Definition of the African Diaspora
The African Union (2011, p.3) defined “the African Diaspora as consisting of peoples of African origin living outside the continent, irrespective of their citizenship and nationality and who are willing to contribute to the development of the continent and the building of the African Union.” This definition is very broad, and actually reflects an important reality that is very often overlooked—the African Diaspora is a heterogeneous group. The African Diaspora is made up of disparate communities of peoples that identify themselves based on national, ethnic, cultural, and religious affiliations. The African Diaspora is a quintessential portrayal of a continent that is home to 55 countries, over a billion people, and as many as 2,000 languages (Copeland-Carson & Okome, 2013). Understanding the intricacies within the African Diaspora will help prevent failures resulting from uniformed attempts to deal with this group as a homogeneous ensemble.
The U.S.-based African Diaspora
The number of African immigrants living in the U.S. has grown steadily from 80,000 in 1970 to 1.6 million in 2012 (Gambino, Trevelyan, & Fitzwater, 2014). African immigrants represented 4% of the 39.8 million immigrants on U.S. soil in 2012. The vast majority of African immigrants—nearly 75%—arrived after 1990. Wars, human rights abuses, and economic woes in countries of origin; new restrictions in immigration policies in Western Europe; and the adoption of more favorable immigration laws in the U.S. are some of the reasons beyond the rapid growth of the African immigrant population. African immigrants are among the fastest growing groups of U.S foreign born population.
Distribution by Country of Origin
They came predominantly from Western Africa (36%), Eastern Africa (29%), and Northern Africa (17%). The vast majority of African immigrants are originally from Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Egypt, and South Africa. 41% of all African immigrants have come from four countries—Nigeria (221,000 or 14%), Ethiopia (164,000 or 10%), Egypt (143,000 or 9%), and Ghana (121,000 or 8%).
Distribution by State of Residence
Four states are home to 36% of African immigrants—New York (164,000), California (155,000), Texas (134,000), and Maryland (120,000). Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, and Virginia are also among the top states where large numbers of African immigrants reside.
Language Diversity
English Proficiency and Integration
English Proficiency and Integration
Sub-Saharan immigrants were more likely to be proficient in English and speak English at home than the overall U.S. foreign-born population, largely because a majority came from countries where English is an official language. In 2015, 25 percent of sub-Saharan Africans spoke only English at home, versus 16 percent of all immigrants. Furthermore, 27 percent of these immigrants (ages 5 and over) reported limited English proficiency, compared to 49 percent of the overall foreign-born population.
