Invisible Sojourners: African Immigrant Diaspora in the United States

In the 1980s and 1990s, African immigrants to the United States accounted for approximately 3 percent of those legally admitted. The 1990 census showed that a total of 363,819 Africans had been admitted to the United States, with 60 percent admitted between 1980 and 1990. Perhaps owing to their relatively low numbers, African immigrant communities have not received the same attention as those of other groups. This book, primarily a work of sociology, seeks to redress that imbalance by providing the first extended study of the African diaspora in the United States. Drawing on several United States censuses, Immigration and Naturalization Service data, and a field survey of African immigrants living in four American cities (Charlotte, Washington, Atlanta, and Minneapolis-St. Paul), John A. Arthur paints a portrait of a dynamic, diverse, and growing presence. The most interesting insights derive from the author's interviews and the questionnaire circulated among immigrants. The questionnaire, along with official data from government sources, form the book's appendix.