New American Africans Believe they are Superior to Native Born African-Americans (who knew!)

Over the years, while writing at Refugee Resettlement Watch, an article would come my way that hinted at the problems within the African “community”  between the new African immigrants and our own African-Americans.

(Resettlement contractors loved to place the new Africans in predominantly African-American neighborhoods with, I suppose, the naive notion that since they are all blacks they would love and embrace each other!)

If there were tensions, it was always just hinted (or immediately swept under the rug if a reporter dared mention it) and I suspect that is because it goes against the narrative—how is it possible for a black immigrant to be bigoted against another black person?

Everyone knows only white people can be racists and bigots, right?

Much to my surprise here is an opinion piece at MinnPost published a few days ago by second generation Ethiopian immigrant Eskender A. Yousuf.

It took me a few minutes of reading and rereading to understand that he is basically saying that the new immigrant Africans look upon African-Americans, who have been here for generations, as riff-raff, inferior to the real Africans newly arrived.

What is going on, two big admissions in the space of a week about problems in the Minnesota immigrant “community.”

Don’t miss my post at RRW about how Somali culture dictates that women can be treated with abuse.

Police outside of Minneapolis South High in 2013. “The recent brawl at South High School in Minneapolis is said to have, at least partially, been caused by friction between Somali and African American communities.” https://www.mprnews.org/story/2013/02/25/daily-circuit-south-high-somali-african-american-tension

A call to address anti-Blackness within African immigrant communities

“I was on a recent conference call helping an organization put a statement together and this Sudanese brother says, ‘I don’t understand this Black Lives Matter stuff, I have never felt racism in this country.’

You know, I’m just letting people have it now … we [African-Americans] can sniff out anti-Blackness right when we step in the room, wherever we are. … I have never felt welcomed or comfortable in any African immigrant establishment in Minnesota.”

These words come from a recent conversation I had with a close connection of mine.

Eskender A. Yousuf.  I’m guessing the Leftists in MN are not too happy with Mr. Yousuf’s admission!

This was nothing short of our regular conversations and check-ins; however, this time it felt different. With the wake of the current racial uprisings, it provoked me to publicly call attention this issue.

As a second-generation Ethiopian immigrant who is ethnically Oromo, I was born and raised in the Twin Cities. I never imagined that the place I call home would become the epicenter of historic racial uprisings and protests that sparked a fire across the world.

Stood in solidarity

Amongst the sea of protesters that stood in solidarity in the streets of Minneapolis in the wake of George Floyd’s death were 1.5 and second-generation African immigrants (1.5 generation immigrants refer to those who came to America before they reached 12 years old; second-generation immigrants refer to those who were born in America).

Minneapolis, in fact, is home to a diverse population of racially Black individuals and a large fraction of them are African immigrants and refugees. We have the largest population of Somali immigrants, a vast number of Ethiopians, as well as immigrants from other African countries like Eritrea, Sudan, Liberia, and Nigeria. While African immigrant communities showed up in large numbers to protest police brutality and racial injustices, an oft-neglected nuance is the prevalence of anti-Blackness within these very communities.

The support for the Black Lives Matter movement from the African immigrant community demands that we address and correct the racist practices within our own community that are often left unquestioned.

For us to truly support the call for racial injustice, we must take the step eradicate anti-Blackness within our own communities.

Growing up in the Twin Cities, I have witnessed countless anti-Black sentiments, expressions, attitudes, and practices from close relatives and community members. Some examples include: looking down on marrying African-Americans, addressing and treating African-Americans and their communities by negative racialized stereotypes (i.e. lazy, not hardworking, criminals) and our perpetual disassociation with the African-American community in order to distinctly identify ourselves as African immigrants and not “Black/African-American.”

This identification process has been heavily documented and proved as a mechanism for us to distance ourselves from African-American communities for various reasons, including social stratification.

I didn’t want to post the whole thing, but there is more good stuff, so continue reading here.

Wouldn’t it be great if the politically incorrect Mr. Yousuf and the Sudanese “brother” he quotes made it to cable TV news.  I can dream can’t I!

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3 thoughts on “New American Africans Believe they are Superior to Native Born African-Americans (who knew!)

  1. Aren’t these “New Americans” all Islamists and here for jihad? Didn’t the UN select them on that basis? (We the People were never asked nor did we give our consent about this whole Immigration-based ethnic cleansing.) Send them all back and save money.

    1. I had worked in the Construction Trades for over 20 years.
      I’ve worked with many 1st & 2nd generation Africans.

      I’ve found them to be hardworking, intelligent, friendly, and a pleasure to work with.

      They all had an overwhelming appreciation of America, and gratitude for the chance to work in our Country.

      One 2nd generation worker once stated to me, “People have come here from all over the world, some not even speaking English, and have made a good life for themselves. Why are the blacks born here still standing with their hand out?”

      I didn’t answer him, because we both knew.

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