Home :
Our Community : Background: About the African Community in the United States
Background: About the African Community in the United States
Census
and community data estimate that more than one million immigrants from
Africa now live in the United States. The most recent Census 2000 data
show that one in three African immigrants lives in the northeastern
United States. The New York City region has the largest number of
African immigrants. An estimated 450,000 African immigrants live in the
New York City metropolitan area, making one of every 20 New Yorkers
born in Africa.
The African immigrant population to
New York City doubled between 1990 and 2000. The African-born
population is the fastest growing immigrant group in New York City,
increasing by 127% in the past decade (U.S. Census 2000).
African New Yorkers contribute a stunning cultural diversity to the
city, originating from more than 40 countries and speaking many
languages. The largest communities in New York come from Nigeria,
Ghana, Senegal, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Mali but no one
group dominates this dynamic multiethnic mix.
