Africans living the American dream

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: BBC

The BBC's African Perspective programme is investigating what life is like for some of an estimated 20 million Africans who live in the diaspora.
On the eve of an election that may see a president with Kenyan roots in the White House, Miriam Quansah meets some African students in the United States to find out what drives them.
It is said that Africans studying in the US tend to be highly motivated, with educated parents and do extremely well.

Dr Camille Charles of the University of Pennsylvania studied the experiences of immigrant students in the US by examining students at 28 selective colleges and universities, including several "Ivy League" institutions like Princeton, Yale, University of Pennsylvania.

She explains: "We found that roughly half of the black student population are immigrants or second-generation immigrants; and a good percentage being from the continent of Africa, mainly from Ghana and Nigeria.

"This group is about 6% of the US's total black population. But of this group, roughly half of them end up in the most selective colleges and universities, so they are really successful in this regard."



Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7705747.stm

[qwlauren35]

1. When I was in New York...

I noticed a similar phenomenon among Afro-Caribbean immigrants, especially 2nd generation. Their parents worked so hard to get them into a top-league school, and they were NOT going to mess it up. One of my close friends got an MS and started his own business, another became a PhD college professor.

In contrast, so many of us who weren't from immigrant families didn't have that same type of push. I think our parents were saying the same thing, but there wasn't that cultural level of respect that made one OBEY the wisdom of parents and grandparents, and live up to their expectations, no matter what.

Yes, it takes a village... but part of the strength of the village is how it reinforces the importance of the elders, and gives the "child" motivation to respect them.

The American culture of individualism doesn't tend to "support" the village elder concept. And it saddens me. I wish we could blend them better.

[aquart]

2. Like Issa, our computer guy, whose wife just had their first baby.

Works his ass off, that man.