The New African Diaspora in the United States

Fast growing in population, African immigrants in the United States have become a significant force, to the point that the idea of a new African diaspora is now a reality. This thriving community has opened new arenas of scholarly discourse on Black Atlantic history beyond the trans-Atlantic slave trade and its legacies. This book investigates the complex dynamic forces that have shaped, and continue to shape, this new diaspora. In eleven original essays, the volume examines pertinent themes, such as: immigration, integration dilemmas, identity construction, brain drain, remittances, expanding African religious space, and how these dynamics impact and intersect with the African homeland. With contributors from both sides of the Atlantic that represent a diverse range of academic disciplines, this book offers a broad perspective on emerging themes in contemporary African diasporan experiences. The book will be of interest to scholars and students of African and African-American Studies, Sociology, and History.

Introduction Adebayo Oyebade and Toyin Falola Part I: Historical and Conceptual Perspective 1. Pan-Africanisms and the Integration of Continental and Diaspora Africans, Victor Iyanya Part II. Continental Expressions and Diasporan Identities 2. The Young Igbo Diaspora in the United States, Uchenna Onuzulike 3. African Immigrants and their Churches, Adebayo Oyebade 4. The Making of the Liberian Diasporas and the Challenges of Postwar Reconstruction, Chris Agoha 5. Exploring the Transformative Effects of Policy Among African Diaspora Voters, Karen Okhoya-Inyanji 6. Contemporary Migrations of Nigerians to the United States, Joseph O. Akinbi Part III: The Diaspora and Continental Ramifications 7. The Remittance Objectives of Second-Generation Ghanaian-Americans, Kirstie Kwarteng 8. The Diaspora and the Leadership Challenge in Nigeria, Silk Ugwu Ogbu 9. The Role of the Diaspora in Strengthening Democratic Governance in Africa, Kenneth Nweke and Vincent Nyewusira 10. The Visa Lottery Versus Brain Drain: The impact of the African Diaspora on Vocational Artisanship, Tajudeen Adewumi Adebisi 11. Revisiting Africa’s Brain Drain and the Diaspora Option, Gashawbeza W. Bekele

Toyin Falola is the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair Professor in the Humanities and a Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, US. Adebayo Oyebade is Professor of History atTennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee, US.