A study by the Bronx African American History Project (BAAHP) of Fordham University, Bronx, NY has revealed that African immigrants in the Bronx are impacting positively the economy of Bronx and the New York state as a whole.
The research revealed how African immigrants, in their quest to integrate in their new found country, take up challenging jobs and establish businesses in the Bronx, ultimately helping the economy. The Bronx by far has the largest concentration of African immigrants in the whole of the United States of America. By statistics, Ghanaians are the most numerous of these immigrants in the Bronx. “The Ghanaians work so hard,they drive the cabs,work in the hospitals,Nursing Homes and other institutions and services that support the growth of this nation.”, said Dr. Naison, the chief investigator of the project.
He intimated that the the African immigrants do all of odd jobs, but they ensure they give their children the best of education,citing an example of one of his student at Fordham University whose parents lived in the Bronx, did odd job but gave her quality education and now works with the Federal Reserve.
The African immigrants are now helping to demystify the Bronx, which hitherto was associated with violence and gangsterism, and other forms of unpleasant happening, which had led to Bronx receiving bad media publicity. “They are helping shape up the Bronx and I am excited about this. It will go in the history of the Bronx on the role African immigrants, especially Ghanaians, played in that direction.”, said Dr. Naison.
The study of African immigrants in the Bronx under the African immigration research of the BAHHP is partly funded by the Carnegie foundation and is under directorship of Dr Jane Kani Edward. “The research intends to document and analyze the life history of African immigrant, families, housing, race, relations, pattern of immigration, music, art, sports, religion, political and economic and gender issues among others.”, said Dr. Edward. So far, BAACHP has interviewed prominent Ghanaians resident in the Bronx. Most notable among them is Krontihene, a Ghanaian Hiplife superstar living in the Bronx.
The Bronx has a lot of African immigrant institutions, these include: houses of worship – churches and mosques, African owned markets, restaurants, hair salons, law firms, movie and music stores, boutiques, community organizations and other social, cultural and economic institutions.
It is amazing how the Africans perform when given a conducive platform outside the African continent. What then is our problem back home?
