Africans in the diaspora: Contrasting international immigration. A study of West African immigrants in the Baltimore /Washington area

This study examines West African immigrants in the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area. Specifically, the study investigates the relationships among selected demographic factors, such as education, marital status, and income, of West African immigrants in the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area. In addition, the preferred attitudes and beliefs of the respondents are investigated. To my knowledge, no epidemiological study of the West African immigrant in the United States has been published. Most studies have been limited to examining the African immigrant in the United States in general. An instrument developed by the researcher was utilized for the West African immigrants participating in the investigation. A questionnaire inventory was used to assess West African immigrants' attitudes and beliefs. The questionnaire was administered to 82 respondents from West African countries residing in the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics to examine the relationships among attitude, behavior, and belief. Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was used to determine the relationships between attitude, behavior, and belief among the West African immigrants in the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area. Based on the results of this study, the following conclusions seemed justified: (1) The West African immigrant is expected to experience prejudice in the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area; (2) The West African immigrant residing in the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area has experienced discrimination that seems to be expressed through different behaviors and attitudes; (3) Most West African immigrants seem to express their desire to return to their home country; (4) The West African immigrants seem to have assimilated into the American culture, yet continue to hold on to their various West African cultural backgrounds; (5) The West African immigrants' experiences in the United States suggest that there are unique factors that help explain the immigrants' experiencing of discrimination and prejudice in the Baltimore/Washington communities; and (6) The present dissertation indicates that certain social, economic, and political trends over the past four decades have resulted in a growing differential in achievement of the so-called economic immigrants of the 1990s and the earlier immigrants of the 60s, 70s and 80s. The economic immigrant has achieved greater socioeconomic status and has attempted to assimilate into mainstream America.