Immigrants and African Americans

Abstract

We examine how recent immigration to the United States has affected African Americans. We first review the research on the growing diversity within the black population, driven largely by the presence of black immigrants from the Caribbean and Continental Africa. As their children and grandchildren come of age, relations between immigrants and African Americans are complicated by the fact that a growing portion of the African American community has origins in both groups. We then describe the growing ethnic heterogeneity of the black population in the U.S. Reviewing literature on both new destinations and established gateway cities, we illustrate the patterns of cooperation, competition and avoidance between immigrants of diverse races and African Americans in neighborhoods, the labor market and politics. Finally, we explore the implications of the population’s increasing racial diversity owing to immigration for policies aiming to promote racial equality, but that are framed in terms of “diversity.”

Keywords: Black Immigrants; Intergroup Relations; New Destinations; Diversity