Ecuador is a small country in South America that lies north of Peru, and east of Brazil and Colombia. The equator runs directly through the capital, Quito, which is how it got its name. Ecuador is divided into three main geographical regions, the western, the central and the eastern. The most populated is the West Coast most likely because it surrounds the Pacific Ocean. On the other hand, the eastern side is the least inhabited with less than two percent of the population. English is spoken here because this is where most United States’ immigrants live. Eastern Ecuador, is however the, wealthiest region because of its oil, referred to as the “black gold.” This country has a total population of about sixteen million, over sixty-three percent
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Out of the total population approximately sixty-four percent is urbanized with a two percent annual increase. The first major wave of immigration occurred in the early 1960s. Many Ecuadorians travelled to the New York area for trading and tourist purposes. A majority were part of the Panama hat trade, a tradition where Ecuadorian women weave hats for inhabitants of New York. When the opportunity came up, males and females used this trade route to migrate illegally. Most had low-paying jobs such as working in factories or restaurants. Migration continued to gradually grow in the 1970s as Ecuadorians traveled through South America and Mexico to southern parts of the United States. Another portion, traveled to Venezuela because of their substantial, oil-led economy. However, oil prices plummeted in the 1980s, “causing a debt crisis, an increase in inflation, and a dramatic decrease in wages.” This disaster was especially harsh on subsistence farmers, many who decided to migrate elsewhere. In 1986, the United States passed an “immigration law that legalized approximately three million unauthorized immigrants” which resulted in 16,000 Ecuadorians settling here. Many …show more content…
This resulted in unemployment rates increasing to fifteen percent and the second major wave of immigration which sent 500,000 to 1,000,000 immigrants overseas to the United States, Spain or Italy. Besides the two major waves of immigration, there are many reasons that Ecuadorians wanted to move away, the first being health. Despite Ecuador’s health care, many citizens tend to get sick and never get better. Their overall death rate being 5.1 per one thousand population and life expectancy being seventy-seven years, tells that this country is not one of the most nor least developed countries. On the other hand, problems that many inhabitants undergo are infant mortality, malaria and AIDS. Another key issue is crime. Every day, there are many reports sent to the police involving anything from “grab and run thefts and daylight assaults to home invasions in which people were terrorized, sometimes tied up, and threatened with weapons.” The danger in Ecuador is absolutely unimaginable. Many immigrants travelled overseas during the second economic crisis in the late 1990s and others left primarily because of the awful health and
Out of the total population approximately sixty-four percent is urbanized with a two percent annual increase. The first major wave of immigration occurred in the early 1960s. Many Ecuadorians travelled to the New York area for trading and tourist purposes. A majority were part of the Panama hat trade, a tradition where Ecuadorian women weave hats for inhabitants of New York. When the opportunity came up, males and females used this trade route to migrate illegally. Most had low-paying jobs such as working in factories or restaurants. Migration continued to gradually grow in the 1970s as Ecuadorians traveled through South America and Mexico to southern parts of the United States. Another portion, traveled to Venezuela because of their substantial, oil-led economy. However, oil prices plummeted in the 1980s, “causing a debt crisis, an increase in inflation, and a dramatic decrease in wages.” This disaster was especially harsh on subsistence farmers, many who decided to migrate elsewhere. In 1986, the United States passed an “immigration law that legalized approximately three million unauthorized immigrants” which resulted in 16,000 Ecuadorians settling here. Many …show more content…
This resulted in unemployment rates increasing to fifteen percent and the second major wave of immigration which sent 500,000 to 1,000,000 immigrants overseas to the United States, Spain or Italy. Besides the two major waves of immigration, there are many reasons that Ecuadorians wanted to move away, the first being health. Despite Ecuador’s health care, many citizens tend to get sick and never get better. Their overall death rate being 5.1 per one thousand population and life expectancy being seventy-seven years, tells that this country is not one of the most nor least developed countries. On the other hand, problems that many inhabitants undergo are infant mortality, malaria and AIDS. Another key issue is crime. Every day, there are many reports sent to the police involving anything from “grab and run thefts and daylight assaults to home invasions in which people were terrorized, sometimes tied up, and threatened with weapons.” The danger in Ecuador is absolutely unimaginable. Many immigrants travelled overseas during the second economic crisis in the late 1990s and others left primarily because of the awful health and