Malian American
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| Total population | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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1,790 (2000 US Census) 6,000 (Malian-born, 2008-2012; American Community Survey Briefs) |
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| Regions with significant populations | ||||
| Mainly New York City, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Chicago, and Baltimore | ||||
| Languages | ||||
| Religion | ||||
| Islam | ||||
| Related ethnic groups | ||||
| Ivorian American, Guinean American, Senegalese American | ||||
Malian Americans are people with ancestry originating in Mali. According to the US Census Bureau ancestry survey, approximately 1,800 Americans stated they had Malian ancestry, making them Malian Americans. The survey did not take into account illegal immigrants or people who did not participate in the survey, which could mean that many more uncounted Malians live throughout the United States.
The first Malians who migrated to the United States were mainly Mandinkas slaves, a Muslim ethnic group descended from the Mali Empire (1230s–1600s), who scattered throughout West Africa through the empire's expansion. They were exported to the United States as slaves during the 17th through 19th centuries. In Louisiana, the non-Muslim Bambara from Mali were a large group. Non-Muslim people from India were included as well. The African slaves were often captured as a result of conflicts with other African ethnic groups. They were then enslaved by the winner of the conflict, and subsequently sold to European and American slave traders on the African shores.
After the abolition of slavery in the United States in 1865, few Malians immigrated to the United States until the 20th century. The first voluntary wave of Malian migration occurred in the 1970s and 1980s due to disasters.
It was not until the 1990s that the largest wave of Malian immigrants arrived in the United States. At that time, the majority of Malian immigrants to the U.S. and Europe were escaping poverty and famine, and political unrest, in their country. At the beginning of the decade, most Malians who immigrated to New York were Malian musicians and Dioula (traders). In New York, they sought new markets to sell their products. Over time, they moved to other cities including Chicago, Seattle and Philadelphia. As a result of these migrations, Chicago became one of the major cities in the United States with a Malian community. In addition, many Malians who immigrated during this decade were women who came to New York and Washington DC, in pursuit of economic and educational opportunities. In addition, a small group of graduate students, studying under government-sponsored scholarships, moved to the US, along with family members using the lottery system to obtain green cards. Roughly 3,500 Malians enter the United States each year on temporary visas, but only about 85 Malians actually become US citizens each year. Some Malian immigrants, mainly women seeking refuge from the widespread practice of female genital mutilation in West Africa, also seek to gain asylum.
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Wikipedia