Tareian King is an intern with CFR's Africa Program and a student at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. She is also the founder of Nolafrique, an e-commerce platform that enables artisans in African villages to have global exposure and opportunities for scale up.
The African diaspora sends more money to Africa than U.S. foreign aid and foreign direct investment. In 2018, sub-Saharan Africa received $25 billion in development assistance. In that same year, immigrants in the United States sent $46 billion in remittances to their home countries in Africa, out of a total of $150 billion sent from the United States globally. In 2017, $85 million in remittances were sent from the United States to Senegal, the seventh-most of any country (France topped the list with almost $650 million). Remittances are the transfer of money, often by a foreign worker, to an individual in their home country. A closer look at a diaspora neighborhood in New York City helps explain that remittances are not only a form of familial aid but also an important investment vehicle that builds wealth.
In Petit Senegal, on 116th street between Lenox Avenue and Frederick Douglass, the sound of English is replaced by Wolof and French. “How are you?” is transformed into “Nanga def” and “ca va?” Wolof is the native language of the Wolof people found in the Gambia, Mauritania, and Senegal. French is the language of francophone West African countries, including Senegal, which are former French colonies.
American fashion—such as blue jeans and t-shirts—also disappears. Instead, people are dressed in elaborate, traditional West African textiles and fabrics. In the evening, there are Muslim men sitting outside on the sidewalk with foldable chairs drinking attaya tea, a Senegalese drink consumed after meals and with guests. Petit Senegal, located in the heart of Harlem in Manhattan, is not much different from some neighborhoods in Senegal’s capital, Dakar. The cultural link between Petit Senegal and Senegal underpins an economic one.
Petit Senegal is filled with thriving, tax-paying businesses owned and operated by Burkinabe, Gambians, Ivorians, Malians, and Senegalese, though the majority of businesses are owned and operated by the latter. Import-export businesses, supermarkets, seamstress, tailors, phone repair shops, beauty salons, bakeries, Islamic educational programs, and African goods stores fund the remittances to their respective West African countries.
Senegalese immigrants have built a substantial amount of wealth for themselves, but to understand their success requires a look back to Senegal. Dakar’s real estate market grew 256 percent between 1994 and 2020, and business owners in Petit Senegal opted out of investing their profits in a house with a white picket fence in America. Instead, they opted to invest in the profitable real estate market in Dakar. Residents return home during holiday breaks to purchase their land in cash instead of sending the money via wire transfers. Once the land is acquired, they return to Petit Senegal and remittances pay for construction. Profits from these properties in Senegal are then invested in local businesses in Petit Senegal, helping them grow, and the investment cycle in Senegal continues.
The goal of most residents in Petit Senegal is to build as many properties in Senegal as they can while they are in America. Mr. Jabel Cisse, a seamstress in Harlem for over twenty-five years, has built two villas and an apartment complex since immigrating to America. Mr. Muhammad Fall, the owner of an import-export business, has built two apartment complexes and is now in the process of building a hotel. While these shops are small, their owners are engaged in international business with Senegal. The people in Petit Senegal selling earrings and soaps and repairing phones are the same individuals financing real estate in Senegal.
The $85 million from the United States is about 4 percent of the $2.2 billion Senegal receives as remittances, which together account for 10 percent of Senegalese GDP. One of the sources of that capital, diaspora communities like Petit Senegal, are a natural bridge between the U.S. and their home countries. They know the risks and customs of the market, have local contacts, and know how to invest in their countries in profitable ways. As foreign aid budgets are cut or threatened and immigrants find financial success, remittances have grown in importance; so, too, should the diaspora communities that pay for them.
Tareh King ni mwanafunzi wa chuo cha sheria cha Elisabeth Haub katika Chuo Kikuu cha Pace. Pia ni mwanzilishi wa Nolafrique, jukwaa la e-commerce ambalo huwawezesha mafundi katika vijiji vya Kiafrika kuwa na mwonekano wa kimataifa na fursa za kupanua. "Wafilipi wa Afrika wanaotuma fedha zaidi Afrika kuliko misaada ya kigeni ya Marekani na uwekezaji wa moja kwa moja wa kigeni.""" Katika 2018, Afrika Kusini mwa Jangwa la Sahara ilipokea misaada ya maendeleo ya dola bilioni 25. Katika mwaka huo huo, wahamiaji nchini Marekani walituma $ 46 bilioni katika uhamisho wa fedha kwa nchi zao za nyumbani katika Afrika, kutoka jumla ya $ 150 bilioni zilizotumwa kutoka Marekani ulimwenguni. Mwaka 2017, dola milioni 85 za Marekani zilitumwa Senegal, na kuwa nchi ya saba kwa kiasi kikubwa zaidi duniani, huku Ufaransa ikiongoza orodha hiyo kwa karibu dola milioni 650. Uhamisho wa fedha ni uhamisho wa pesa, mara nyingi na mfanyakazi wa kigeni, kwa mtu binafsi katika nchi yao ya nyumbani. Kuangalia kwa karibu kitongoji cha wahamiaji huko New York City husaidia kuelezea kwamba uhamisho wa fedha sio tu aina ya msaada wa familia lakini pia ni chombo muhimu cha uwekezaji ambacho hujenga utajiri. Katika eneo la Petit Sénégal, kati ya Lenox Avenue na Frederick Douglass, sauti ya Kiingereza imebadilishwa na Wolof na Kifaransa. <unk>How are you?<unk> hubadilishwa kuwa <unk>Nanga def<unk> na <unk>ca va?<unk> Wolof ni lugha ya asili ya watu wa Wolof waliopatikana nchini Gambia, Mauritania, na Senegal. Kifaransa ni lugha ya nchi za Afrika Magharibi zinazozungumza Kifaransa, ikiwa ni pamoja na Senegal, ambazo ni koloni za zamani za Ufaransa. Mtindo wa Marekani - kama vile suruali za bluu na T-shati - pia hutoweka. Badala yake, watu huvaa mavazi ya kitamaduni ya Afrika Magharibi yenye mapambo na vitambaa. "Wanaume wa Kiislamu wameketi nje kwenye barabara na kunywa chai ya ""attaya,"" kinywaji cha Senegal kinachotumiwa baada ya chakula na pamoja na wageni." Petit Sénégal, iliyoko katikati ya Harlem huko Manhattan, haitofautiani sana na vitongoji vingine katika mji mkuu wa Senegal, Dakar. Uhusiano wa kitamaduni kati ya Petit Senegal na Senegal unategemea uhusiano wa kiuchumi. Senegal ndogo imejaa biashara zinazositawi, zinazolipa kodi zinazomilikiwa na kuendeshwa na Burkinabe, Gambians, Ivorians, Malians, na Senegalese, ingawa biashara nyingi zinamilikiwa na kuendeshwa na wa mwisho. Biashara za uagizaji na usafirishaji, maduka makubwa, wasanii, watengenezaji, maduka ya kurekebisha simu, saluni za urembo, mikate, programu za elimu ya Kiislamu, na maduka ya bidhaa za Kiafrika hufadhili uhamisho wa fedha kwa nchi zao za Afrika Magharibi. Wahamiaji wa Senegal wamejijengea utajiri mkubwa, lakini kuelewa mafanikio yao inahitaji kuangalia nyuma Senegal. Soko la mali isiyohamishika la Dakar liliongezeka kwa asilimia 256 kati ya mwaka 1994 na 2020, na wamiliki wa biashara katika eneo la Petit Sénégal waliamua kutowekeza faida zao katika nyumba zenye uzio mweupe nchini Marekani. Badala yake, walichagua kuwekeza katika soko la mali isiyohamishika lenye faida huko Dakar. Wakazi wanarudi nyumbani wakati wa mapumziko ya likizo kununua ardhi yao kwa fedha taslimu badala ya kutuma pesa kupitia uhamisho wa waya. Mara tu ardhi inapopatikana, wanarudi Petit Senegal na fedha zinazotumwa hulipa ujenzi. Faida kutoka kwa mali hizi nchini Senegal huwekezwa katika biashara za ndani katika Petit Sénégal, kusaidia kukua, na mzunguko wa uwekezaji nchini Senegal unaendelea. Kwa hivyo, watu wengi wa Senegal wanafikiria kujenga nyumba zao huko Senegal. Jabel Cisse, mtengenezaji wa nguo huko Harlem kwa zaidi ya miaka ishirini na mitano, amejenga nyumba mbili na jengo la ghorofa tangu kuhamia Marekani. Muhammad Fall, mmiliki wa biashara ya kuagiza na kuuza nje, amejenga majengo mawili ya ghorofa na sasa yuko katika mchakato wa kujenga hoteli. Ingawa maduka hayo ni madogo, wamiliki wake wanafanya biashara ya kimataifa na Senegal. Watu wa Petit Sénégal wanaouza pete za masikio na sabuni na kurekebisha simu ni watu wale wale wanaofadhili mali isiyohamishika nchini Senegal. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""mamilioni ya dola 85 kutoka Marekani ni asilimia 4 ya dola bilioni 2.2 ambazo Senegal hupokea kama uhamisho, ambazo pamoja zinawakilisha asilimia 10 ya Pato la Taifa la Senegal.""" "Miongoni mwa vyanzo vya mtaji huo, jamii za wahamiaji kama vile ""Petit Sénégal"" ni daraja la asili kati ya Marekani na nchi zao za asili." Wanajua hatari na desturi za soko, wana mawasiliano ya ndani, na wanajua jinsi ya kuwekeza katika nchi zao kwa njia zenye faida. """Wakati bajeti za misaada ya kigeni zinapopunguzwa au kutishwa na wahamiaji kupata mafanikio ya kifedha, uhamisho wa fedha umekua kwa umuhimu; hivyo, pia, jamii za diaspora ambazo hulipa kwa ajili yao."