Ghanaian American
Encyclopedia
Ghanaian Americans are citizens of the United States
who are of Ghanaian heritage or were born in Ghana and immigrated to the United States of America.
were brought as slaves. Typically, the product of wars, many slaves were sold people to Europeans, although West African slavery was much different from American chattel slavery. Although slaves came from a number of locations on the African continent, the likelihood of an African-American or any Black person from the diaspora having at least some ancestry in Ghana is relatively high.
era. Ghanaians such as Kwame Nkrumah
were taught at American universities and worked with black American leaders for the rights of Black People
worldwide. Notable African American intellectuals and activists such as W. E. B. Du Bois and Malcolm X
used early Ghana as a symbol of black achievement. Most of the early Ghanaian immigrants planned on using the education acquired in the United States to better Ghana
; Detroit; Washington, D.C.
; The Bronx in New York City
; Newark, New Jersey
; Providence, Rhode Island
; Worcester, Massachusetts
; Columbus, Ohio
, and Maryland
among others.
Ghanaian immigrants arrive with educational statistics similar to Nigerian Americans and other relatively successful African Immigrants. This is attributable to Ghana's coastal location and British colonization which created an English speaking school system. Although the numbers are small, Ghanaians are well represented in universities across the country. Schools such as Cornell, the University of Pennsylvania
, and Stanford University
have groups specifically devoted to Ghanaian students, in addition to general African student associations.
While educational attainment is high in the Ghanaian American community, success is not immediate. Although the most recent arrivals come with the U.S. government's stipulation that they must attend university, many find jobs such as driving taxicabs as supplemental income. However, as with other African Immigrant groups, social mobility among Ghanaian Americans is higher than black Americans. Ghanaians typically live in less segregated areas and move to more suburban locations as their income rises.
As the flow of immigrants from Ghana continues, more Ghanaians are seeking to stay in the United States. This is frequently criticized because the immigration of skilled, educated Ghanaians creates a brain drain in their home country. Many of the newest Ghanaians in American universities are not new arrivals, but the children of established Ghanaian Americans in the United States. Ghanaians in the United States do contribute millions of dollars in remittances
and within time may become more directly involved in investing in Ghanaian companies.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
who are of Ghanaian heritage or were born in Ghana and immigrated to the United States of America.
Early history
The first people to arrive from the region then known as the Gold CoastGold Coast (region)
The Gold Coast was the region of West Africa which is now the nation of Ghana. Early uses of the term refer literally to the coast and not the interior. It was not until the 19th century that the term came to refer to areas that are far from the coast...
were brought as slaves. Typically, the product of wars, many slaves were sold people to Europeans, although West African slavery was much different from American chattel slavery. Although slaves came from a number of locations on the African continent, the likelihood of an African-American or any Black person from the diaspora having at least some ancestry in Ghana is relatively high.
Civil rights
Ghanaians began arriving in the United States en masse during the 1950s and 1960s amid the Civil Rights and anti-ImperialismImperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
era. Ghanaians such as Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
were taught at American universities and worked with black American leaders for the rights of Black People
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
worldwide. Notable African American intellectuals and activists such as W. E. B. Du Bois and Malcolm X
Malcolm X
Malcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
used early Ghana as a symbol of black achievement. Most of the early Ghanaian immigrants planned on using the education acquired in the United States to better Ghana
Education
African immigrants in general have the highest educational attainment of any immigrant group in the United States, with higher levels of completed education than Asian Americans, who have been stereotyped as a model minority. It is not only the first generation that performs well, as estimates indicate that a disproportionate percentage of black students at elite universities are immigrants or children of immigrants. Harvard University, for example, has estimated that more than one-third of its black student body consists of recent immigrants or their children. Other top universities, such as Yale, Princeton, Penn, Columbia, Duke and Berkeley, report a similar pattern.[6]Modern immigrants
According to the 2000 Census there are 86,918 Ghanaian Americans living in the United States. Cities with large populations include (in order of size): Atlanta; ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
; Detroit; Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
; The Bronx in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
; Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
; Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
; Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
; Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, and Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
among others.
Ghanaian immigrants arrive with educational statistics similar to Nigerian Americans and other relatively successful African Immigrants. This is attributable to Ghana's coastal location and British colonization which created an English speaking school system. Although the numbers are small, Ghanaians are well represented in universities across the country. Schools such as Cornell, the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, and Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
have groups specifically devoted to Ghanaian students, in addition to general African student associations.
While educational attainment is high in the Ghanaian American community, success is not immediate. Although the most recent arrivals come with the U.S. government's stipulation that they must attend university, many find jobs such as driving taxicabs as supplemental income. However, as with other African Immigrant groups, social mobility among Ghanaian Americans is higher than black Americans. Ghanaians typically live in less segregated areas and move to more suburban locations as their income rises.
As the flow of immigrants from Ghana continues, more Ghanaians are seeking to stay in the United States. This is frequently criticized because the immigration of skilled, educated Ghanaians creates a brain drain in their home country. Many of the newest Ghanaians in American universities are not new arrivals, but the children of established Ghanaian Americans in the United States. Ghanaians in the United States do contribute millions of dollars in remittances
Remittances
A remittance is a transfer of money by a foreign worker to his or her home country. Note that in 19th century usage a remittance man was someone exiled overseas and sent an allowance on condition that he not return home....
and within time may become more directly involved in investing in Ghanaian companies.
Notable Ghanaian Americans
- Joseph AddaiJoseph AddaiJoseph Addai, Jr. is an American football running back for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University.-Early years:Addai's family hails from Ghana in West Africa...
- Freddy AduFreddy AduFredua Koranteng "Freddy" Adu is a Ghanaian-born American soccer player who currently plays for Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer. He plays primarily as an attacking midfielder, but he is also used as a winger or forward....
- Kwame Anthony AppiahKwame Anthony AppiahKwame Anthony Appiah is a Ghanaian-British-American philosopher, cultural theorist, and novelist whose interests include political and moral theory, the philosophy of language and mind, and African intellectual history. Kwame Anthony Appiah grew up in Ghana and earned a Ph.D. at Cambridge...
- Chris Arthur Jr
- Larry AsanteLarry AsanteLarry Asante is an American football safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
- Rhian BensonRhian BensonRhiannon Afua "Rhian" Benson is a Ghanaian soul and jazz singer, songwriter, and composer.-Early life:Benson was born in Accra, Ghana to a Welsh mother, who was a singer, and an Ashanti father, who was a guitarist, and she has a younger sister.She was raised in Ghana, India, where her family moved...
- Michael BlacksonMichael BlacksonMichael Blackson is Ghanaian-American actor and comedian. He uses his Ghanaian and American life experiences in his stand up comedy routine in a slight Ghanaian accent...
- Joshua ClotteyJoshua ClotteyJoshua Clottey is a Ghanaian professional boxer. Born in Accra, Ghana, Clottey now lives in the Bronx, New York. He is the former IBF welterweight champion. He's also the brother of veteran boxers Judas Clottey and Emmanuel Clottey....
- Jaye DavidsonJaye DavidsonJaye Davidson is an American-British former actor and model. He is best known for his roles as transgender "Dil" in the 1992 suspense-drama thriller film The Crying Game, for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, making him the first Black British actor...
- Richard Lokko Awansi
- Ebenezer EkubanEbenezer EkubanEbenezer Ekuban, Jr. is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Dallas Cowboys 20th overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
- Nana GbewonyoNana GbewonyoNana Gbewonyo is an actor who played the role of Junior Battle in the film Coach Carter that was released in January 2005. He was born in Accra, Ghana, but moved to California when he was three with his parents. He played college basketball for Washburn University in Kansas and Henderson State...
- Kofi KingstonKofi KingstonKofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah , is a Ghanaian American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kofi Kingston. He is currently signed to WWE and works on its Raw brand where he is one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with Evan Bourne as Air Boom...
- Boris KodjoeBoris KodjoeBoris Frederic Cecil Tay-Natey Ofuatey-Kodjoe , better known as Boris Kodjoe, is an Austrian-born German actor and former fashion model who works primarily in the United States...
- Samuel Koranteng-PipimSamuel Koranteng-PipimSamuel Koranteng Pipim is a US-based Ghanaian author, speaker, and theologian. Trained in engineering and systematic theology, he based his office in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where, up until 2011, he ministered to students, faculty, and staff at the University of Michigan. He has authored and...
- Nana KuffourNana KuffourMohammed Tuah Khamis is a Ghanaian-American soccer player.- Career :Kuffour was signed by D.C. United as a developmental player during the 2004 season, after having immigrated to the United States from Ghana and receiving citizenship. Before playing for United, Kuffour most recently played for...
- Peter MensahPeter MensahPeter Mensah , is an English/Ghanaian actor, best known for his roles in Tears of the Sun and 300, and more recently on the Starz original series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand and Spartacus: Gods of the Arena.-Early life:Mensah comes from an academic family...
- Nazr MohammedNazr MohammedNazr Tahiru Mohammed [NAW-zee] is an American professional basketball player with the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder. He plays the center position. He is 6 ft 10 in and 250 lb...
- Prince NanaPrince NanaPrince Nana Osei Bandoh is an American professional wrestler of Ghanaian extraction, better known by his ring name, Prince Nana. He has stated that he is an Ashanti prince.-Professional wrestling career:...
- William Chapman NyahoWilliam Chapman NyahoWilliam H. Chapman Nyaho is a Ghanaian American concert pianist specializing in solo piano music by composers from Africa and the African diaspora....
- Charlie PeprahCharlie PeprahCharles Yaw "Charlie" Peprah is an American football safety for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the 5th round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
- Clint SintimClint Sintim-New York Giants:Sintim was drafted in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the New York Giants on April 25, 2009. On July 30, the Giants announced that they had signed Sintim to the roster. Eventually, he is expected to replace the Danny Clark/Bryan Kehl linebacker position. Sintim made his...
- Robbie RussellRobbie Russell (soccer)Robbie Russell is a Ghanaian-born American soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-College:...
- Jeremy ZuttahJeremy ZuttahJeremy Kwasi Zuttah is an American football offensive lineman for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Rutgers....
| Ancestry | 1990 | 1990% of US population | 2000 | 2000% of US population | Percent change from 1990 to 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Nigerian |
35,300 | negligible (no data) | 165,481 | negligible (no data) | 368.8% |
 EthiopianEthiopian American Ethiopian Americans are Americans of Ethiopian descent as well as those of American and Ethiopian ancestry.- History :The first known Ethiopians visited America in 1808, when merchants from Ethiopia arrived at New York’s famous Wall Street.... |
27,200 | negligible (no data) | 86,918 | negligible (no data) | 219.6% |
 Ghanaian |
14,900 | negligible (no data) | 49,944 | negligible (no data) | 235.2% |
 South AfricaSouth Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
15,690 | negligible (no data) | 45,569 | negligible (no data) | 190.4% |
 LesothoLesotho Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name... |
1 | negligible (no data) | 3 | negligible (no data) | 200% |
| Other Other The Other or Constitutive Other is a key concept in continental philosophy; it opposes the Same. The Other refers, or attempts to refer, to that which is Other than the initial concept being considered... |
136,910 | negligible (no data) | 292,088 | negligible (no data) | 113.3% |
| TOTAL | 230,000 | 0.1% | 640,000 | 0.2% | 166.9% |
See also
- Ghanaian British
- African immigrants to the United States
- GhanaGhanaGhana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...