The Most-successful Ethnic Group In America Is...?

Laela

Sidestepping the "lynch mob"
Can you guess??






The Most Successful Ethnic Group in the U.S. May Surprise You
Why you should care
Because you don’t know what it means to hustle … until you meet a Nigerian-American.

By Molly Fosco
The Daily Dose JUN 07 2018​

At an Onyejekwe family get-together, you can’t throw a stone without hitting someone with a master’s degree. Doctors, lawyers, engineers, professors — every family member is highly educated and professionally successful, and many have a lucrative side gig to boot. Parents and grandparents share stories of whose kid just won an academic honor, achieved an athletic title or performed in the school play. Aunts, uncles and cousins celebrate one another’s job promotions or the new nonprofit one of them just started. To the Ohio-based Onyejekwes, this level of achievement is normal. They’re Nigerian-American — it’s just what they do.

Today, 29 percent of Nigerian-Americans over the age of 25 hold a graduate degree, compared to 11 percent of the overall U.S. population, according to the Migrations Policy Institute. Among Nigerian-American professionals, 45 percent work in education services, the 2016 American Community Survey found, and many are professors at top universities. Nigerians are entering the medical field in the U.S. at an increased rate, leaving their home country to work in American hospitals, where they can earn more and work in better facilities. A growing number of Nigerian-Americans are becoming entrepreneurs and CEOs, building tech companies in the U.S. to help people back home.

It hasn’t been easy — the racist stereotypes are far from gone. Last year, President Donald Trump reportedly said in an Oval Office discussion that Nigerians would never go back to “their huts” once they saw America. But overt racism hasn’t stopped Nigerian-Americans from creating jobs, treating patients, teaching students and contributing to local communities in their new home, all while confidently emerging as one of the country’s most succesful immigrant communities, with a median household income of $62,351, compared to $57,617 nationally, as of 2015.

Nigerian-Americans are beginning to make a mark in sports, entertainment and the culinary arts.

“I think Nigerian-Americans offer a unique, flashy style and flavor that people like,” says Chukwuemeka Onyejekwe, who goes by his rap name Mekka Don. He points to Nigerian cuisine like jollof rice that’s gaining popularity in the U.S. But more importantly, Mekka says, Nigerians bring a “connectivity and understanding of Africa” to the U.S. “Many [Americans] get their understanding of ’the motherland’ through our experiences and stories,” he adds.

The Nigerian-American journey is still relatively new compared with that of other major immigrant communities that grew in the U.S. in the 20th century. The Nigerian-American population stood at 376,000 in 2015, according to the Rockefeller Foundation–Aspen Institute. That was roughly the strength of the Indian-American community back in 1980, before it emerged as a leading light in fields ranging from economics to technology. But Nigerian-Americans are already beginning to make a dent in the national consciousness. In the case of forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu, he’s helping fix hits to the brain. The 49-year-old Omalu was the first to discover and publish on chronic traumatic encephalopathy in American football players (Will Smith played him in the 2015 film Concussion). ImeIme A. Umana, the first Black woman elected president of the Harvard Law Review last year, is Nigerian-American. In 2016, Nigerian-born Pearlena Igbokwe became president of Universal Television, making her the first woman of African descent to head a major U.S. TV studio. And the community has expanded rapidly, up from just 25,000 people in 1980.

Source: ozy.com
 

fasika

Well-Known Member
Not a surprise at all. Nigerians don't play when it comes to academics.

Do Nigerians invest in business a lot in the US? They're very well-known for being entrepreneurial throughout Africa but I'm not aware of many Nigerian businesses in the US.
 

Laela

Sidestepping the "lynch mob"
Not to mention sports:

Five Players With Nigerian Roots Aiming For The Stars In America's NFL
by Prince Jacon |

As one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, the American National Football League (NFL) sees an influx of talent from various parts of the world. Nigeria isn’t left out as the country brags of new and old players who are making it big in the NFL. And we at Konbini have picked five of them.


(Photo: International Federation of American Football)

Nelson Agholor
Born in Lagos, 24-year-old Agholor moved to the US at the age of five. After playing in high school, he was rated as a five-star recruit – prompting the University of Southern California to offer him a place on their team. His professional career started in 2015 when he signed a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles worth around $9.4 million (N3.3. billion).

His performance in the team has had its ups-and-downs, but this year Agholor brought a new energy to the team that has got fans thirsting for him.


(Photo: Jeff Fusco)

Sam Acho
Acho was born in Texas to Nigerian parents. Like most players, his interest in American football started in high school where he also played the shot put and discus. After an amazing performance in college, he received honourable mention from the Associated Press in their All-Big 12 Team for 2009.

As a professional player, Acho has been on two teams so far – Arizona Cardinals and Chicago Bears. The 29-year-old was recently nominated for the Man of the Year Award by the Chicago Bears for his community work in the US and Nigeria.


(Photo: Midwest Dairy Association)

Chidobe Awuzie
22-year-old Awuzie was born in California. Rated in high school as a three-star recruit, he received scholarship offers from five big colleges in the US, including the University of Colorado which he finally settled with. Before he became a senior, he was named to the Thorpe Award watchlist, which is annually given to the best defensive back in the nation, as well as the Nagurski Award watchlist, which is given to the best defensive player in college football.

In May, Awuzie signed a four-year deal worth $4.28 million (N1.5 billion) with the Dallas Cowboys. During the NFL’s week of campaign for charitable causes, he wore cleats that had #BringBackOurGirls written on them – bringing attention to the kidnapping of the Chibok Girls.


(Photo: Pro Football Spot)

David Njoku
As a valuable player with the University of Miami’s Miami Hurricanes, 21-year-old Njoku displayed so much passion and talent that NFL draft experts and analysts projected he’ll be selected in the first-round of 2017 draft. That projection became a reality when the Cleveland Browns signed him to a fully guaranteed four-year contract worth $9.52 million (N3.4 billion).

Although his professional career is just starting, he’s already delivering the stellar performance for which he was signed.


(Photo: Todd Rosenberg/AP)

Alex Okafor
Born in Texas to a Nigerian father and an American mother, 26-year-old Okafor plays for the New Orleans Saints. As an amateur playing for the Texas Longhorns of the University of Texas, he was named one of the best junior players in the US in 2011.

As a versatile player, the Nigerian-American has been in strong form despite the bouts of injuries he has suffered on the pitch.


(Photo: Chris Humphreys/USA TODAY)
 

fasika

Well-Known Member
I definitely guessed right. I believe Nigerians and Ethiopians are the most educated groups in the U.S. right now if I'm remembering correctly from my college studies.
Maybe Nigerians and Ghanaians, but not Ethiopians. We are educated too, but mostly the kids of the immigrants. The immigrants themselves are more in line with regular Americans (or maybe a bit more educated), but all their kids go to college. Language barrier is a major hurdle for our immigrants, which is one of the reasons why there's a large business presence instead.
 

okange76

Well-Known Member
It all boils down to the family support systems. Their's is super strong. It is hard to fail when people expect the best from you from the moment you step into kindergarten. Competition is tight and everyone wants to win which in turn leads to a very educated populace with people scrambling not be the only one with an undergraduate degree. In 2016 out of 96 Howard University PharmD students graduating, 43 were Nigerian so...
 

rabs77

Well-Known Member
It all boils down to the family support systems. Their's is super strong. It is hard to fail when people expect the best from you from the moment you step into kindergarten. Competition is tight and everyone wants to win which in turn leads to a very educated populace with people scrambling not be the only one with an undergraduate degree. In 2016 out of 96 Howard University PharmD students graduating, 43 were Nigerian so...
Wow!!:clap:
 

hothair

Well-Known Member
Jollof is not Nigerian. Heck, they don't even make the 2nd best jollof in West Africa. #YeahISaidIt #ItIsSunday


Girrrrrllllllll :lol:. Nigerians did what they always do. Upgraded the original and made it their own.

Not gonna mention any other countries, lets see how many people know anything about jollof that isn't Nigerian.

I'll wait.




Apparently by 2050? 1 in 50 young people in the world would be Nigerian- I suggest you start brushing up on your Yoruba and hausa . We no dey carry last
 

Stormy

Well-Known Member
When I saw the title I thought it would be about Asians. Not because I think so, but because I think black groups are underrepresented or like we're on the DL or something. I mean how often does the media talk about our rise in this industry or affluent neighborhoods? It's usually portrayed as a one hit wonder or something.

In any case, I am not surprised it's Nigeria Americans. I was born and raised in Ohio and had lots of NA friends and acquaintances and some here in Atlanta. All successful. Hell, one lives with us! Lol (my best friends son. We call him our second son) as soon as he got his degree, he moved to the ATL to get into the film industry. He is already working in his field now. He's even worked on a project in NY. We are so proud of him. He's about to move into his own apt. too. This is all within a 6 month time frame. He thanks all of us and his mom for the encouragement, but you have to have drive and that boy has a lot of it!
 
Top