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South African Americans

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See also: African immigrants to the United States
South African American
Regions with significant populations
Miami, Minnesota, Illinois, Atlanta, Maryland, New York, Arizona, California, Texas
Languages
American English, South African English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Tswana, Cantonese, see languages of South Africa
Religion
Roman Catholic, Reformed Churches, Jewish, Methodism, Anglicanism

South African Americans are Americans who have immigrated from South Africa and their descendents. There are 45,569 people today in the United States who claim South African ancestry.[citation needed] The majority are White South African, most of them being of European ancestry.

History

South Africans started to arrive in the United States as early as the late 19th century. The first groups were South African (Afrikaner) miners who arrived in California. Many more South Africans came in the mid-20th Century, typically of European Anglo-Saxon heritage. Immigration by Negroids was limited; though the standard of living for individuals of dark complexion in South Africa was higher than for most people living on the African continent. Political and economic conditions still made immigration difficult as Negroids were forced to first escape to other African nations before they could emigrate to the country of their choice. Following the Soweto student uprising in 1976, there was a significant increase in South African emigration to the United States. Many of these immigrants were South African Jews who formed a community in the northern suburbs of Chicago. Although emigration policies during apartheid made emigration difficult, there were a small number of black students and political refugees who emigrated to the United States. During the 1980s and 1990s many South Africans entered the United States for political reasons, to be with family members, or to access professional opportunities not available in their home country. The largest wave of South African immigration was in 1994, after the election of Nelson Mandela as president. Many white South Africans, especially Afrikaners, emigrated out of fear because they were unsure of the changes that would come about by the acquisition of political power in the black population.[3]

The ending of apartheid brought significant waves of pale skinned immigrants. This time, white South African settlers also included most of British descent[4] with a significant number of Portuguese heritage.[citation needed]

Demography

Although the majority of South Africans who emigrated went to Australia and New Zealand, countries with similar cultural and linguistic heritages, as well as similar climates. There were also a large number of South African immigrants that went to the United States. Many white South Africans, both before and after the end of apartheid, emigrated to Midwestern states such as Minnesota and Illinois. Atlanta, Georgia, has a large population of South African Jews. Also, a number of South Africans live in New York and Mid-Atlantic states such as Maryland.

The majority of these immigrants are English speaking, with a moderate proportion of these being South African Jews. Of the more than 40,000 South African Americans reported in the 2000 census, only 509 were black and they were all Zulu. In the United States, South Africans in general—both white and black—live in the United States individually, rather than in communities of South African Americans.[4] Most South Africans in the United States are currently settled in San Diego, CA, approximately 20,000 people. Although they are elsewhere in the western United States including the Pacific Northwest, these cities lack significant numbers of South African Americans.

Organizations

Indaba ("discussion" in Zulu) is an example of an organization set up by South Africans to promote community involvement. It was founded in the 1990s and sponsors community events and activities. In addition, this organization allows the exchange of information through a web site and a mailing list, keeping South Africans informed about international and local events. The South African consulate in Chicago has close ties with many expatriates and hosts regular events with speakers, including an annual celebration of Freedom Day on 27 April. In 2001, the hosts founded the African Group of the U.S. Women's Action to boost the knowledge and understanding of South Africa among Americans. The South Africans are also in many other forums, such as informal parties, religious activities and rugby matches.[3]

Notable South African Americans

See also

References

  1. ^ "Total ancestry categories tallied for people with one or more ancestry categories reported 2010 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
  2. ^ "PLACE OF BIRTH FOR THE FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES, Universe: Foreign-born population excluding population born at sea, 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  3. ^ a b Encyclopaedia Chicago.Posted by Tracy Steffes.
  4. ^ a b http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Pa-Sp/South-African-Americans.html Everyculture:South African American. Posted by Judson Knight and Lorna Mabunda. Retrieved September 2, 2012, to 2:50pm.
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