African immigration to the United States

African immigrants to the United States

1st row: Angélique Kidjo • Dikembe Mutombo 2nd row: Ahmed Zewail • Liya Kebede 3rd row: Charlize Theron • Ngugi wa Thiong'o
Total population
African : 3,183,104 (Subsaharan African : 2,847,199 + North African: 335.895) (2010 U.S. Census)
Regions with significant populations
Washington, D.C., New York, Minneapolis, California, Dallas, Atlanta, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Houston
Languages
English (African English, American English), Arabic, Yoruba, Igbo, Lingala, French, Wolof, Swahili, Amharic, Somali, Tigrinya, Berber, Afrikaans, Hausa, Portuguese, Capeverdean Crioulos, Spanish, others
Religion
Christianity, Islam, Traditional, Others
Related ethnic groups
Africans: Sub-Saharan Africans, North Africans, White Africans of European ancestry African American

African immigration to the United States refers to immigrants to the United States who are or were nationals of Africa. The term African in the scope of this article refers to geographical or national origins rather than racial affiliation.

From the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 to 2007, an estimated total of 0.8 to 0.9 million Africans immigrated to the United States, accounting for roughly 3.3% of total immigration to the United States during this period.

African immigrants in the United States come from almost all regions in Africa and do not constitute a homogeneous group. They include people from different national, linguistic, ethnic, racial, cultural and social backgrounds.

As such, African immigrants are to be distinguished from African American people, the latter of whom are descendants of mostly West and Central Africans who were involuntarily brought to the United States by means of the historic Atlantic slave trade.

African presence in United States Immigration Legislation

Citizenship

In the 1870s the Naturalization Act was extended to allow "aliens, being free white persons and to aliens of African nativity and to persons of African descent" to acquire citizenship. Hence immigration from Africa was theoretically permitted while non-white immigration from Asia was not.

Quotas enacted between 1921-1924

Several laws enforcing national origins quotas on American immigration were enacted between 1921 and 1924 and were in effect until they were repealed in 1965. While these laws were aimed at restricting the immigration of Jews and Catholics from central and eastern Europe and immigration from Asia, they also impacted African immigrants. This legislation effectively excluded Africans from entering the country.

The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 restricted immigration from a given country to 3% of the number of people from that country living in the U.S. according to the census of 1910. The Immigration Act of 1924 (also known as the Johnson-Reed Act) reduced that to 2 %of the number of people from that country who were already living in the United States in 1890. Under this system, the quota for immigrants from Africa (excluding Egypt) totaled 1,100. (This number was increased to 1,400 under the Immigration act of 1952 or the McCarran-Walter Act.) This is in contrast to a country like Germany whose limit was 51,227.

Immigration Act of 1965

The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 (also known as the Hart-Cellar Act) repealed the national quotas and subsequently there was a substantial increase in the number of immigrants from "developing" countries, particularly in Africa and Asia. This act also provided a separate category for refugees. The Immigration Act of 1965 has also provided greater opportunity for family re-unification.

20th Century migration patterns

The influx of African immigrants began in latter part of the 20th century and is often referred to as the "fourth great migration." This trend began after decolonization, as many Africans came to the United States seeking an education, and has risen steadily over time. Originally, these immigrants came with the sole purpose of advancing themselves before returning to their respective countries. However, in recent years there has been an increase in the number of African immigrants interested in gaining permanent residence in the United States. This has led to a severe brain drain on the economies of African countries due to many highly skilled professionals leaving Africa to seek their economic fortunes in the United States and elsewhere.

Population

African Immigrants (U.S.) Ancestries in the 2009 American Community Survey

Ancestry	2000	2000% of US population	2010	2010% of US population
Ethiopian		negligible (no data)	186,000	negligible (no data)
Ghanaian	49,944[citation needed]	negligible (no data)	85,000	negligible (no data)
Nigerian	65,481[citation needed]	negligible (no data)	253,000	negligible (no data)
South African	45,569[citation needed]	negligible (no data)		negligible (no data)
Somali American		negligible (no data)	103,000	negligible (no data)
Moroccan American		negligible (no data)	78,000	negligible (no data)
Egyptian American		negligible (no data)	197,000	negligible (no data)
Cape Verdean		negligible (no data)	91,000	negligible (no data)
TOTAL	940,000[citation needed]	0.2%[citation needed]	NA	NA

Factors contributing to migration

One major factor that contributes to migration from Africa to the United States is inadequate planning of labor supply in certain African countries. This has led to an oversupply of specialized workers and a system that is incapable of supporting them.^{[citation needed]} Furthermore, education in African countries tends to be modeled after educational systems in developed nations and are not very accommodating of local realities. Subsequently, it has been relatively easy for African immigrants to leave and enter international labor markets. In addition, many Africans come to the United States for advanced training. However, this tends to lead a training that is too specialized to be adequately used in their respective home countries.^{[citation needed]} Furthermore, since promotions in Africa are often based on seniority, young professionals eager to jumpstart their careers feel forced to migrate.^{[citation needed]}

Demographics

Metros with largest African-born population (2000 Census)

Metropolitan Area	African Population	% of Black total	% of Total Metro Population
Washington, DC, MD-VA-WV	80,281	6.1	1.6
New York, NY	73, 851	3.4	0.8
Atlanta, GA	34,302	2.9	0.8
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI	27,592	15.4	0.9
Greater Los Angeles Area	25,829	2.7	0.3
Detroit, MI	24,231	2.1	0.6
Houston, TX	22,683	3.1	0.5
Chicago, IL	19,438	2.4	0.7
Dallas, TX	19,134	3.6	0.5
Boston, MA-NH	17,344	9.8	0.7

It is estimated that the current population of African immigrants to the United States is about 881,300. Countries with the most immigrants to the U.S. are Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Egypt, Somalia, and South Africa. Seventy five percent (75%) of the African immigrants to the USA come from 12 of the 55 countries, namely Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Ethiopia, South Africa, Kenya, Liberia, Somalia, Morocco, Cape Verde, Sierra Leone and Sudan, which is based on the 2000 census data.

Additionally, according to the U.S. Census, 55% of immigrants from Africa are male, while 45% are female. Age groups with the largest cohort of African-born immigrants are 25-34, 35-44, and 45-54 with 24.5%, 27.9%, and 15.0% respectively.

Africans typically congregate in urban areas, moving to suburban areas over time. They are also less likely to live in segregated areas. The goals of Africans vary tremendously. While some look to create new lives in the U.S., some plan on using the resources and skills gained to go back and help their countries of origin. Either way, African communities contribute millions to the economies of Africa through remittances.

Immigrants from Africa typically settle in heavily urban areas upon arrival into the U.S. Areas such as Washington, D.C., New York, Columbus, Ohio, Atlanta and Minneapolis have heavy concentrations of African immigrant populations. Often there are clusters of nationalities within these cities. The longer African immigrants live in the United States, the more likely they are to live in suburban areas.

Educational attainment

African immigrants to the U.S. are among the most educated groups in the United States. Some 48.9 percent of all African immigrants hold a college diploma. This is more than double the rate of native-born white Americans, and nearly four times the rate of native-born African Americans. According to the 2000 Census, the rate of college diploma acquisition is highest among Egyptian Americans at 59.7 percent, followed closely by Nigerian Americans at 58.6 percent.

In 1997, 19.4 percent of all adult African immigrants in the United States held a graduate degree, compared to 8.1 percent of adult white Americans and 3.8 percent of adult black Americans in the United States, respectively. According to the 2000 Census, the percentage of Africans with a graduate degree is highest among Nigerian Americans at 28.3 percent, followed by Egyptian Americans at 23.8 percent.

Of the African-born population in the United States age 25 and older, 87.9% reported having a high school degree or higher, compared with 78.8% of Asian-born immigrants and 76.8% of European-born immigrants, respectively.

Africans from Nigeria (89.1 percent), Ghana (85.9 percent), Botswana (84.7 percent), and Malawi (83 percent) were the most likely to report having a high school degree or higher. Those born in Cape Verde (44.8 percent) and Mauritania (60.8 percent) were the least likely to report having completed a high school education.

Health

American immigrants from predominantly black nations in Africa and South America are generally healthier than black immigrants from predominantly white nations in Europe. A study conducted by Jen’nan Ghazal Read, a sociology professor at the UC Irvine and Michael O. Emerson, a sociology professor at Rice University, closely studied the health of more than 2,900 black immigrants from top regions of emigration: the West Indies, Africa, South America and Europe. Blacks born in Africa and South America have been shown to be healthier than American born Blacks.

The study was published in the September issue of Social Forces and is the first to look at the health of black immigrants by their region of origin.

Culture

African immigrants tend to retain their culture once in the United States. Instead of abandoning their various traditions, they find ways to reproduce and reinvent themselves. Because of the extremely diverse nature of African ethnic groups, there is no single African immigrant identity. However, cultural bonds are cultivated through shared ethnic or national affiliations. Some organizations like the Ghanaian group Fantse-Kuo and the Sudanese Association organize by country, region, or ethnic group. Other not for profits like the Malawi Washington Association [1] organize by national identity, and are inclusive of all Malawians. Other groups present traditional culture from a pan-African perspective. Using traditional skills and knowledge, African-born entrepreneurs develop services for immigrants and the community at large. In the Washington area, events such as the annual Ethiopian soccer tournament, institutions such as the AME Church African Liberation Ministry, and "friends" and "sister cities" organizations bring together different communities. The extent to which African immigrants engage in these activities naturally varies according to the population.

Religion

The religious traditions of African immigrants tend to be pluralistic. In other words, they are seen not only as religious institutions, but in many cases also as civic centers. These organizations are also central to persevering ethnic identity among these communities.^{[citation needed]} In addition, African immigrant religious communities are also central networks and provide services such as counseling, shelter, employment, financial assistance, health services, real estate tips, etc.

Christianity

African immigrants practice a diverse array of religions, including Christianity, Islam, and various traditional African religions. However, the largest African immigrant religious group in the United States is made up of Pentecostal/Charismatic Christians. This form of Christianity is a "primarily evangelical, born-again pentecostal sect that emphasizes holiness, fervent prayer, charismatic revival, proximate salvation, speaking in tongues, baptism of the Holy Spirit, faith healing, visions, and divine revelations."

The most popular church denominations that Africans join include: Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, Seventh Day Adventist Church; Celestial Church of Christ, Cherubim and Seraphim, Christ Apostolic Church, the Church of Pentecost, Deeper Life Bible Church, Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries(MFM), the Presbyterian Church of Ghana,the Redeemed Christian Church of God and ^{[citation needed]} Christ Embassy.

Continental African Churches

Many African communities have created their own churches in the United States modeled on continental African churches. One example is the Bethel Church in Silver Spring, MD that has a Pan-African congregation. It also includes service in English and French. Many African churches are Pan African, but some consist only of nationals from the country of origin. This allows for worship in the languages of the congregation.

Ethiopians and Eritreans also have their own churches wherever there is a significant Ethiopian or Eritrean population. Their churches are mainly Ethiopian or Eritrean Orthodox and a few Catholic churches.

Islam

The Muslim tradition of African immigrants is made up of diverse groups and includes Sufis and Mourides from Senegal as well as mainstream orders and schools from Western, Eastern, Horn, and Northern Africa.

Visibility

Notable African academics in the U.S. include full tenured professors at the nation's top universities, including, at MIT, Elfatih A.B. Eltahir from Sudan at Caltech, 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Winner Ahmed Zewail from Egypt; at Yale, professor Lamin Sanneh from Gambia; at Harvard, professors Jacob Olupona, from Nigeria, Barack Obama Sr. from Kenya, Emmanuel K. Akyeampong from Ghana, Biodun Jeyifo from Nigeria, and John Mugane from Kenya; and at Princeton, Adel Mahmoud from Egypt, Wole Soboyejo from Nigeria, Simon Gikandi from Kenya, V. Kofi Agawu from Ghana, and Kwame Anthony Appiah from Ghana. In sports, Hakeem Olajuwon and Freddy Adu are prominent. In the arts, Academy Award-winning actress Charlize Theron and Grammy Award-winning musician Dave Matthews, both from South Africa, and two-time Academy Award-nominated actor Djimon Hounsou and Grammy-winning musician Angelique Kidjo, both from Benin, are most notable.

Cultural influence

Television

Many local cable channels are now purchasing programming channels operated by the various African communities. For example, Channel Africa is now available in some TV networks in the US.

News services such as the Nigerian Television Authority, South African Broadcasting Channel and Ethiopian Television Programming are also available in some areas.

Cinema

Nigerian Nollywood films and Ghanaian films can now be rented or purchased from Nigerian and Ghanaian stores and like in Africa, are very popular among Africans in the United States from many different countries.

Restaurants

Immigrants from Africa have also opened up a number of restaurants in urban areas. The DC Metro area hosts many eateries belonging to the Ethiopian, Kenyan, South African and West African communities.

Notable African immigrants

The following is a list of notable African nationals or who have immigrated to and now at least partially reside in the United States.

Academia and science

• Ahmed Zewail, Egyptian, Winner of 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and Professor at California Institute of Technology
• Kitaw Ejigu, Ethiopia, former NASA chief engineer
• Kwabena Boahen, Ghanaian, Professor of Bioengineering, Stanford University
• Ave Kludze Ghanaian, Senior NASA Spacecraft Systems Engineer
• Claude Ake, Nigerian, Professor at Yale University
• Jem Spectar, Cameroonian, President of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
• Kwame Anthony Appiah, British-born Ghanaian national, Half Ghanaian and Half British, world-renowned philosopher and writer, Professor of Philosophy at Princeton University, 2012 National Humanities Medal winner
• Lamin Sanneh, Senegalese, Professor at Yale University
• Simon Gikandi, Kenyan, Professor at Princeton University
• John Ogbu, Nigerian, Professor at University of California at Berkeley
• Fatima Jibrell, Somalia, environmentalist
• Sossina M. Haile, Ethiopia, fuel cell engineer
• Mohammed Adam El-Sheikh, Sudanese, executive director of the Fiqh Council of North America.
• Said Sheikh Samatar, Somalia, historian
• Nawal M. Nour, Sudanese, obstetrician and gynecologist and 2003 Genius Award winner.

TV & Film

• Monica Breen, Ghana, American TV Producer and Screenwriter work includes Lost, Brothers & Sisters, Alias and Fringe
• Charlize Theron, South African, Academy Award-winning actress
• Djimon Hounsou, Beninese, Two-Time Academy Award-nominated actor
• Omar Sharif, Egyptian, Golden Globe-winning actor
• Edi Gathegi, Kenyan, Actor on House, Twilight and X-Men
• Akosua Busia, Ghanaian, Notable Performance as Nettie in Academy-Award-nominated film Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple

• Michael Blackson, Ghana, Actor/Comedian
• Wendy Malick, Egyptian
• Peter Mensah, Ghana
• Cliff Simon, South African
• Arnold Vosloo, South African
• Nana Gbewonyo, Ghana

Sports

• Gale Agbossoumonde, Togo by way of Benin, soccer
• Joshua Clottey, Ghana, professional boxer
• Ebenezer Ekuban, Ghana, NFL football
• Nana Kuffour, Ghana, soccer
• Meb Keflezighi, Eritrea, runner
• Kofi Kingston, Ghana, professional wrestling
• Bernard Lagat, Kenya, runner
• Prince Nana, Ghana, wrestler
• Dikembe Mutombo, D.R. Congo, NBA basketball
• Luc Mbah a Moute, Cameroon, basketball
• Danny Mwanga, D.R. Congo, soccer
• Amobi Okoye, Nigeria, football
• Hakeem Olajuwon, Nigeria, NBA basketball
• Robbie Russell, Ghana, soccer
• Tony Tchani, Cameroon, soccer
• Hasheem Thabeet, Tanzania, NBA basketball
• Jean-Pierre Tokoto, Cameroon, soccer
• Masai Ujiri, Nigeria, NBA basketball (general manager)
• Madieu Williams, Sierra Leone, NFL Football
• Mathias Kiwanuka, Uganda, NFL Football
• Betty Okino, Uganda, Gymnastics

Business

• Kase Lukman Lawal, Nigerian, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, CAMAC HOLDINGS
• Roelof Botha, South African, former Chief Financial Officer of Paypal
• Elon Musk, South African, co-founder of PayPal, SpaceX and Tesla Motors, CEO and CTO of SpaceX, CEO and Product Architect of Tesla Motors and Chairman of SolarCity.
• Noah Samara, Ethiopia, CEO of Worldspace

Fashion

• Liya Kebede, Ethiopia, Supermodel
• Amsale Aberra, Ethiopia, fashion designer
• Nana Meriwether, South African-born, Half South African and Half African American, Miss Maryland USA 2012, Miss USA 2012 First Runner-Up

Journalism and literature

• Chimamanda Adichie, Nigerian, world-renowned author; 2008 MacArthur Fellowship "Genius Grant" winner, 2007 Orange Prize winner and 2005 Commonwealth Writer's Prize award winner
• Micere Mugo, Kenyan, poet and writer
• Dinaw Mengestu, Ethiopia, author
• Selamawi Asgedom, Ethiopia and Eritrea, author
• Charles Mudede, Zimbabwean, Filmmaker and film critic
• Teju Cole, Nigerian-American, Novelist, writer, photographer and art historian

Music

• Angelique Kidjo, Beninese, Grammy Award-winning musician
• Tunde Adebimpe, Nigerian, lead singer for band experimental rock band TV on the Radio
• Chamillionaire, Nigeria, rapper (born in Washington, D.C. to Nigerian parents and raised in Houston)
• Chikezie, Nigeria, singer, American Idol (born and raised in the Los Angeles area to Nigerian parents)
• MF Doom, Half Zimbabwean (born in London, not in Africa)
• Jean Grae, South Africa, hip-hop artist
• Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo, DR Congolese, guitarist for band Gym Class Heroes, grandnephew of Patrice Lumumba
• Kenna, Ethiopia, Alternative rock musician
• Dave Matthews, South African
• Tom Morello, half-Kenyan, guitarist for Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave (born in Harlem, raised in suburban Chicago-->
• Casta Stone, Cameroon, Musician
• Akon, Senegalese, five-time Grammy Awards nominated hip hop/R&B singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, philanthropist and businessman. He has sold over 11 millions albums worldwide

See also

• Africa
• United States foreign born per capita income
• United African Congress

External links

• New York Times: Tastes of Nigeria, Sounds of Sierra Leone
• New York Times: Bronx: Beyond the Yankees and the Zoo
• New York Times: Solace From a Multiethnic Tapestry
• Oakland Tribune: Black immigrants: The invisible model minority