Most African immigrants experience difficulty fitting in with African Americans according to a recent survey by the U.S. African Chamber of Commerce. The relationship between African Americans and Africans needs to be explored to foster understanding and increase dialogue, says organization president Martin Mohammed. Half the survey respondents agreed that Africans are completely different from black Americans; only 9% disagreed. For more on Africans in the U.S., see “A Unique Consumer Market,†Diversity Watch, August 2009.
— 50% of African immigrants see themeselves as completely different from African Americans.
— 79% of African immigrants view themselves as African rather than American.
Racial Profiling RISING
Racial profiling by law enforcement remains a pervasive problem, but it is not just a black and white issue. It affects African American, Latino, South Asian, Arab, and Muslim communities,
according to data compiled by the American Civil Liberties Union and Rights Working Group. The data, from several states, reveals that post- 9/11 Bush-era government policies are a major cause of the disproportionate stopping and searching of racial minorities in the U.S. Despite such reports, most Americans feel that racial minorities are treated fairly by the police, according to a CBS News/The New York Times poll.46% of respondents say whites, blacks, and nonwhite Hispanics are treated equally
by police.38% of respondents say whites are treated better than blacks and nonwhite Hispanics by police.
3% of respondents say blacks and nonwhite Hispanics are treated better than whites by police.
Video On Demand More Diverse
Cable television is doing a better job of targeting content that appeals to Asian, Hispanic, and African American viewers, including that in movies, live concerts, and network shows. Comcast, Cox Communications, and Time Warner Cable are increasingly turning to video on demand to attract and retain multiethnic subscribers, reports Multichannel News. Cable operators are using a mix of fee-based and free on demand content that is ethnic and language specific, from Bollywood to black Hollywood films.
This article originally appeared in the November 2009 issue of Black Enterprise magazine.