Africa : Who is keeping Africans away from coming back home to the Bronx?

dustyelbow

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Oct 25, 2005
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Now dealing with cultural, class, religious, and racial problems is one thing but to do it ALONE because of a specific department of the United States govt. Immigration service and since its "Black History Month" at least some of us can pick up on this through the media. Even those of the "greater society" can see and read even if it an "affinity required".

Black History Month: Large African Population At Home In The Bronx


NY1 is marking "Black History Month" all this week by taking a look at the influence African communities are having around the five boroughs. NY1's Dean Meminger filed the following report on the Concourse section of the Bronx.

Humming along to African music Zara Sidique stocks her store – located on Morris Avenue and 165th Street in the Concourse neighborhood – with African products.

"I think it is a very good community for the Africans," she says. "There are a lot of Africans in this neighborhood and the neighborhood has been good to us."

So good that more and more Africans are not only living in this Bronx neighborhood, but they're also opening businesses.

At the So Ca Go grocery, Bangally Gakou is cutting up some lamb. He says many of the Africans in the area are related or at least knew one another before coming to New York and they want to be close to one another.

"If you have any problems, we give help to each other. That is basically why all Africans want to be together," says Gakou.

The Africans in this neighborhood are from West Africa. The majority come from the very small nation of Gambia. Others are from Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon, and they crave products and foods from their homelands. This is one reason why the number of businesses are growing– selling fufu flour, chin chin chips, african peanut butter and african spinach.

"I want some home cooking, so i can feel better for my life, you understand me," says Bronx resident Mamadou Diallo. "You can not eat the same thing all the time. You work hard, and you miss your country."

Koro beauty supplies is owned by a group of Africans. They sell hair products and lotions they know very well, all with labels seen around Africa.

Africans who have decided to open businesses in this community say it is not only other Africans supporting them but, they say, many others in the neighborhood are very interested in buying their products.

"Americans, jamaicans, spanish– everybody comes in and they buy," says one business owner.

Another sign that the areas around 165th and 167th Streets are becoming a strong hold for Africans is a Christian church on Morris Avenue that has a large African congregation run by Africans. The store front mosque, Masjid Noor Islam is just on of the Muslim houses of worship in the community.

"You can see right now out here, all of the Africans are hanging out here," says resident Drammeh Muhammad. "We don't have any problems with the neighbors- they treat us good, and we love America also."

For some it's hard to get their loved ones into America. Drammeh Muhammad and his wife arrived in New York almost twenty years ago and have had children here. But when his wife went back to West Africa to see her sick father, she was not allowed to return despite having children and a husband in the Bronx.

"A lot of people have the same situation that I do," he says.

This is a situation they're trying to fight legally against the Immigration Department, while more and more Africans are starting families here with children who will grow up able to say they are African and American.

- Dean Meminger
 
dustyelbow said:
Now dealing with cultural, class, religious, and racial problems is one thing but to do it ALONE because of a specific department of the United States govt. Immigration service and since its "Black History Month" at least some of us can pick up on this through the media. Even those of the "greater society" can see and read even if it an "affinity required".

Black History Month: Large African Population At Home In The Bronx


NY1 is marking "Black History Month" all this week by taking a look at the influence African communities are having around the five boroughs. NY1's Dean Meminger filed the following report on the Concourse section of the Bronx.

Humming along to African music Zara Sidique stocks her store – located on Morris Avenue and 165th Street in the Concourse neighborhood – with African products.

"I think it is a very good community for the Africans," she says. "There are a lot of Africans in this neighborhood and the neighborhood has been good to us."

So good that more and more Africans are not only living in this Bronx neighborhood, but they're also opening businesses.

At the So Ca Go grocery, Bangally Gakou is cutting up some lamb. He says many of the Africans in the area are related or at least knew one another before coming to New York and they want to be close to one another.

"If you have any problems, we give help to each other. That is basically why all Africans want to be together," says Gakou.

The Africans in this neighborhood are from West Africa. The majority come from the very small nation of Gambia. Others are from Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon, and they crave products and foods from their homelands. This is one reason why the number of businesses are growing– selling fufu flour, chin chin chips, african peanut butter and african spinach.

"I want some home cooking, so i can feel better for my life, you understand me," says Bronx resident Mamadou Diallo. "You can not eat the same thing all the time. You work hard, and you miss your country."

Koro beauty supplies is owned by a group of Africans. They sell hair products and lotions they know very well, all with labels seen around Africa.

Africans who have decided to open businesses in this community say it is not only other Africans supporting them but, they say, many others in the neighborhood are very interested in buying their products.

"Americans, jamaicans, spanish– everybody comes in and they buy," says one business owner.

Another sign that the areas around 165th and 167th Streets are becoming a strong hold for Africans is a Christian church on Morris Avenue that has a large African congregation run by Africans. The store front mosque, Masjid Noor Islam is just on of the Muslim houses of worship in the community.

"You can see right now out here, all of the Africans are hanging out here," says resident Drammeh Muhammad. "We don't have any problems with the neighbors- they treat us good, and we love America also."

For some it's hard to get their loved ones into America. Drammeh Muhammad and his wife arrived in New York almost twenty years ago and have had children here. But when his wife went back to West Africa to see her sick father, she was not allowed to return despite having children and a husband in the Bronx.

"A lot of people have the same situation that I do," he says.

This is a situation they're trying to fight legally against the Immigration Department, while more and more Africans are starting families here with children who will grow up able to say they are African and American.

- Dean Meminger

Dusty, this is an interesting article considering all the talk of amnesty for NON-CITIZENS/"illegal aliens" in this country... Here is a citizen who cannot get back into the country, and I don't doubt for a moment is because she is an AFRICAN... Man, these folks have us fighting on so many fronts we don't have time breathe, must less live our lives... It's ridiculous!


Peace!
Isaiah
 

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