Out of Africa

Ever wondered what the difference between an H1 visa and F1 visa was? Or who qualifies for a green card versus non-immigrant status?

Well, Business Week offers a pretty concise Immigration Glossary to put everything in perspective.

Most of my friends are (or were) on the F-1 Visa, which is given to all international students. However, there is also the J-1 Visa, which is also given to students — but generally for a short educational or cultural exchange (e.g. researchers, exchange students, dancers, and performers).

There’s the highly coveted H-1B Visa (which has me wondering what a H-1A Visa is), which a non-U.S. citizen who will be temporarily employed in a specialty occupation. From this type of visa, many immigrants move on to obtain a Green Card, which makes you into a permanent resident. Before that?  You may be given Adjustment of Status (AoS)  or  Advance Parole (AP), which are part of the last steps to becoming a permanent resident. 

Then there are visas B-1, B-2, E-1, E-2, H-4, L-1 … oh the list goes on. While all this is fascinating, all I can say is I’m glad I’m a U.S. citizen.

Here’s to understanding immigration’s alphabet soup!

In an earlier post, I wrote about Nigerians being killed and harassed in South Africa. Well, the violence against African immigrants in South Africa has been increasing. While the government is attempting to quell this issue, quite a few people have died and continued to be displaced.

One South African compares the country to America and it’s illegal immigration debates. She writes:

South Africa has been considered an inspiration to those fighting for freedom and equality through its grassroots movements for racial equality, voting reform and the unique way it has dealt with its violent past. In our appreciation of how far it has come, we seem to have forgotten that the struggles of the democratic South Africa are far from over.

Leading up to this, statements have been made bringing this growing xenophobia to the light and urging South Africans to flee from it. There had also been a call to naturalize the millions of illegal immigrants living in the country, many listed as refugees and receiving asylum.

As the daughter of African immigrants,  I grew up in an African community in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Texas, so I’m always interested in African community news and issues. 

I’ve become really interested in immigration issues world-wide. Here, in the United States, I think most people think of immigrants as an issue important to Hispanics, but immigration is just as important to the 1 million African immigrants. 

There are a lot of African refugees, either from various civil wars or even with crisises like in Sudan. Even without refugee situations, Africans tend to immigrant to other countries to take advantage of better opportunites. However, some of the major issues facing African immigrants inclue changes and restrictions in immigration law and procedures. A lot of Africans are getting deported, and others are dying while trying to enter European countires, like Spain, illegally.

There is also the issue of “the brain drain” — while many Africans send remittances back home, some feel the biggest aid they can give to their countries is by returning and using their education to improve often desolate conditions and situations on the continent. Others think it’s more important to make an impact in  whatever country they live.

 Each immigrant journey is different. Hopefully through this blog I’ll get to explore a few facets of the African immigrant journey.