Skip to content


US Economy Driving African Immigrants Back Home

africa_labelledThe economy has gotten so bad that many immigrants from Africa are headed back home because the prospects there are better for them, reports The Washington Post.

The Post story follows the story of 34-year-old James Odhiambo, who came to the States lured by images of The Good Life conjured by Hollywood movies. While he was able to acquire many of those amenities, Odhiambo also found he was unable to enjoy them working 14 hours a day as a long-haul truck driver.

However, its not just African immigrants who are heading back home. Many middle-class immigrants from India and China are also finding that the added stress of keeping up with the latest conveniences, and being able to pay for them in recession-era America, simply do not make up for the material goods they get in return. They are also finding that “quality of life” is defined through a healthier and all-around simpler lifestyle.

“The people I know here work two or three jobs just to make ends meet, while in Kenya — despite its problems — people seem more happy,” said Kenyan immigrant Erastus Mong’are. “They seem to be getting more time with family. More relaxed. Here, if my neighbor sees I’ve parked in his spot, he becomes so upset.”

Related posts:

  1. South African Economy In Recession
  2. African Stamps Honor Jewish Apartheid Foes
  3. Protest Letter To African Leaders

Posted in Economics, Hello, Africa!.

Tagged with , , .


2 Responses

Stay in touch with the conversation, subscribe to the RSS feed for comments on this post.

  1. Endgame says

    Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

  2. John says

    Oh shout! You mean they left!

You must be logged in to post a comment.