Black Immigrants More Successful Than Black Americans

Socioeconomics

Black people who come to the United States from the Caribbean and Africa earn more money and attain a higher education level than Blacks who were born here (African Americans), according to the report "Black Diversity in Metropolitan America." The report, published by researchers at the State University of New York at Albany, found that Afro-Caribbeans stayed in school an average of 12.8 years, compared with 12.5 for Black Americans. African immigrants stayed in school an average of 14.5 years, higher than the level for Whites and Asians, who stayed in school an average of 13.5 and 13.9 years, respectively. The report also found that Blacks from other countries earned more than African Americans. Nearly 70 percent of Afro-Caribbeans earned a median household income of $40,000, compared to $33,500 for African Americans. The median household income for African immigrants was $40,300. Hispanic median household income was $37,600 and for Asians it was $64,000. Whites had a median income of $52,000. African Americans also had the highest unemployment of all Black people at 9.9 percent. The unemployment rate for Afro-Caribbeans was 7.3 percent and for African immigrants, 5.1 percent.

Copyright Crisis Publishing Company, Incorporated May/Jun 2003
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved