| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 95,300[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| New York metropolitan area,Minneapolis-Saint Paul,Providence, Rhode Island,Pawtucket, Rhode Island,Delaware Valley,Washington-Baltimore,Seattle,Philadelphia,Atlanta metropolitan area,Jacksonville, Florida,Columbus, Ohio,Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex,Memphis,Fargo,Charlotte metropolitan area,Des Moines,Chicagoland,Greater Boston,[2]San Diego, California,Phoenix Arizona, andHouston Texas | |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
| |
| Related ethnic groups | |
Liberian Americans are an ethnic group ofAmericans of full or partialLiberian ancestry. This can include Liberians who are descendants ofAmerico-Liberian people in America. The majority of Liberians came to theUnited States during theFirst Liberian Civil War in the 1990s and theSecond Liberian Civil War in the early 2000s.
The diplomatic relationship between Liberia and the United States goes back over 200 years to Liberia's foundation as a settlement forfree people of color andfreedmen from the United States organized by theAmerican Colonization Society in 1822.[3]
The first people that emigrated to the United States from the regions that currently form Liberia were slaves imported between the 17th and 19th centuries. Thus, many individuals can trace backgrounds to groups such as theKpelle,Kru,Gola, and, perhaps, theGio,Grebo,Bassa,Vai andMandingo. Many of them were imported byVirginia,South Carolina andGeorgia planters.[4] The children of some of these slaves gained some notability in the United States, as was the case of abolitionist, journalist, physician, and writerMartin Delany (1812 – 1885), arguably the first proponent of Americanblack nationalism and the first African-American field officer in the United States Army during theAmerican Civil War.[5]
Between 1822 and the second half of the 19th century, manyfree people of color and slaves returned to Africa, settling inWest Africa and founding Liberia (inhabiting regions already populated) under the aegis of theAmerican Colonization Society. Only several hundred Liberians immigrated to the United States in the early 20th century, a very small number compared with the people who emigrated from Europe, Asia and Latin America. This continued in the 1950s and 1960s, as only 232 and 569 Liberians immigrated to the United States in each respective decade. It was not until the 1970s that there was a considerable outmigration from Liberia, which amounted to 2,081 people. This low immigration was due to the fact that Liberia was one of the more stable democracies and economies in Africa prior to the military coup in 1980.[6]
During the 20th century few Liberian emigrated to United States; most who did were students.[7] However, during theFirst Liberian Civil War (1989–96), thousands of Liberians emigrated to the United States. From 1990 through 1997, the INS reported that 13,458 Liberians fled to the United States and lived there permanently. During these years, there were also tens of thousands who sought temporary refuge in the United States. In 1991 alone, the INS guaranteed Temporary Protective Status (TPS) to approximately 9,000 Liberians in the United States.[6]After the war, another 6,000 Liberians moved toProvidence, Rhode Island. About 10,000 other Liberians settled across the U.S. and most of them decided to stay after the war ended.[8] Although the INS revoked the TPS status in 1997 following national elections in Liberia, many of these Liberian Americans refused return to Liberia. In 1999, the U.S. Congress decided to give the Liberian refugees permanent status in the United States.[6]
After theSecond Liberian Civil War (1999–2003), large numbers of Liberians settled inRhode Island,Staten Island,Philadelphia,Virginia,Georgia andMinnesota. By 2010, Liberians established another sizable community inCalifornia, primarily inWest Los Angeles and theBay Area, includingSan Francisco andOakland, California.[9]
Liberian American organizations estimate there are between 250,000 and 500,000 Liberians living in the United States. This figure includes Liberian residents that have a temporary status, and American of Liberian descent.
As of 2017, an estimated 4,700 Liberian-Americans live in theFargo, North Dakota area.[10] Other cities with large Liberian populations includeBrooklyn Park, MN,Minneapolis, MN,St. Paul, MN,Brooklyn Center, MNProvidence, RI,Pawtucket, RI,Staten Island, NY,the Bronx, NY.Newark, NJTrenton, NJ,Morrisville, PA,Southwest Philadelphia,Darby, PA,Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania,Folcroft, PA,Sharon Hill, PA,Baltimore, MD,Silver Spring, MD,Gaithersburg, MD,Johnson City, TN,Charlotte, NC,Lawrenceville, GA,Jacksonville, FL,Des Moines, IA,Sioux Falls, SD,Columbus, OH,Fort Worth, TX, andPhoenix, AZ.
Many Liberians have formed families in United States. However, some still vow to return to their country once the political and social situation stabilizes, which, according to the president of the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas, Joseph D. Z. Korto, seems unlikely to happen in a "near future."[6]
According to Census estimates from the American Community Survey for 2017–2021, the total number of Liberian immigrants in the United States was 95,300.[11]
While there is a variety of languages spoken inLiberia (where English is the official language of the country), the majority of Liberians in the United States speak StandardEnglish as well as theLiberian Kreyol language also known as Kolokwa which serves as alingua franca among Liberians of different ethnic groups. TheKru languages such asBassa,Kru, andKrahn are the most widely spoken Liberian native languages in the United States as well asKpelle andMandingo, bothMande languages.
The vast majority of Liberians, and thus Liberian Americans, areChristians (85.6%).Protestantism (76.3%) is predominant in the GreaterMonrovia region and surrounding suburbs whileCatholicism (7.2%) I mostly found in the southeastern counties. Islam is practiced by 12.2% of Liberians and is predominant among theMandingo ethnic group as well as many members of theVai andMende ethnic groups. Traditional beliefs such asVoodoo orJuju have a stronghold in the more rural counties but is still practiced even amongChristians andMuslims. The religious statistics for Liberian Americans however tend to be more Christian or irreligious.[6]
Liberian Americans are actively involved in lobbying the federal government, supporting freedom and democracy in Liberia. They also have organizations that support various issues affecting Liberia, such as humanitarian assistance, wildlife and nature preservation, and women's rights.[6]
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