Local African community isn't joining protest marches, by Franklin Sone Bayen, Seattle PI

Spring-Summer 2006

Seattle's growing African immigrant community isn't joining protest marches and boycotts, but it's hoping for federal reforms just the same. Africans here say the fight for expanded guest-worker programs, amnesty and a clear path to citizenship should be led by Latinos and Mexican immigrants.

 "Africans just want to stand by and benefit .The Hispanics (Latinos) are very organized and determined," said Patrick Ngatchou, a University of Washington doctoral student from Cameroon. For many Africans, abstaining from the big Seattle protest earlier this month – and not walking off the job --was a way of s

Almamy Sylla, a Seattle grocery store owner from Guinea, said African families sacrifice a lot, spending about $3,000 to send their children to America. "If Africans join the protest and are arrested and deported, what will they say to their families who spend a fortune to send them here?" Sylla said. So as a rule, he said, they are grateful just to be in the United States and aren't likely to raise a critical voice against government policies.

"Back in Africa many of them can't find jobs or the kind of jobs they were trained for and the wages are low," said Peter Gishuru, a native of Kenya who is head of Seattle's African Chamber of Commerce. "But here, they can have several jobs at a time and that enables them to multiply their income and help their families back there." staying clear of trouble.

There are other differences between Latino and African immigrants in this country, he said. "Even undocumented African immigrants here are not illegal," Gishuru said. "Africans come here with legal documents, they obtain visas from U.S. embassies in their countries and only overstay here because of situations back home." Africans make up about 13 percent of America's 12 million immigrants, according to some estimates. There are about 50,000 African immigrants now living in Washington, up from about 20,000 a decade ago. There are nearly 10 times that many Latinos in the state. Some African community leaders said they would have considered playing a more active role in the immigrant debate locally, but they weren't invited.

"The organizers of the demonstrations didn't reach out to most African communities, and most of our people are not educated. They cannot read the papers and don't listen to radio and TV," said Shakespear Feyissa, a Seattle attorney from Ethiopia Feyissa said Africans are desperate for reforms that would permit them to stay in this country. Many are political fugitives. Deportation means facing the wrath of dictatorial governments back home.

Landmark legislation to secure U.S. borders and offer millions of illegal immigrants a legal share of the American dream was passed by the Senate last week, clearing the way for arduous compromise talks with the House The legislation includes money to better secure the borders, provide a new guest-worker program and give an eventual shot at citizenship to many illegal immigrants. Gishuru was positive about moves to secure the border, including President Bush's plan to send National Guard troops.