It’s a celebration!
Enjoy this multi-language holiday e-card made by Team Améredia and share with your friends across the globe! Have a happy Valentines Day!
to our readers: greetings
As we prepare for the worldwide day for
It’s a celebration!
Enjoy this multi-language holiday e-card made by Team Améredia and share with your friends across the globe! Have a happy Valentines Day!
to our readers: greetings
As we prepare for the worldwide day for love, remember that February is also African American History Month! In honor of Black History month, we will explore the abundant contributions of African Americans throughout U.S. History and spotlight a special group within the black community, Kenyan Americans. Travel with us to the beautiful Kenyan countryside and explore the rich history of the Kenyan people.
-- Team Améredia
spotlight on: The Kenyan American Community
Kenyans are believed to have lived on American soil for over 300 years. The earliest Kenyans to migrate to the United States did so involuntarily as they were victims of the slave trade. Voluntary migration did not spark until the late twentieth century (1980-1990). During this period Kenyan immigration to the U.S. more than doubled.
The close relation between Kenya and the United States had major influence on voluntary immigration. Exposure to different facets of American culture (i.e. American cuisine and entertainment) encouraged many Kenyans to further take advantage of numerous economic and educational opportunities available in the United States. Moreover, Kenyan immigrants were particularly attracted to technology-oriented careers in the United States, an occupation virtually impossible to purse in Kenya where over 75% of the jobs are agriculture-based.
Great numbers of Kenyan immigrants settled in Washington, D.C., Texas, California, Georgia, North Carolina and the Midwest. Kenyan populations within these areas continue to grow today and there are currently an estimated 40,000,000+ persons of Black or African decent residing in the U.S.
Kenyan immigrants value education; as a result many Kenyans are well educated and possess specialized skill sets. In fact, 31.3% of Kenyan Americans are a high school graduate or equivalent, 12.0% have received a bachelor’s degree, and 6.8% of Kenyans have achieved a graduates or professional degree. Through their education, Kenyans have little trouble finding employment in the technological and health care professions, two of the most popular career paths for this segment.
Generally, Kenyans enjoy a fairly smooth assimilation process to the American society. This could be partly due their linguistic advantage over other immigrant groups. While most Kenyans are multilingual and typically speak a total of three African dialects - English is a widely spoken language across Kenya. In addition, the vast majority of Kenyans become naturalized citizens; less than 2% return to Kenya.
Over 60% of the Kenyans are Protestant or Roman Catholic, while six percent are Muslim. There are also numerous tribal religions. For example, the Suk believe in a god called the sky ( terorut ) whose his son is the rain ( ilat ). This traditional religion demands regular rituals and sacrifices that demonstrate their loyalty to their god.
Kenyan Americans celebrate Good Friday, Easter Monday, and Christmas Day along with American holidays such as New Year's Day, Labor Day, and other secular holidays. Specific Kenyan holidays include the anniversary of the country's independence (December 12) and Kenyatta Day (October 20), which honors Kenya's first prime minister, Jomo Kenyatta. The small number of Kenyan immigrants