There are three ways to think about the recent immigrant experience in the United States:
1. Multiple Cultural Identities: While there is a tendency to think about racial and ethnic groups as having a single identity, the reality is that these groups are juggling multiple social and cultural identities simultaneously. Ethnicity, which is characterized by societal cultural groups, does not always coincide with Nationality, which is characterized by identities that are linked to a particular political state of origin. A political state, (The Federal Republic of Nigeria) may contain multiple societies (Yoruba, Fulani/Hausa, and Igbo, to name just three). This picture is further complicated by religious diversity (Islam, Christianity, and Yurubo/Irunmole spirituality). Therefore, it is an over-simplification to think only in terms of “Nigerian immigrants to America.”
2. Economic Opportunity and Social Change: Frequently the experiences of immigrant populations are discussed in terms of the economic motivation for their odyssey. In a republic, however, one quickly finds that one’s relationship to society is not simply economic, but also political. In fact, even if one wants to function as a purely “economic animal” one discovers that protection and promotion of civic rights and responsibilities is essential to protect one’s economic well-being. Economic opportunity, therefore, cannot be the only narrative in the immigrant story; there invariably follows the narrative of promoting social justice. It would be an over-simplification to think about recent immigrants exclusively through the lens of their pursuit of economic opportunity. As has always been the case with immigrant populations, throughout American history, their presence will have an impact on US domestic and foreign policy.
3. Voluntary and Involuntary Minority Status: A minority, is not a minority, is not a minority. There are different types of minority status in the United States. This is true in other multi-racial and multi-ethnic societies. Some populations became minorities voluntarily, through immigration, others became minorities involuntarily, through conquest or slavery. The historical frame-of-reference of each group is different, and this difference can cause tension between them. Members of voluntary minority groups may believe that members of involuntary groups lack motivation to take full advantage of the benefits that are available to them. Members of involuntary minority groups may see members of voluntary groups as being ungrateful beneficiaries of years of struggle to open the host society up so that they could enjoy the very opportunities that they seem to take for granted. Therefore, it would be an over-simplification to conflate the experiences and perspectives of immigrant populations with those of other minorities in the United States, particularly African Americans, prior to the recent wave of black immigration, First Americans (American Indians), and many Hispanics.
In the short trailer above for the video Neo-African Americans the interviewees touch on these topics. They discuss the multiple cultural identities of recent black immigrants; the motivation to come to the United States for economic opportunity versus the commitment to social change; and the difference between voluntary and involuntary minority status, all of which help to illustrate the complex relationships that characterize the new African American population in their adopted land.
C. Matthew Hawkins
Also of interest: How Recent Immigrants Have Changed African American Narratives; Linking Cultures and Transcending Labels; and Three Populations Most Likely to Embrace “Post-Blackness.”
postblackhistory 