Gambian Americans
Total population | |
---|---|
Regions with significant populations | |
New York, Maryland, North Carolina, Washington, Georgia, Minnesota, Texas, Kentucky[3] | |
Languages | |
American English, French, Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, Serer | |
Religion | |
Islam, Christianity[4] | |
Related ethnic groups | |
African Americans, American groups of West Africa (Senegalese, Bissau-Guinean etc.), English |
Gambian Americans are an ethnic group of Americans of Gambian descent. There are about 8000 Gambians[5] living in the United States, involving themselves in activities ranging from business and entrepreneurship to college education. Additionally, during the Atlantic slave trade, many Africans from what is now The Gambia were traded and were subsequently sold by Europeans and Americans into forced labor in the United States. Gambian immigrants arriving in the United States include members of ethnic groups such as the Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, Jola, and Serahule.
Many Gambians have emigrated to the United States since the 1970s with the goal of entering into higher education. While some of these students returned home after completing their studies, others adopted the United States as a permanent residence, attracting friends and family to the country. Locations with significant Gambian communities include
History
This section needs additional citations for verification. (May 2021) |
Atlantic slave trade
The first people from what is now The Gambia arrived to the United States as slaves during the Atlantic slave trade.
Slaves from present-day The Gambia imported to present-day United States belonged to ethnicities such as the Mandinka and Bambara people. So many slaves of the present-day Gambia were Muslims. Slaves from Senegambia staged some prominent revolts in the current United States. Thus, in 1765, while the brigantine Hope was bringing slaves from the coast of Senegal and The Gambia to Connecticut, the slaves provoked a revolt aboard of the brigantine, leveraging the murder of the captain (who had beaten several of his crewmen) for some crewmens. In the revolt, the slaves killed one crew member and wounded several others. On this day their revolt was suppressed by killing seven of them.[7]
Most of slaves from The Gambia were imported to
Modern times
The Gambians have emigrated to the United States of voluntary form, as a minimum, since the 1970s. Many of them migrated to Chicago.[4] Many Gambians have emigrated to the United States with the goal of entering higher education to which they have no access to in their native country. Many of these students returned home after completing their studies, excelling in politics and business.
Many Gambians who have set the United States as a permanent residence, have attracted friends and other family members to the United States. Gambians of United States exert jobs such as accounting, education, medicine and
Tradition
Food
Gambian Americans tend to carry traditions from The Gambia to their homes in the US. Some of the most notable include traditional food, traditional attire and other traditional practices. The most common dishes served in Gambian homes is Benachin (Jollof Rice), Domoda, Chew, Supa Kanja, Plasas, Yassa, Afra etc. Most of these dishes share common ingredients such as rice, fish, tomatoes, cooking oil, onions, peppers and different herbs.[12]
Traditional Attire
Despite living in the US, Gambians maintain and shows its heritage and traditions in different ways, that includes traditional attire. Gambians in the US are usually recognized by their vibrant traditional outfits made out of vibrant 100% cotton textiles. Gambians are mostly Muslims and due to its Islamic influence, traditional wears are mostly covering from head to toes including long sleeves for women and neck to toes for men.[13]
Some of the most notable Gambian attires for both men and women include Grand mbubu, Kaftan.
Organizations
Some of the Gambian organizations more highlights in United States are: The Gambian American Association, United Gambians Association and Gambia Association of Chicago.
The Gambian American Association (GAA) was established in
It is also remarkable the United Gambians Association (UGA). This organization, not-for-profit, non-political and non-religious, work with Gambian immigrants, their children, families, schools and communities in the U.S. UGA is engaged in activities such as strengthening of ties in the Gambian community in exile, helping Gambian immigrants and facilitate their integration into American society and the voluntary contribution, both in The Gambia and the U.S., areas such as
The Gambia Association of Chicago was founded in 1998 to promote mutual aid and strengthen the bonds of the Gambian community in that city. The organization develops monthly meetings and raises funds to support the Gambians in Chicago and his return to his homeland. In addition, this organization also organizes Midwest Gambian Associations Conference the Labor Day weekend, uniting Gambian communities from several states in the country (Gambian communities in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Washington state and Kansas) to coordinate fundraising activities and cultural, build a regional network and discuss topics of interest. Thus the Midwest Gambian Associations Conference invites prominent members of the community to talk about of the social, political and economic most important issues of Gambia. These activities are combined with lunches, dances, and a soccer tournament. In addition, the community also helps members financially when they are born, die or become ill.
Furthermore, in the 1970s, Gambian students played an important role in the formation of the African Student Union of the
Notable people
- Omar Bah
- Ousman Krubally (born 1988), American-Gambian basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Al Njie
- Charlie Davies
- Kelefa Sanneh
- Fatou Camara
- Fatou Bensouda
- Lamin Sanneh
See also
References
- ^ "Table 1. First, Second, and Total Responses to the Ancestry Question by Detailed Ancestry Code: 2000". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-05-29.
- ^ "The Foreign-Born Population From Africa: 2008–2012" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
- ^ "The Gambia: Migration in Africa's "Smiling Coast"". 15 August 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f Encyclopedia of Chicago: Gambians. Posted by Tracy Steffes.
- ^ "Policy & History". U.S. Embassy in The Gambia. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
- ^ a b The Gambian American Association (GAA)
- ^ a b Austin Meredith (2006). "The Middle Passage Traffic in Man-Body" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-06-13. Retrieved 2007-02-20.
- ^ De Senegal a Talcahuano: los esclavos de un alzamiento en la costa pacífica (1804)[permanent dead link]. - (in Spanish: From Senegal to Talcahuano: an uprising of slaves on the Pacific coast (1804)).
- ISBN 1-57806-706-5.
- ^ Uncovering African Roots. DNA Tests, New Technology Reveal African Heritage. Retrieved September 8, 2012, to 16:45 om.
- ^ Alex Haley, "Black history, oral history, and genealogy", pp. 9-19, at p. 18.
- ^ Banda, Rajaa (19 November 2017). "14 Mouthwatering West African Dishes You Need to Try". Culture Trip. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
- ^ Sep 15; Textiles, 2020 | Global; Articles, Textile (2020-09-15). "GAMBIA". TEXTILE VALUE CHAIN. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ United Gambians Association (UGA).