In the past two decades, historical migration research has undergone a profound change. Several factors account for this development: an extended scopeofinquiry,ashiftinfocus,theinclusionofneglectedtopics,andthe useofnewmethodsandtools—allofwhichhavenoticeablyraisedthelevel of scholarly sophistication. Individual migration processes are no longer studied inisolation but are understood a spart of population movements situated within changing local, regional, national, and international contexts. Intersocietal population flows, formerly often interpreted as unidi— rectional and haphazard, are now seen as informed, intentional, and multidirectional. The concept of uprootedness has been replaced by that of cultural transfer. Individual and family migration, chain migration, and re— turn migration attest to the existence and impact of a well—informed, in— terpersonal communications system and to migrants’ shrewd utilization of labor markets that extended beyond national boundaries. The new approach hasalsobroughtintosharperfocustheroleofspecificgroups,aswellasthe impactofgender,inthemigrationprocess.