Ghanaian Americans are an ethnic group of

Americans Americans are the citizens and nationals of the United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many dual citizens, expatriates, and permanent residents could also legally claim Ame ...

of full or partial

Ghanaian Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

ancestry or Ghanaian immigrants who became naturalized citizen of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

History

Early history

The first people to arrive from the region then known as the

Gold Coast Gold Coast may refer to: Places Africa * Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana: ** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642) ** Dutch G ...

were brought as slaves via the Atlantic slave trade. Several ethnic groups such as the

Akan Akan may refer to: People and languages *Akan people, an ethnic group in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire *Akan language, a language spoken by the Akan people *Kwa languages, a language group which includes Akan * Central Tano languages, a language group ...

, the GangaDarlene Clark Hine, Earnestine Jenkins (eds)
''A Question of Manhood: A Reader in U.S. Black Men's History and Masculinity'', Volume 1
pp. 103–104. or the Ga people were imported as well to the modern United States and the third of these groups appear to have an influence on the language of the Gullah people. Because Ghanaian ports were major routes for European slave traders. Captives from ethnic groups and tribes from all over West Africa were brought there to be held and sent to the New World. Most them were imported to

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

and

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, although other places in the United States, such as Spanish Florida and

French Louisiana The term French Louisiana refers to two distinct regions: * first, to colonial French Louisiana, comprising the massive, middle section of North America claimed by France during the 17th and 18th centuries; and, * second, to modern French Louisi ...

also had many slaves of this origin.

Recent immigration

Ghanaians began arriving in the United States ''en masse'' after the 1960s and in the 1970s amidst the

civil rights movement The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement throughout the Unite ...

and the

decolonization of Africa The decolonisation of Africa was a process that took place in the mid-to-late 1950s to 1975 during the Cold War, with radical government changes on the continent as colonial governments made the transition to independent states. The process w ...

. In 1957, Ghana became the first African country to gain independence from colonial rule. Ghana's first president, Kwame Nkrumah, studied at American universities and worked with black American leaders for the rights of Black people around the world. Notable African-American intellectuals and activists such as W. E. B. Du Bois and

Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of I ...

used Ghana as a symbol of black achievement. Most of the early immigrants from Ghana to the United States were students who came to get a better education and planned on using the education acquired in the United States to better Ghana. However, many Ghanaians that migrated in the 1980s and 1990s, came to get business opportunities. In difficult economic times, the number of Ghanaians who emigrated to the United States was small. However, when these economic problems were paralyzed, they built resources for their emigration to the United States.EveryCulture — Ghanaian-Americans
Posted by Drew Walker. Retrieved December 10, 2011, 12:04.

Population and geographic distribution

First- and second-generation Ghanaian immigrations to the U.S. make up a small portion (0.3%) of the total number of foreign-born Americans. New York City metropolitan area and

Washington, D.C. metropolitan area The Washington metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the National Capital Region, is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C. The metropolitan area includes all of Washington, D.C. and parts of the states of Maryland, Virgi ...

have the highest numbers of Ghanaian immigrants.The Ghanaian Diaspora in the United States
Migration Policy Institute, Rockefeller Foundation-Aspen Institute Diaspora Program (May 2015 rev.). The state with the largest number of immigrants from Ghana is New York, followed by Virginia, New Jersey, and Maryland. The

2010 U.S. Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...

tallied 91,322 Ghanaian Americans living in the United States. The

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

's American Community Survey for 2015 to 2019 estimated the total number of immigrants from Ghana in the U.S. to be 178,400. The top five counties of residence were

The Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

(19,500),

Prince William County, Virginia Prince William County is located on the Potomac River in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 482,204, making it Virginia's second-most populous county. Its county seat is the independent city of Manass ...

(6,400),

Franklin County, Ohio Franklin County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,323,807, making it the most populous county in Ohio. Most of its land area is taken up by its county seat, Columbus, the state capital and most ...

(6,400),

Cook County, Illinois Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 2 ...

(5,200), Essex County, New Jersey (5,100), Montgomery County, Maryland (5,000),

Worcester County, Massachusetts Worcester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 census, the population was 862,111, making it the second-most populous county in Massachusetts while also being the largest in area. The largest city and tra ...

(4,700), Prince George's County, Maryland (4,500),

Gwinnett County, Georgia Gwinnett County ( ) is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It forms part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. In 2020, the population was 957,062, making it the second-most populous county in Georgia (after Fulto ...

(4,100), Fairfax County, Virginia (3,300),

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

(3,200),

Tarrant County, Texas Tarrant County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2020, it had a population of 2,110,640. It is Texas' third-most populous county and the 15th-most populous in the United States. Its county seat is Fort Worth. Tarrant County, one of ...

(2,700), Los Angeles County, California (2,500), Middlesex County, New Jersey (2,400), and Dallas County, Texas (2,400).

Education and languages

A 2015 report by the Migration Policy Institute noted that the

educational attainment Educational attainment is a term commonly used by statisticians to refer to the highest degree of education an individual has completed as defined by the US Census Bureau Glossary. See also *Academic achievement *Academic degree *Bachelor's degree ...

of first- and second-generation Ghanaian-Americans was similar to the overall U.S. population. About 18% of Ghanaian diaspora members in the U.S. age 25 and over had a bachelor's degree as their highest credential, compared to 20% in the overall U.S. population ages 25 and older. About 12% of Ghanaian diaspora members had an advanced degree, compared to about 11% of the overall U.S. population. Ghanaian Americans speak English, and often also speak

, Ga, Ewe and

Twi Twi () is a dialect of the Akan language spoken in southern and central Ghana by several million people, mainly of the Akan people, the largest of the seventeen major ethnic groups in Ghana. Twi has about 17-18 million speakers in total, includ ...

. Ghanaians have an easier time adapting to life in the United States than other immigrants because their homeland of Ghana has the

English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the ...

as the official language and it is spoken by the majority of Ghana's population.

Organizations and civic life

A 2015 study identified 63 Ghanaian diaspora groups based in the U.S.; these include social groups, charitable and humanitarian organizations, and professional associations (such as the Ghana Physicians and Nurses Association), and regional groups (such as the Ghana National Council of Chicago). Some Ghanaian American organizations are pan-ethnic, while others focus on specific ethnic backgrounds, such as Ewe, Asante, and Gadangme. Most organizations do not have full-time professional staff or large budgets; the largest Ghanaian American organization in terms of revenue was the

Ashesi University Ashesi University ( ) is a private, non-profit university located in Accra, Ghana. The mission of Ashesi University is to educate ethical, entrepreneurial leaders in Africa; to cultivate within students the critical thinking skills, the concer ...

Foundation, which is based on Seattle.

Notable people

Sports

Joseph Addai Joseph Kwaku Duah Addai Jr. ( ) (born May 3, 1983) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected in the first round (30th overall pick) of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University b ...

, former American football runningback of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

* Xavier Adibi, former American football linebacker *

Freddy Adu Fredua Koranteng Adu (born June 2, 1989) is an American professional soccer player who played as an attacking midfielder. The last club he played for was Ettan Fotboll club Österlen FF. From before the time of his signing with D.C. United at ...

, soccer player of the

Las Vegas Lights FC Las Vegas Lights FC is an American professional soccer team based in Las Vegas, Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho ...

for the

United Soccer League United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a soccer league in the United States and Canada. It organizes several men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Men's leagues currently organized are the ...

Ezekiel Ansah Ezekiel Nana "Ziggy" Ansah (born May 29, 1989) is a Ghanaian professional American football defensive end who is a free agent. Born in Accra, Ghana, he moved to the United States to attend Brigham Young University, where he played college footbal ...

, American football defensive end for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League * Jon Asamoah, former offensive guard for the National Football League * Larry Asante, American football safety *

Joshua Clottey Joshua Clottey (born October 6, 1977) is a Ghanaian former professional boxer who competed from 1995 to 2019, and held the IBF welterweight title from 2008 to 2009. As an amateur, he competed at the 1994 Commonwealth Games. At the peak of his car ...

, professional boxer who held the

IBF The International Boxing Federation (IBF) is one of four major organizations recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) which sanctions professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Counci ...

welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...

title from 2008-2009 * Ebenezer Ekuban, American football defensive end of the National Football League for the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...

Kofi Kingston Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-ha ...

* Nana Kuffour *

Nazr Mohammed Nazr Tahiru Mohammed ( ; born September 5, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player who had a journeyman career in the National Basketball Association (NBA), playing for eight different teams over 18 seasons. He is the current ...

Prince Nana Nana Osei Bandoh is an American professional wrestler and manager of Ghanaian extraction, better known by his ring name, Prince Nana. He has stated that he is an Ashanti prince. Early life Although Nana was born in the United States, he clai ...

Akwasi Owusu-Ansah Akwasi Owusu-Ansah ( ; born April 10, 1988) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, and Detroit Lions. He also was a member of the Toronto Argonauts i ...

Charlie Peprah Charles Yaw Peprah (born February 24, 1983) is a former American football safety and current football scout. He played college football at Alabama. Peprah was drafted by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He has also b ...

* Robbie Russell *

C. J. Sapong Charles "CJ" Nana Kwabena Sapong (; born December 27, 1988) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer club Toronto FC. Born in Manassas, Virginia, Sapong was part of the D.C. United youth academy ...

Visanthe Shiancoe Visanthe O. Shiancoe (; born June 18, 1980) is a British former American football tight end. After playing college football for Morgan State, he was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played for the Giant ...

Clint Sintim Clint Kofi Sintim (born February 21, 1986) is the linebackers coach for the University of Virginia football team and a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the s ...

Jeremy Zuttah Jeremy Kwasi Zuttah (born June 1, 1986) is a former American football center. He played college football at Rutgers and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He also played with the Baltimore Ravens a ...

Orleans Darkwa Orleans Opoku-Darkwa (born February 28, 1992) is a former American football running back. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He has also played for the New York Giants. He played college football at Tulane. ...

Eli Apple Eli Apple (né Woodard, born August 9, 1995) is an American football cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he was a part of the team that won the 2015 College ...

Music, arts and entertainment

Virgil Abloh Virgil Abloh (; September 30, 1980 – November 28, 2021) was an American fashion designer and entrepreneur. He was the artistic director of Louis Vuitton's menswear collection beginning in 2018, and was given increased creative responsibilitie ...

* Naki Akarobettoe *

Rhian Benson Rhiannon Afua "Rhian" Benson (born 10 January 1977 in Accra, Ghana) is a Ghanaian-British soul and jazz singer and songwriter. Early life Benson was born in Accra, Ghana, to a Welsh mother, who was a singer, and an Ashanti father, who was a g ...

* Michael Blackson *

Sufe Bradshaw Sufe Bradshaw ( ; born November 30, 1979) is an American actress, best known for her role as Sue, the secretary and scheduler with an acerbic wit, to Vice-President Selina Meyer, in the HBO comedy series ''Veep''. Her prior acting credits incl ...

* Roseanne A. Brown *

William Chapman Nyaho William H. Chapman Nyaho (surname Chapman Nyaho; b. Washington, D.C., 1958) is an American concert pianist specializing in solo piano music by composers from Africa and the African diaspora. He graduated from the Achimota School in Achimota, wh ...

Jay Ghartey Jay Ghartey, also known as Kweku Gyasi Ghartey, is a Ghanaian–American music producer, singer, and songwriter based in New York City, describing his style as African Rhythm and Blues. He released his debut album ''Shining Gold'' in 2011. He i ...

Lance Gross Lance Darnell Kwaku Gross (born July 8, 1981) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Calvin Payne on the TBS sitcom '' Tyler Perry's House of Payne'' and OWN sitcom '' Tyler Perry's The Paynes''., as well as appearing in other Ty ...

Boris Kodjoe Boris Frederic Cecil Tay-Natey Ofuatey-Kodjoe (; born March 8, 1973) is a German actor, producer, and former model best known for his roles as Kelby in the 2002 film ''Brown Sugar'', the sports-courier agent Damon Carter on the Showtime drama se ...

Kwesi Boakye Kwesi Nii-Lante Boakye ( ; born April 6, 1999) is an American actor. He is best known for voicing Darwin, Gumball's best friend and adoptive brother and Gossamer on the Cartoon Network animated shows ''The Amazing World of Gumball'' and ''The ...

* Ofie Kodjoe * Peter Mensah *

Vic Mensa Vic (; es, Vic or Pancracio Celdrán (2004). Diccionario de topónimos españoles y sus gentilicios (5ª edición). Madrid: Espasa Calpe. p. 843. ISBN 978-84-670-3054-9. «Vic o Vich (viquense, vigitano, vigatán, ausense, ausetano, ausonense): ...

* Ian Jones-Quartey * Kwei Quartey * Sam Richardson *

Kofi Siriboe Nana-Kofi Siriboe (born March 2, 1994) is an American actor and model. He is best known for his role as Ralph Angel Bordelon on the television series ''Queen Sugar'' (2016–present). He has also appeared in films such as ''The Longshots'' (2008) ...

Moses Sumney Moses Sumney is a Ghanaian-American singer-songwriter. His self-recorded EP, ''Mid-City Island'', was released in 2014. He released another five-song EP in 2016, titled ''Lamentations''. His first full-length album, ''Aromanticism'', was released ...

* Rashad McCrorey

Other

*Akwasi Aidoo * Desmond Daniel Amofah * Kwame Anthony Appiah *

Kwabena Boahen Kwabena Adu Boahen is a Professor of Bioengineering and Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. He previously taught at the University of Pennsylvania. Education and early life Kwabena Boahen was born on September 22, 1964, in Accra, Ghan ...

Joy Buolamwini Joy Adowaa Buolamwini is a Ghanaian-American-Canadian computer scientist and digital activist based at the MIT Media Lab. Buolamwini introduces herself as a poet of code, daughter of art and science. She founded the Algorithmic Justice League ...

Paul Cuffee Paul Cuffe, also known as Paul Cuffee (January 17, 1759 – September 7, 1817) was an American businessman, whaler and abolitionist. Born free into a multiracial family on Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts, Cuffe became a successful merchant and ...

*Irene Dankwa-Mullan * Ave K. P. Kludze, Jr. * Samuel Koranteng-Pipim *

Monica Owusu-Breen Monica Owusu-Breen is an American television producer and screenwriter. Early life and education Owusu-Breen has described herself as "half-Spanish, half Ghanaian". She was born in England and lived in Spain as a child, where she learned to spe ...

Jonathan Corbblah Jonathan Corbblah (born ) is a chess master from New York City, known for appearing on as many American game shows as possible. Personal life Jonathan Corbblah was born in . As a child, he was almost held back in the first grade because he wa ...

* Emmanuel K. Akyeampong * Oral Ofori * Daniel A. Wubah

References

External links

National Council of Ghanaian Associations
*
news about Ghana and Ghanaian Americans
{{ethnic groups in the United States West Africans in the United States