African Immigrants in the United States

For a capsule summary of the African immigrant population in the United States, see http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/print.cfm?ID=366

Here is part of one of a series of stories:

Characteristics of the African Born in the United States, By David Dixon, Migration Policy Institute, January 1, 2006

This spotlight examines the foreign born from Africa. It is the second in a series on the size and characteristics of the foreign-born population in the United States by region and country of birth.

While the African born make up a small proportion of the foreign-born population in the United States, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of immigrants born in Africa over the past couple of decades.

As a group, the African born are more likely to be proficient in English, work in higher-level occupations, and have higher earnings than the overall foreign-born population. However, closer examination of the African born immigrants from specific countries reveals a great deal of diversity in migration patterns, political conditions, economies, and group histories.

KJ