Following historical and theoretical overview of African immigration, the heart of this book is based on oral history interviews with forty-seven of the more than twenty-two thousand Africa-born immigrants in Kentucky. From a former ambassador from Gambia, a pharmacist from South Africa, a restaurant owner from Guinea, to a certified nursing assistant from the Democratic Republic of Congo -- every immigrant has a unique and complex story of their life experiences and the decisions that led them to emigrate to the United States. The compelling narratives reveal why and how the immigrants came to the Bluegrass state -- whether it was coming voluntarily as a student or forced because of war -- and how they connect with and contribute to their home countries as well as to the US. The immigrants describe their challenges -- language, loneliness, cultural differences, credentials for employment, ignorance towards Africa, and racism -- and positive experiences such as education, job opportunities, and helpful people. One chapter focuses on family -- including interviews with the second generations -- and how the immigrants identify themselves.
| Nations Represented by African Immigrants in This Book |
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vii | |
| Series Foreword |
|
viii | |
| Preface |
|
ix | |
| Introduction: A Historical and Theoretical Overview |
|
1 | (17) |
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1 Origins: Where We Are From |
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18 | (35) |
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2 Opportunity: Why and How We Came |
|
|
53 | (32) |
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3 Struggles and Successes |
|
|
85 | (33) |
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4 Connecting and Contributing to Two Continents |
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|
118 | (26) |
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5 Family and Identity in the United States |
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144 | (19) |
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6 Transnationality in the Present and Future |
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163 | (8) |
| Acknowledgments |
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171 | (4) |
| Appendix: Suggested Oral History Interview Segments for Listening |
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175 | (4) |
| Notes |
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179 | (16) |
| Bibliography |
|
195 | (8) |
| Index |
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203 | |
Angene Wilson is professor emeritus of education at the University of Kentucky, where she was chair of the secondary social studies program from 1975 to 2004. She is the author of The Meaning of International Experience for Schools and coauthor of Social Studies and the World: Teaching Global Perspectives. Jack Wilson spent more than thirty-five years in public service, beginning as a Peace Corps administrator in Sierra Leone, Washington, DC, and Fiji, and continuing as an administrator of environmental protection programs in Ohio and Kentucky.
