Yoruba Americans (') are

Americans Americans are the Citizenship of the United States, citizens and United States nationality law, nationals of the United States, United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many Multi ...

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

descent. The Yoruba people are a

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

n ethnic group that predominantly inhabits southwestern

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

, with smaller indigenous communities in

Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...

and

Togo Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...

History

The first Yoruba people who arrived to the United States were imported as

slaves Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

from Nigeria and

during the

Atlantic slave trade The Atlantic slave trade, transatlantic slave trade, or Euro-American slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of enslaved African people, mainly to the Americas. The slave trade regularly used the triangular trade route and i ...

. This ethnicity of the slaves was one of the main origins of present-day Nigerians who arrived to the United States, along with the

Igbo Igbo may refer to: * Igbo people, an ethnic group of Nigeria * Igbo language, their language * anything related to Igboland, a cultural region in Nigeria See also * Ibo (disambiguation) * Igbo mythology * Igbo music * Igbo art * * Igbo-Ukwu, a ...

. In addition, native slaves of current Benin hailed from peoples such as

Nago ''Nagu'', Kunigami: ''Naguu'' is a city located in the northern part of Okinawa Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. As of December 2012, the city has an estimated population of 61,659 and a population density of 288 persons per km2. Its tota ...

, Ewe, Fon and

Gen Gen may refer to: * ''Gen'' (film), 2006 Turkish horror film directed by Togan Gökbakar * Gen (Street Fighter), a video game character from the ''Street Fighter'' series * Gen Fu, a video game character from the ''Dead or Alive'' series * Gen l ...

. Many of the slaves imported to the modern United States from Benin were sold by the

King of Dahomey The King of Dahomey (''Ahosu'' in the Fon language) was the ruler of Dahomey, an African kingdom in the southern part of present-day Benin, which lasted from 1600 until 1900 when the French Third Republic abolished the political authority of the ...

, in Whydah."Question of the Month: Cudjo Lewis: Last African Slave in the U.S.?", by David Pilgrim, Curator, Jim Crow Museum, July 2005, webpag
Ferris-Clotilde
The slaves brought with them their cultural practices, languages, cuisine and religious beliefs rooted in spirit and

ancestor worship The veneration of the dead, including one's ancestors, is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of t ...

. So, the manners of the Yoruba, Fon, Gen and Ewe of Benin were key elements of

Louisiana Voodoo Louisiana Voodoo (french: Vaudou louisianais, es, Vudú de Luisiana), also known as New Orleans Voodoo, is an African diasporic religion which originated in Louisiana, now in the southern United States. It arose through a process of syncreti ...

. Also Haitians, who migrated to Louisiana in the late nineteenth century and also contributed to Voodoo of this state, have the Yoruba Fon, and Ewe among their main origins. Cuban immigrants brought with them the

Santería Santería (), also known as Regla de Ocha, Regla Lucumí, or Lucumí, is an African diaspora religions, African diasporic religion that developed in Cuba during the late 19th century. It arose through a process of syncretism between the tradit ...

religion, a child of the

Yoruba religion The Yoruba religion (Yoruba: Ìṣẹ̀ṣe), or Isese, comprises the traditional religious and spiritual concepts and practice of the Yoruba people. Its homeland is in present-day Southwestern Nigeria, which comprises the majority of Oyo, Ogu ...

and

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

. In

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Santería was founded by . Born in 1903 in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

, he immigrated to NYC in 1946, took the name Padrino, and began practicing as a

babalawo Babaaláwo or Babalawo in West Africa (Babalao in Caribbean and South American Spanish and Babalaô in Brazilian Portuguese) literally means 'father of the mysteries' in the Yoruba language. It is a spiritual title that denotes a high priest o ...

. On May 23rd, 1980 the city's animal health authorities raided the

apartment An apartment (American English), or flat (British English, Indian English, South African English), is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) that occupies part of a building, generally on a single story. There are ma ...

of one of Padrino's followers on East 146th Street in the Bronx. The

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing animal cruelty. Based in New York City since its inception in 1866, the organization's mission is "to provide effective mea ...

(ASPCA) had complained about Santería's practices of animal sacrifice. Three

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...

s and eighteen

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...

s were removed from the dwelling. The Yoruba, and some northern Nigerian ethnic groups, had tribal facial identification marks. These could have assisted a returning slave in relocating his or her ethnic group, but few slaves escaped the colonies. In the colonies, masters tried to dissuade the practice of tribal customs. They also sometimes mixed people of different ethnic groups to make it more difficult for them to communicate and bond together in rebellion. Today, most

African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

share ancestry with the

Yoruba people The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

. After the

slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

abolition in 1865, many modern Nigerian immigrants of Yoruba ancestry have come to the United States starting in the mid-twentieth century to pursue educational opportunities in undergraduate and post-graduate institutions. President

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

signed the

Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, also known as the Hart–Celler Act and more recently as the 1965 Immigration Act, is a federal law passed by the 89th United States Congress and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The l ...

, which allowed for a significant number of Nigerians of Yoruba ancestry to immigrate to the United States. During the 1960s and 1970s, after the Nigerian-Biafran War, Nigeria's government funded scholarships for Nigerian students, and many of them were admitted to American universities. While this was happening, there were several military coups and brief periods of civilian rule. All this caused many Nigerians to emigrate.Encyclopedia of Chicago: Nigerians in Chicago
. Posted by Charles Adams Cogan and Cyril Ibe. Retrieved May 2, 2013, to 16:30 pm. Most of these Nigerian immigrants are of Yoruba, Igbo and

Ibibio Ibibio may refer to: * Ibibio language * Ibibio people * Ibibio Sound Machine, an English electronic afro-funk band who sing in Ibibio See also * Ibiblio ibiblio (formerly SunSITE.unc.edu and MetaLab.unc.edu) is a "collection of collections" ...

origins. Yorubas have often found American habits of

pet keeping Pet culture refers to the culture revolving around the interaction of humans and pets. Pet culture in the United States Modern day society has integrated animals into their everyday lives. Today, American families have said that their non-workin ...

very strange, culturally unfamiliar.

List of Yoruba Americans

Cudjoe Lewis Cudjoe Kazoola Lewis ( – July 17, 1935), born Oluale Kossola, and also known as Cudjo Lewis, was the third to last adult survivor of the Atlantic slave trade between Africa and the United States. Together with 115 other African captives, he was ...

, one of the last known survivors of the

Matilda McCrear Matilda McCrear (c. 1857 – January 1940) was the last known living survivor in the United States of the transatlantic slave trade and the ship '' Clotilda''. She was a Yoruba who was captured and brought to Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama, ...

, one of the last known survivors of the Atlantic slave trade *

Scipio Vaughan Scipio Vaughan (1784–1840) was an African-American artisan and slavery in the United States, slave who inspired a "Back-to-Africa movement, back to Africa" movement among some of his offspring to connect with their roots in Africa, specifically ...

, slave *

Brendon Ayanbadejo Oladele Brendon Ayanbadejo (; born September 6, 1976) is a former American football linebacker and special teamer who played in Canadian Football League (CFL) and the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons. He played college footb ...

, football player *

Femi Emiola Femi Emiola is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in the TV series ''Wicked Wicked Games'' and in the web series ''If Looks Could Kill''. Her first and last names come from the Yoruba language, and her first name is pronounced ...

, actress * Lola Ogunnaike, entertainment journalist *

Angélique Kidjo Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo (; born July 14, 1960), known as Angélique Kidjo, is a Beninese singer-songwriter, actress, and activist who is noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos. ...

, singer *

Adewale Ogunleye Adewale Ogunleye (; born August 9, 1977) is a former American football defensive end who played eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2000 and also played for t ...

, football player *

Toyin Falola Toyin Omoyeni Falola (born January 1, 1953) is a Nigerian historian and professor of African Studies. Falola is a Fellow of the Historical Society of Nigeria and of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, and has served as the president of the Afric ...

, historian *

Oluwatoyin Asojo Oluwatoyin (Toyin) Asojo currently Associate Director for Strategic Initiatives at Dartmouth Cancer Center was formerly Associate Professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Hampton University. She was formerly an Asso ...

, biochemist *

Hakeem Olajuwon Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (; ; born January 21, 1963), nicknamed "the Dream", is a Nigerian Americans, Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Ass ...

, basketball player *

Oye Owolewa Adeoye "Oye" Owolewa (born 1989) is a Nigerian American politician, pharmacist, and a member of the Democratic Party. In November 2020, he was elected as the shadow representative of the United States House of Representatives from the District o ...

, politician * Wale, rapper *

Kehinde Wiley Kehinde Wiley (born February 28, 1977) he returned to Nigeria, leaving Freddie to raise the couple's six children. 3/sup> Wiley has said that his family survived on welfare checks and the limited income earned by his mother's 'thrift store' – ...

, artist * Harold Demuren, aeronautical engineer * Oshoke Abalu, architect and futurist * Toluse Olorunnipa, political commentator *

Abiola Irele Francis Abiola Irele (commonly Abiola Irele, 22 May 1936 – 2 July 2017) was a Nigerian academic best known as the doyen of Africanist literary scholars worldwide. He was Provost at Kwara State University, founded in 2009 in Ilorin, Nigeria. Befo ...

, literary scholar *

Babatunde Ogunnaike Babatunde Ayodeji Ogunnaike (March 26, 1956 – February 20, 2022) was an American chemical engineer of Nigerian descent and the William L. Friend Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Delaware (UD). He was t ...

, chemical engineer * Ilesanmi Adesida, physicist *

Akintunde Akinwande Akintunde Ibitayo Akinwande is a Nigerian United States, American engineering professor at the Electrical Engineering and Computer science, Computer Science Department of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was appointment as chairman of Ni ...

, electrical engineer *

Kamaru Usman Kamarudeen Usman (born May 11, 1987) is a Nigerian and American professional mixed martial artist, former freestyle wrestler and retired folkstyle wrestler. He currently competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Champions ...

, mixed martial arts fighter *

Chamillionaire Hakeem Temidayo Seriki (born November 28, 1979), better known by his stage name Chamillionaire (), is an American rapper. He was the founder and an original member of The Color Changin' Click from 2001 until the group split in 2005. He began his ...

, rapper *

Tomi Adeyemi Tomi Adeyemi (born August 1, 1993) is a Nigerian-American novelist and creative writing coach. She is known for her novel ''Children of Blood and Bone'', the first in the ''Legacy of Orïsha'' trilogy published by Henry Holt Books for Young Reade ...

, novelist *

Wally Adeyemo Adewale "Wally" Adeyemo (born May 20, 1981) is a Nigerian-American government official serving as the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, United States deputy secretary of the treasury. He was the first president of the Obama Foundation and also se ...

United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury The United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, in the United States government, advises and assists the Secretary of the Treasury in the supervision and direction of the Department of the Treasury and its activities, and succeeds the Secret ...

* Luvvie Ajayi, blogger *

David Oyelowo David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo ( ; born 1 April 1976) is a British actor, director and producer. His accolades include a Critics' Choice Award and two NAACP Image Awards as well as nominations for two Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards ...

, actor *

Dot da Genius Oladipo Omishore, known professionally as Dot da Genius is an American record producer and audio engineer from Brooklyn, New York City. He first gained recognition in 2008 for producing "Day 'n' Nite" by American musician Kid Cudi, with whom he ...

, music producer *

Tanitoluwa Adewumi Tanitoluwa Emmanuel Adewumi (born September 3, 2010; nicknamed Tani) is a Nigerian-American chess player who currently holds the title of FIDE Master (FM). A chess prodigy, he won the 2019 K-3 New York State chess championship at the age of 8 af ...

, chess player *

Deji Akinwande Deji Akinwande is a Nigerian-American professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering with courtesy affiliation with Materials Science at the University of Texas at Austin. He was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and E ...

, electrical and computer engineering professor * Akinwumi Ogundiran, archaeologist * Bamidele A. Ojo, political scientist * Kunle Olukotun, computer scientist *

Mojisola Adeyeye Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye is a Nigerian pharmacist and professor. She was appointed the Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on 3 November 2017 by the President of The Federal Republic of Ni ...

pharmacist and professor *

Fela Sowande Chief Olufela Obafunmilayo "Fela" Sowande MBE (29 May 1905 – 13 March 1987) was a Nigerian musician and composer. Considered the father of modern Nigerian art music, Sowande is perhaps the most internationally known African composer of works ...

, musician and composer * Nelson M. Oyesiku, neurosurgeon * Olufunmilayo Olopade, hematologist * Yewande Olubummo, mathematician * Kate Okikiolu, mathematician *

Rick Famuyiwa Rick Famuyiwa (born June 18, 1973) is an American director, producer and screenwriter of productions including ''The Wood'' (1999), ''Brown Sugar'' (2002), '' Talk to Me'' (2007), '' Dope'' (2015), and ''Confirmation'' (2016). His films have bee ...

, film director *

Temie Giwa-Tubosun Temie Giwa-Tubosun (born Oluwaloni Olamide Giwa, December 1985) is a Nigerian-American health manager, founder of LifeBank (formerly One Percent Project), a business enterprise in Nigeria working to improve access to blood transfusions in the c ...

, entrepreneur * Folakemi T. Odedina, pharmacy professor *

Bo Oshoniyi Adegboyega "Bo" Oshoniyi (born November 3, 1971) is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who spent eight seasons in Major League Soccer. He is now the head men's soccer coach at Dartmouth College. Career Oshoniyi's Nigerian father drowned whe ...

, soccer player *

Sope Aluko Sope may refer to: People * Barak Sopé (born 1951), Vanuatu politician * Sope Aluko (born 1975), Nigerian-born British American actress * Sope Dirisu (born 1991), British Nigerian actor * Sope Johnson * Sope Willams Elegbe (born 1975), Nigerian ...

, actress *

Sade Baderinwa Folasade Olayinka Baderinwa (born April 14, 1969), known professionally as Sade Baderinwa ( ), is an American broadcast journalist. Since 2003, she has been a news anchor at WABC-TV, the ABC flagship station in New York, and currently co-anch ...

, news anchor *

Folake Olowofoyeku Folake Olowofoyeku (born 26 October 1983) is a Nigerians, Nigerian actress and musician. She currently stars in the Chuck Lorre CBS sitcom ''Bob Hearts Abishola''. Early life, family and education Olowofoyeku was born in Nigeria to Nigerian ...

, actress *

Tunde Adebimpe Babatunde Omoroga Adebimpe (born February 26, 1975) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, actor, director, and visual artist best known as the lead singer of the Brooklyn-based band TV on the Radio. Early life Adebimpe was born into a Nig ...

, lead singer of

TV on the Radio TV on the Radio (TVOTR) is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2001. The band consists of Tunde Adebimpe (vocals, loops), David Andrew Sitek (guitars, keyboards, loops), Kyp Malone (vocals, guitars, bass, loops), and Jale ...

Adebayo Ogunlesi Adebayo "Bayo" O. Ogunlesi CON (born December 20, 1953) is a Nigerian lawyer and investment banker. He is currently Chairman and Managing Partner at the private equity firm Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). Ogunlesi was the former head of G ...

, lawyer and investment banker * Jimmy Adegoke, climatologist *

Dayo Okeniyi Oladayo A. Okeniyi (; born June 14, 1988) is a Nigerian-American actor, popularly known for playing the role of Thresh in ''The Hunger Games'' and Danny Dyson in ''Terminator Genisys''. Life and career Dayo was born in Jos and grew up in Lagos, ...

, actor *

Arike Ogunbowale Arike Ogunbowale (born March 2, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Wings of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, before being drafted ...

, basketball player *

Benson Mayowa Benson Babatunde Mayowa (born August 3, 1991) is an American football defensive end who is a free agent. He also was a member of the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders, and Seattle Seahawks. He played college football at the ...

, football player * Bayo Ojikutu, creative writer *

Adebayo Alonge Adebayo Alonge is a Nigerian pharmacist, inventor, deep tech entrepreneur, and market development professional. He is the winner of the 2019 Hello Tomorrow Global Deeptech Challenge, known as the BNP Paribas Group Deep Tech Award, for creating ...

, entrepreneur *

Tosin Abasi Oluwatosin Ayoyinka Olumide Abasi (born January 7, 1983), is an American musician, best known as the founder and lead guitarist of the instrumental progressive metal band Animals as Leaders. He has recorded and released five albums with Animal ...

, founder and lead guitarist of

Animals as Leaders Animals as Leaders is an American instrumental progressive metal band from Washington, D.C. It currently consists of guitarists Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes and drummer Matt Garstka, having been formed by Abasi in 2007. They are a prominent b ...

* Nelson M. Oyesiku, neurosurgeon *

Lola Eniola-Adefeso Omolola (Lola) Eniola-Adefeso is a Nigerian-American chemical engineer and the University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor of Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Macromolecular Science and Engineering at the Universi ...

, chemical engineer *

Deborah Ayorinde Deborah Olayinka Ayorinde (born 13 August 1987) is a British-Nigerian actress raised in the United States. She is known for her role in the Amazon Prime horror series '' Them'' (2021). Early life and education Ayorinde was born in London, Eng ...

, actress * Jacob K. Olupona, scholar of indigenous African religions * Mobolaji Dawodu, fashion designer *

Stephen Adebanji Akintoye Stephen Adebanji Akintoye, also known as S. Banji Akintoye (born 1935), is a Nigerian-born academic, historian and writer. He attended Christ's School Ado Ekiti, Nigeria from 1951–1955, and studied history at the University College (Overseas Co ...

, historian * Ade A. Olufeko, artist and technologist *

Toyin Ojih Odutola Toyin Ojih Odutola (born 1985) is a Nigerian-American contemporary visual artist known for her vivid multimedia drawings and works on paper. Her unique style of complex mark-making and lavish compositions rethink the category and traditions of po ...

, graphic artist * Esther Agbaje, attorney and politician * Abiodun Koya, classical opera singer * Ibiyinka Alao, architect *

John Dabiri John Oluseun Dabiri is a Nigerian-American aeronautics engineer and the Centennial Chair Professor at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), with appointments in the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories (GALCIT) and Mechanical Engineering.

, aerospace engineer *

, football player *

Tobi Jnohope Tobi "Bob" Jnohope (born 4 October 1997) is a Dominican association footballer who currently plays for Lernayin Artsakh FC of the Armenian First League. Youth and college Jnohope began his youth career with Clearwater Chargers Soccer Club in Flo ...

, footballer

Notes

References

External links

* {{African diaspora West Africans in the United States Yoruba-American history African-American society