West Africans in the area (Silver Spring: 2015, lawyers, neighborhoods)

[Benbo123]

I am really amazed at the number of West Africans in the area and the extent to which they dominate retail jobs in some areas. How are they able to immigrate en masse and what visas are they on? Is there some sort of exploitation of the immigration system or is it just chain migration and family reunification?

With their domination of certain jobs in the service industry, where/how do MontCo teenagers find places to work?

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by Benbo123

I am really amazed at the number of West Africans in the area and the extent to which they dominate retail jobs in some areas. How are they able to immigrate en masse and what visas are they on?

Some might be refugees from Liberia, eg this explanation: Liberian Refugees in West Africa

[bufflove]

Originally Posted by Benbo123

I am really amazed at the number of West Africans in the area and the extent to which they dominate retail jobs in some areas. How are they able to immigrate en masse and what visas are they on? Is there some sort of exploitation of the immigration system or is it just chain migration and family reunification?

With their domination of certain jobs in the service industry, where/how do MontCo teenagers find places to work?

It's hard to speak in generalizations. What area and ethnicity are you speaking of? E.g. downtown Silver Spring has a large Ethiopian population and own/run many of the small businesses in town. You can read about the history of that country, the U.S. Refugee Act, etc. if you're curious about the details of what lead to that specific example of migration.

Yes, most immigrant groups today cluster in certain regions or neighborhoods, same as immigrant groups of previous generations.

I'm not a teen today, so I wouldn't know, but the U.S. has always had a large immigrant population so it's not like this is a new phenomenon that's throwing a wrench into the previous status quo.

[CBMD]

I think the biggest single grouping of Africans in this area is not West, but East. The DC parking garage attendant biz is dominated by Christian (as opposed to Muslim) Ethiopians. A good sprinkling of cab drivers are Ethiopian too. Then 14th/U has Little Ethiopia.

[tcave360]

Originally Posted by CBMD

I think the biggest single grouping of Africans in this area is not West, but East. The DC parking garage attendant biz is dominated by Christian (as opposed to Muslim) Ethiopians. A good sprinkling of cab drivers are Ethiopian too. Then 14th/U has Little Ethiopia.

There is a large number of Ethiopians, Eritreans, Kenyans, and Tanzanians here in the DC area but there's also a good amount of West Africans too such as Nigerians (there's a LOT of them here, especially PG County), Senegalese, Ghanians, Sierra Leoneans, Cameroonians, and Liberians. There's a decent amount of Southern Africans here as well. Few metro areas in this country has a substantial amount of Continental Africans well represented.

Oh, and it's actually 9th & U that's Little Ethiopia Regardless though, there is a lot of Ethiopians and other East Africans living in U Street/Cardozo, Little Ethiopia, Shaw, LeDroit Park, and Adams Morgan.

[EdwardA]

Originally Posted by Benbo123

I am really amazed at the number of West Africans in the area and the extent to which they dominate retail jobs in some areas. How are they able to immigrate en masse and what visas are they on? Is there some sort of exploitation of the immigration system or is it just chain migration and family reunification?

With their domination of certain jobs in the service industry, where/how do MontCo teenagers find places to work?

As a child of a African immigrants can give you the low down.

1st wave: 1965-1990 mostly students, academic & people that overstayed their visas. Community is small less than 100k nationally

2nd wave 1990s-2005: Diversity lottery & refugees from Liberian & Sierra Leone wars. The Liberians are only supposed to be here temporarily but our immigration system is a joke.

3rd wave 2006- present: family reunification, more students. Colleges are really aggressive recruiting overseas now.

[EdwardA]

Originally Posted by CBMD

I think the biggest single grouping of Africans in this area is not West, but East. The DC parking garage attendant biz is dominated by Christian (as opposed to Muslim) Ethiopians. A good sprinkling of cab drivers are Ethiopian too. Then 14th/U has Little Ethiopia.

I think it's Nigeria, Ethiopia & Ghana in order of DC area population.

[EdwardA]

Originally Posted by bufflove

It's hard to speak in generalizations. What area and ethnicity are you speaking of? E.g. downtown Silver Spring has a large Ethiopian population and own/run many of the small businesses in town. You can read about the history of that country, the U.S. Refugee Act, etc. if you're curious about the details of what lead to that specific example of migration.

Yes, most immigrant groups today cluster in certain regions or neighborhoods, same as immigrant groups of previous generations.

I'm not a teen today, so I wouldn't know, but the U.S. has always had a large immigrant population so it's not like this is a new phenomenon that's throwing a wrench into the previous status quo.

Actually it is pretty new. We are experiencing the highest levels of immigration since the early 20th century. African immigration is fairly new. The Black population has historically been >99% domestic born today it's around 90% and shrinking.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/04/10...referrer=&_r=0

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by EdwardA

As a child of a African immigrants can give you the low down.

1st wave: 1965-1990 mostly students, academic & people that overstayed their visas. Community is small less than 100k nationally

2nd wave 1990s-2005: Diversity lottery & refugees from Liberian & Sierra Leone wars. The Liberians are only supposed to be here temporarily but our immigration system is a joke.

3rd wave 2006- present: family reunification, more students. Colleges are really aggressive recruiting overseas now.

Thanks for your perspective and information.

[TheJetSet]

Originally Posted by Benbo123

I am really amazed at the number of West Africans in the area and the extent to which they dominate retail jobs in some areas. How are they able to immigrate en masse and what visas are they on? Is there some sort of exploitation of the immigration system or is it just chain migration and family reunification?

With their domination of certain jobs in the service industry, where/how do MontCo teenagers find places to work?

Interesting how when it comes to African immigrants or anything African it must have a negative spin attached to it.

African immigrants are not your or MoCos problem and certainly aren't stealing jobs from Montgomery county teens. African immigrants that come here are college educated and in the upper echelon of society, they are doctors, lawyers, engineers, computer programmers and business people etc.

Ironically you would pin the blame on African immigrants when Montgomery County has an open door policy for illegal immigrants from latin America which quite frankly are non skilled labor that definitely compete against the teenage jobs you're so worried about so start a thread on that.

African immigrants aren't in this country illegally, they followed the rules and came to this country fair and square so go find some other scapegoat.