migration in the U.S. since 1980 and how can you explain it?
After 1980 a lot of people are moved to the Sunbelt. In the South-West of the U.S. Between 1980 and 1990 there was a positive net migration in the South-West of the U.S. In the same period there was a negative net migration in the North and Middle of the U.S.

In the period from 1990 till 1950 the net migration in the West and Middle of the U.S. was positive, but low. In the South the net migration was still positive and in the North-East wasn’t attractive to Americans at that time. In the Snowbelt live a lot of black people, and because of social reasons white people move away from there. While sometimes black people need the whites to, for instance, set up a company. But if the whites keep moving away, the black people have ‘no leg to stand on’.
Although there is a negative net migration cities like New York, for instance, are growing very strongly.
The population isn’t growing because of people who are moving to that place, children who are born in that city, let the population grow also.