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| Home Front: Culture Wars |
| African Immigrants and new U.S. citizens question race-category label |
| 2005-09-17 |
| North Canyon High School graduate Esosa Joanne Iyoha talks about African-Americans as an outside group. When the 22-year-old Nigerian immigrant took standardized tests in school, she skipped over the line for African-Americans and marked "other." Then, if space permitted, she penciled in "African." "I don’t associate myself with slavery," said the registered nurse at Mayo Clinic Hospital in northeast Phoenix. "And I don’t really associate myself with being African-American." But Iyoha is black. And tonight she will stand before U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor — with 53 other immigrants from across the globe — and swear allegiance to the United States in a special Citizenship Day ceremony at Gilbert’s Mesquite High School. Technically, Iyoha will become an African-American. But the nation might have to rethink its definition of the term as thousands of African immigrants such as Iyoha flock to the United States each year. About 50,000 Africans arrived in 2004 — more than the number who came during any of the peak years of the American slave trade... These new African-Americans lack ties to American slavery and the inner city culture frequently associated with black America. Many grew up in middle-class, two-parent families and have access to social networks that include doctors, nurses, engineers, professors and business executives. Iyoha’s father is a microbiologist, her mother is a registered nurse, and the family lives in a two-story stucco house at the foot of a desert mountain... The wave of African immigration started in the 1970s with refugees such as Harelimana. But thousands of African immigrants today come from stable homes unaffected by war. "You’re getting the best and the brightest from Africa," said Osaro Ighodaro, assistant academic director at Arizona State University. "People who have the resources are deliberately making the choice to come here..." |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #9 Under "Race" write "Human" that should screw them up Royaly. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2005-09-17 22:35 |
| #8 No bed, Cyber Sarge. The studies have already been done, and black immigrants do about as well as any other immigrants from the same area, and of course, both groups do far better than people who live in the "African-American" culture. Native blacks who reject the ghetto culture also do as well as whites. Culture matters. |
| Posted by: Jackal 2005-09-17 20:50 |
| #7 There are a lot of African natives in the health care system. I've noticed anecdotally that there seems to be quite a bit of prejudice against them on the part of African-Americans. I've also noticed that while the first generation usually assimilates as well as any other immigrant group, their kids are under massive pressure to conform to low expectations in the school system. I knew a very nice lady from Ghana who worked her kazou off to provide a good home for her two kids. The kids, last I saw of them, weren't worth the powder it'd take to blow them away. They were already street thugs. |
| Posted by: Fred 2005-09-17 20:05 |
| #6 I bet if they studied blacks that were born outside the US with those born inside they would find that the immigrants do far better than their American "Cousins." That's because they are programmed to feel like second class citizens by the "Black Leadership" in this country. EX: Colin Powell. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2005-09-17 19:38 |
| #5 "American" and "other" should be the only two available responses |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-09-17 15:30 |
| #4 A lot of PC organizations have a box for "Native American." Since I was born here, that's what I always check. Unfortunately, official Federal government forms usually say "American Indian." |
| Posted by: Jackal 2005-09-17 14:25 |
| #3 I absolutly refuse to answer that or check any box dealing with race.The few times people have tried to coerce me into filling that type of question out my next words were to the effect of"My race,religion,etc.it has absolutly no bearing on this.It shouldn't even be allowed to be asked.If you try to force me to fill it out I will sue your as tomorrow." |
| Posted by: raptor 2005-09-17 14:21 |
| #2 Good on 'em! Personally, I object to marking the "white" box on racist questionairres. I'm a proud European-American of British and Russian descent! "White" feels like an insulting generalization. |
| Posted by: Scooter McGruder 2005-09-17 13:06 |
| #1 Cause they despise the ghetto thug mentality. Ironically, they won't let their daughters date the current crop of raprican Americans. |
| Posted by: Andy 2005-09-17 10:40 |