Harlem , New York ( CNN ) -- At the heart of West Harlem , West Africa is buzzing . Nestled inside one of the world 's most diverse cities , over the years the thriving neighborhood of Harlem has become the hub of New York 's African American community . At the start of the 20th century , throngs of African Americans migrated from the southern United States into the big city , lured by the jobs and opportunities of urban life . But in the last 30 years or so , another group of people decided to call Harlem home . Scores of immigrants from several francophone West African countries moved to the borough to start a new life . At the center of it all , a vibrant Senegalese community has created a new home away from home , adding their culture , fashion and tastes to Harlem 's diverse mix . Known as Little Senegal , or Le Petit Senegal , the strip of blocks around West 116th Street is packed with inviting restaurants and colorful shops , powerful reminders of life back in the homeland . `` We 're the ones who built Harlem , '' says El Hadji Fey , vice president of the Senegalese Association of America . `` When we got here , all the stores you see over here , it was absolutely nothing . We bought a lot of stores here , a lot of Senegalese businesses right here . `` We were scared in the beginning -- you know how Harlem was 20 , 30 years ago . We 're the ones who really made Harlem grow up . That 's why a lot of people call here Little Senegal because we started making the community grow , we started making people grow . '' Along this stretch of blocks , the taste of Senegal is everywhere -- from the tantalizing scents of fish and rice stews emanating from the traditional restaurants dotting the neighborhood , through to the lively Malcolm Shabazz Market , where stall vendors hawk their wares , to the numerous Senegalese-named clothes and haircare shops . At `` Africa Kine , '' which was one of the first Senegalese restaurants to open in Harlem , some two decades ago , homesick customers find comfort in flavors conjuring up memories of home . Others come here looking for fellow countrymen who can make their new city feel less strange . Waitress Maritou Djigal says that `` thiebou dienn , '' Senegal 's national dish made of Jolof rice with fish , is the meal of choice in the Harlem eatery . `` Most of the time they [ diners ] say 'it reminds me of Senegal , it reminds me of my family , ' '' she explains . Not far from Africa Kine , at the Red Rooster restaurant , chef Marcus Samuelson is busy checking orders . Samuelson , known for introducing African spices to Western dishes , is using the continent 's culinary traditions to expose Africa to a wider audience . `` I look at Africa as a great source of information and inspiration , '' says Samuelson . `` And that 's how I come up with some of the great dishes here , '' he adds . `` Harlem is a very special and unique community and it always reminds me of Africa and I feel the most at home here . I love it , it 's a real community . '' Although called Little Senegal , landmarks with great historical significance for native Africans and African Americans stretch along the Harlem neighborhood . Neal Shoemaker , the energetic president of the Harlem Heritage Tours and Cultural Center , says that some of the most famous African American activists calling for civil rights in the mid-1950s and 1960s were active in the area . `` As you walk through this area here , it 's like taking a cultural bath , '' says Shoemaker , who 's been leading tours through Little Senegal for over a decade . `` Malcolm X 's presence is everywhere in this area , '' he adds , as he walks through the neighborhood . `` That corner right there , on 115th street where the housing project exists , where I was born and raised , is one of the corners where he 'd minister to the people and he would offer what he felt was the diagnosis to many of the social problems of the area . `` So when you walk through this area here , you 're walking in the steps of many great civil rights leaders . ''
New York 's Harlem is home to a vibrant Senegalese community . Known as Little Senegal , the area is filled with West African restaurants and shops . Civil rights activists of the 1960s , including Malcolm X , were active in the neighborhood .