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| Notables (U.S.): Oprah Winfrey · Chris Gbandi · Katerina Graham · Mohamed Massaquoi |
| Total population |
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| More of 100,000 |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Mainly Rhode Island (state) and New York, Washington, D.C. (cities) |
| Languages |
| Religion |
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Most Christian (Lutheran · Episcopal · Methodist · Baptist · Catholic) · and minority Muslim. |
| Related ethnic groups |
Liberian Americans are American citizens who are of Liberian descent. This includes Liberians who are of African American descent. It also includes the descendants of Americo-Liberian people in America. Immigration to the United States by Liberians began after the First Liberian Civil War in the 1980s and after the Second Liberian Civil War in the early 2000s. An estimated 100,000 Liberians live in the U.S. as of this time. The diplomatic relationship between Liberia and the USA goes back over 150 years since Liberia's foundation by returning African slaves freed by abolitionist societies whom set aside land for the freedmen and paved the way to its' independence. [1]
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The first people from the regions that form currently Liberia that emigrated to United States, were slaves imported there since the XVII to XIX. Thus, were imported many people from Liberian peoples such as the Vai and, perhaps, the Mandinga. Many of them were imported by South Carolina and Georgia planters.[2] However, in the first half of the nineteenth century, with the abolition of slavery in the United States, many slaves (probably of differents Africans origins) returned to Africa, settling in West Africa and founding Liberia (integrating regions populated already since before of arrived of Afro American). Thus, the Liberian migration in the United States not touched again until the twentieth century. In this moment, the first Liberian that came to United States, settled in this country already in the first half of the this century. However, in this moment, only several hundred of Liberians immigrated to the United States, a very small number compared with the people who emigrated from Europe, Asia and Latin America. Also in the 50's and 60 migrated hundreds of Liberian to the United States (232 and 569 respectively). It was not until 1970s when there was a considerable immigration of liberia, which amounted to 2.081 people. This low immigration was caused, probably because Liberia had one of the most stable democracies and prosperous economies in Africa up until the military coup happened in this country in 1980.[3]
When developing the First Liberian Civil War (1989-96), emigrated thousands of Liberian to the United States, becoming the first wave of migration from Liberia to that country. So, from 1990 through 1997, the INS reported 13,458 Liberians fled to the United States and that lived there permanently. During these years, there were also tens of thousands who sought temporary refuge in the United States. In fact, in 1991 alone, the INS guaranteed Temporary Protective Status (TPS) to approximately 9,000 Liberians in the United States. [3] However, still after the war, more than 6,000 Liberians moved to Providence, Rhode Island. About 10,000 other Liberians settled across the U.S. and most of them decided to stay after the war ended.[4] Although the INS revoked the status in 1997 following national elections in Liberia, many of these Liberian Americans refused return back to Liberia. As of mid-1999, the U.S. Congress decided to give the legislation to give the Liberian refugees permanent status in the United States. [3]
After the Second Liberian Civil War (1999-2003), large numbers of Liberians settled in Rhode Island, Virginia, Georgia and Minnesota. By 2010, Liberians established another sizable community in California primarily in West Los Angeles and San Francisco-Oakland.[5]
Liberian American organizations estimate there are between 250,000 and 500,000 Liberians living now in the United States. This figure including to Liberians resident in the country that have a temporary status, and to American of Liberian descent. The metropolitan areas with the largest Liberian immigrant populations in the United States are New York and Washington, D.C.; other cities with significant numbers of Liberians include Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Fort Worth, Texas, Hartford, Connecticut, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, Oakland, California and Philadelphia.[3] However, it is thought Rhode Island (specifically Providence) is the state with the largest Liberian population in the country, about 0.4% of the city's population (est. 200,000) are of Liberian ancestry.
The Most of Liberian American live in the east of United States (New York, New Jersey, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina). While that most Liberian Americans living on the west coast, live in California, especially in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland y Stockton. In fact, the Liberian Community Foundation in Vallejo, California, estimated that about 4,000 Liberians living in Northern California. Meanwhile, the Liberian Community Association of Southern California, estimates that another 2,000 Liberian Americans live in Southern California.
Many of the Liberian have formed families in United States, but some still have vow to return to his country once the political and social situation stabilizes, which, however, according to the president of the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas, Joseph D. Z. Korto, it seems unlikely to happen in a "near future". [3]
That Despite the variety of languages of Liberia (where English, official language of the country, is spoken by the 20% of the population), the majority of Liberians in the United States speak English. kru is the most native widely spoken Liberian language in the United States. Another language spoken by some Liberian Americans is Gullah, a Creole language, influenced by from the Gola ethnic group of Liberia. It speak in small group of people in the Carolina Sea Islands and middle Atlantic coast of the United States. The majority of Liberian American (unlike the people of Liberia, who are predominantly of African cultures) are Christian, while a much smaller number is Muslim. Christian Liberians have numerous denominations, including Lutheran, Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist and Catholic. [3]
Liberian Americans are actively involved in lobbying the federal government, supporting freedom and democracy in Liberia. They also have organizations that support various issues affecting Liberia, such as humanitarian assistance, wildlife and nature preservation, and women's rights. [3]
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