Africans in the United States

African Values in a New World

Africans who come to the United States bring with them a rich cultural heritage, a strong work ethic, and [Page 39]a wide array of skills that they are enthusiastic to share, and America has been enriched by their literature, music, and dance. They bring a strong commitment to education, a sense of hospitality, a long and rich history of many cultures and traditions, a facility with languages (some Africans speak five or more languages), and a strong sense of community.

An African is first a son or daughter, then a member of a village or ethnic group such as Mandingo or Fanti, and then a citizen of a country such as Guinea or Ghana. Ethnicity comes before nationality on the continent. When Africans travel outside of their country, nationality may become a prominent self-identifier. For most Africans, it is only when they come to the United States that race becomes an identity marker. Even “African” is much less an identity marker on the continent than it is in the United States.

Because of a strong sense of responsibility to their extended families and a deep family connectedness that extends well beyond the U.S. notion of a typical family unit, African immigrants also contribute to their home economies. Trying to provide for their immediate families living with them in the United States as well as for family members they left behind in Africa can be a challenge. Caring for the extended family is an integral part of the African culture. Families in Africa may have high expectations of their relatives who emigrate to the United States; there is a common misperception that to have arrived in the United States is to have achieved success.

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