Out of Africa

by Leila Noelliste

From the outside, parking garage attendant Kobina Azhir looks like an American-born Black man. But Azhir, a Ghanaian seaman who came to the city 22 years ago, is one of 23,000 African immigrants living in metropolitan Chicago.

On May 31, the United African Organization, a partnership of 20 African immigrant communities, held a summit at the DuSable Museum of African American History, to shed light on immigrants like Azhir. Alie Kabba, executive director of UAO, said that “public eduction” is necessary since African immigrants are often overlooked, or misunderstood.

“We realized a few years ago that the challenge for (African immigrants) is to end our invisibility and help to educate people about contemporary African issues in order to better understand the experience of African immigrants and refugees in Illinois,” said Kabba, who came to Chicago from Sierra Leone in 1991.

The second Chicago Summit on African Immigrants and Refugees attracted more than 200 African, Arab and Latino immigrants, as well as African American supporters. Issues that Africans face within their own countries, as well as in Illinois, were discussed in plenary sessions. Though the number of participants is higher than last year’s 160, the modest turn out is a reflection of Africans’ struggle to catch broad attention and support.

“Within the larger immigrant community, we tend to be overshadowed by the Latino community because they have the numbers. So when people think about immigrants, they think about Latinos, and not Africans,” Kabba said. According to 2000 U.S. Census data, there are approximately 582,000 Mexican immigrants living in metropolitan Chicago, compared to just 23,000 African immigrants.

Nigerians make up the majority of that count. European and Asian immigrants account for 366,000 and 321,000 respectively. Like most immigrants, Africans come to America to flee political instability, pursue education, or establish a better life.

They are the most educated immigrant group in metropolitan Chicago and nationally, Kabba said. According to 2000 U.S. Census data, 95.4 percent of African immigrants who had entered metropolitan Chicago in the past 10 years had a high school degree or more, compared to 39.1 percent of Latin American immigrants, 73.8 percent of European immigrants and 85.3 percent of Asian immigrants.

But when it comes to accessing language, housing, employment and medical services African immigrants still suffer “institutional neglect,” Kabba said. He added that this is particularly damaging since African immigrants face the dual challenge of being Black and foreign. “Resources are directed to the community with the largest numbers, which is Latin Americans… The francophone (those from French-speaking African countries) have a language barrier.

“When I hear about bilingual resources, I think, ‘The definition of bilingual has got to go beyond Spanish. It’s got to include those in other communities’,” Kabba said. Carol Adams, secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services, spoke at the summit and said that the state would take an “extra step to be inclusive” of African immigrants.

“When we talk about doing things for African American women, we are also including women who come from Africa,” Adams said. And the relationship between Africans and African Americans is critical, though plagued by miscommunication. The selection of DuSable for the summit was to represent the link between African Americans and African immigrants, who Kabba described as the “new African Americans.”

“Culture is a dynamic process,” said Kabba, and it’s a fact he has himself experienced. He had plans to move back to Sierra Leone after getting a degree in public policy from the University of Illinois, but a lengthy civil war in his homeland kept him here, where he is raising his 7-, 9-, and 12-yearold children.

“Being an African here is such a temporary identity. It’s a bridge to connect us to a more permanent space, and that permanent space is, naturally, within the African American community,” Kabba said. “When my kids grow up, they’re not going to think Sierra Leone. They’re going to think South Side, West Side, Chicago.”

(Source: The Chicago Defender)

I had meant to do this a while ago, but kept on putting it off. But as our class is coming to an end, I wanted to take the time to mention the blogs of some of my classmates who have featured Africa in one form or the other in their blogs.

• James Edwards - The Violence Project: With an entire blog about violence in Chicago, it’s kind of hard to feature news pertaining to Africa. But James did it in this post about Francis Oduro, a Ghanaian international student who was shot to death. Along with the Violence Project, my prayers go out to the Oduro family.
• Holly Fox - Familienpolitik: A new family law in Mali that would give illegitimate children inheritance rights is the subject of this post. Islamic groups are against this change and Holly provides an interesting comparison to the meaning of marriage and a marriage certificate in Mali versus the United States.
• Christa Hillstrom - Human Goods: In an earlier post I had linked to Christa’s blog about slavery in Mauritania. A more recent post looks at a former slave in Niger who is suing the government for not enforcing anti-slavery laws. In a country were human rights groups estimate about 43,000 people are still living in slavery, this is just the kind of accountability African countries need to be held to.
• Erin Halasz - Wikileads: Erin’s blog follows the online conversation about Wikileaks and the myriad ways in which its uncensorable, untraceable documents appear in public discourse. If you don’t know what Wikileaks is, basically it’s a site that leaks a whole lot of info, but is primarily user-generated like Wikipedia and stuff (Erin, or anyone else who knows, correct me if I’m wrong!). Some of the confidential documents received anonymously includes corruption in Kenya and other “shoddy standards of human rights” in sub-Saharan Africa. One of Erin’s particular posts highlights a recent posting on Wikileads of an invoice for Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Defense, charging the country for a shipment of Chinese rockets, bombs and rounds of mortar.

I hope you take the time to check out their blogs, and while these are the only posts about Africa, each is very interesting and sophisticated. To see more blogs from my class, check out our class Web site.

Recently I wrote a blog about whether or not Africans in the Diaspora should return home, or stay where they are. Well, if this beginning quote from an article in Zimbabwe’s Sunday News then all Africans have a strong incentive to go home.

DESPITE a general upward trend in economic and social growth in Africa, massive brain drain continues to its take toll on the continent, with analysts claiming that it has the same effects as the slave trade and is worse than colonialism.

For those of you who don’t know, brain drain is defined as the large emigration of people with technical skills or knowledge. Usually the drain happens as a result of conflict, lack of opportunity, political instability or health risks. For most Africans, I think lack of opportunity and political instability are on the top of the list for why they have left their homes.

According to Wikipedia, little has been discussed about the brain drain in regards to Africa. Only, since it’s listed as one of the main biggest issues facing the developing countries in Africa … I think it’s being discussed a lot. Maybe it’s not as researched.

Either way, it’s a big concern for the United Nations right now. One officials estimated that in 25 years, Africa will be void of most of its skill and intellect.

But how do we reverse Africa’s brain drain? And is it really a brain drain? I mean, there are A LOT of very very smart people in Africa. Very innovative and absolutely ingenious. What they lack is a platform and opportunity. Which, again, is why many of them find themselves overseas — getting good educations and making more money than they would be at home.

But if that keeps happening, what happens to Africa?

I won’t say that every African in the Diaspora needs to pack up and return back to their homes. But in some way we must aim to return the expertise we are gaining elsewhere.

(Source: My Mobile World)

If you’re African you most likely have either played soccer or know someone who does … and for the most part, you appreciate the sport. This is the fact a group in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex has harnessed to unify the area’s large African immigrant population.

The final day of the DFW International Alliance’s African Unity Cup soccer tournament is tomorrow. Thirteen teams have been battling it out all week long and though they may have been competitors on the soccer field, they have shared and fellowshiped as brothers off the field.

The goal of the tournament, which is held at the University of Texas at Dallas, is to transcend the past, enjoy the present and meet fellow Africans. Apparently DFW International’s board realized that the simplest way to unite the area’s African immigrants (a number equaled to about 85,000) would be through our most cherished sport — SOCCER!!!

The Africa Unity Cup finals will be a face off for third place between Sudan and Morocco and later the championship between Sierra Leone and Liberia. 

Africans, that’s who!

“Their good work ethic, focus and a drive to succeed that is honed by the limited socioeconomic opportunities in their native African countries.”

This is one of the main reasons that makes African immigrants so successful in the United States and elsewhere throughout the Diaspora, according to this article.

The professor cited in the story spent six years researching how Africans were incorporated into the U.S. society, discovering that overall, African immigrants not only perform better in education and employment than other immigrants, but also than the rest of the U.S. population in the same areas.

How cool is that?

The research also tried to correlate country of origin as a factor determining higher chance at success. Immigrants from English-speaking countries are more prepared, while immigrants from countries like Somalia, where many come as refugees, are less prepared.

Not so sure how the research was conducted, and am interested in finding out more about the results. But, the article is written for a student publication so it’s not very detailed.

How accurate do you think this research is?

A question I get asked often is whether or not I have intention to live and work in Nigeria when I’m done with school and stuff. It’s a valid question, I suppose, but also one that is very difficult to answer.

While I lived in Nigeria as a child, I’ve only been back once since I returned to the U.S. in 1998, and I’m not so sure how I’d fare in any African country as an adult. And not because it’s Africa … just because it’d be a whole new country, a whole new continent. It’s not like moving to a new state.

And while I acknowledge that going back “home” isn’t for everyone, a part of me does hope to do so. My parents did it, and are very happy with their choice. So we’ll see …

I found this blog by Mwangi (The Displaced African) that discussed the pros and cons about returning to Africa versus staying in the Diaspora. The writer seems to be leaning more on the side of returning versus staying since he gives 4 reasons to go, and only 3 to stay.

But see what you think? Valid enough reasons to return home? Or is there more incentive to stay in the Diaspora?

Reasons to Return to Africa

1. Money and Entrepreneurship: It’s easier for a person to leave the West and make their fortunes in Africa than it would be had he not left in the first place.
2. To follow in great footsteps: African greats like Nkrumah and Nyerere left the luxuries of the West to return to a life of servitude in Africa.
3. To be with people like you: As Mwangi put it, “The person who created the expression, “There’s no place like home,” must have been an immigrant.”
4. Retirement: “We want to retire in style and in dignity and so we return to the place where we can: home.”

Reasons to stay in the Diaspora

1. The people are mean: I’m not going to even attempt to explain the blogger’s reasoning with this. You’ll just have to read it yourself.
2. It’s Hard: “Put the Western government-industrial-corporate-military complex which also likes the status-quo on top of all that and you have the road that an African community organizer must take.”
3. You like where you are: Self-explanatory.

Based on this list, I think I’d go back to Nigeria. Or any African country. But while I think Mwangi’s discussion of the issue is a bit trite, I do agree that it’s a hard decision to make. And those who do chose to return home make a noble and often courageous choice, in my opinion.

Ever wondered what the difference between an H1 visa and F1 visa was? Or who qualifies for a green card versus non-immigrant status?

Well, Business Week offers a pretty concise Immigration Glossary to put everything in perspective.

Most of my friends are (or were) on the F-1 Visa, which is given to all international students. However, there is also the J-1 Visa, which is also given to students — but generally for a short educational or cultural exchange (e.g. researchers, exchange students, dancers, and performers).

There’s the highly coveted H-1B Visa (which has me wondering what a H-1A Visa is), which a non-U.S. citizen who will be temporarily employed in a specialty occupation. From this type of visa, many immigrants move on to obtain a Green Card, which makes you into a permanent resident. Before that?  You may be given Adjustment of Status (AoS)  or  Advance Parole (AP), which are part of the last steps to becoming a permanent resident. 

Then there are visas B-1, B-2, E-1, E-2, H-4, L-1 … oh the list goes on. While all this is fascinating, all I can say is I’m glad I’m a U.S. citizen.

Here’s to understanding immigration’s alphabet soup!

This story is the first part of a two-part series on NPR about polygamy.

In many African countries, polygamy is a way of life. And not only if you’re Muslim (as the NPR piece seems to say). Polygamy is a sign of wealth and of status. Many African chiefs (an honor given out somewhat freely nowadays; I’d liken them to the American socialite or something) take on two or three extra wives as his wealth increases or as he moves up in honor.

Even if this story focuses on polygamy in African Muslims, it points out many of the issues polygamy has for the many wives of the men who practice it. And what happens when these men move to America, or other parts of the world where polygamy is illegal?

Listen in and find out.

Ever wondered how to tie those gloriously elaborate head-ties (known as geles, in Yoruba)?

So have I.

While I have worn many upon my own head, I’ve never been able to master how to tie them myself. So I got my sister to show me. Let’s learn how to together …

One of the first stories I wrote for the Medill News Service was about the Darfur crisis in northern Sudan. The crisis is a continuation of two civil wars Sudan has already gone through. It’s almost been like non-stop violence and fighting has gone on in this country. And although the perpetrators and aggressors have changed faces, more or less over time, the victims remain the same - millions of children displaced, families split up and separated, the general collateral damage of war.

During the second civil war in Sudan, the collateral damage bared the face of thousands of boys who became known as The Lost Boys of Sudan. Unlike the whimsical Lost Boys in the pages of ‘Peter Pan,’ very little about their lives is envious or wonderfully exciting. (this New York Times story is amazing, really compelling).

Here’s a recording of Mabouc Mabouc, a Lost Boy who resides in Chicago and acts as a social worker for the Pan African Association and a spokesperson for the Darfur crisis. He tells an abbreviated version of his story - from being seperated from his family, walking across multiple countries, living in refugee camps and eventually making it to the United States.

His story is sad, but as Mabouc points out: He is one of the lucky ones.

Audio