The maps below present the Africa-born population in the midwestern United States based on the 2015 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau.

They were created by Dr. Di Shi and Regina Thomas of the KU Department of Geography and Atmospheric Science and are being shared under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 license.

Julie Morris, PhD candidate in the Department of Geography and Atmospheric Science, discusses African immigration to the Midwest, with extensive demographic comparisons of the newcomers to those born in the U.S.

Annotated Bibliography of additional readings on migration to the Midwest

Professor Abel Chikanda, KU Department of African & African-American Studies, places African immigration to the U.S. in historical context and discusses the degree to which these African immigrants exhibit the economic mobility and social inclusion necessary for successful integration into their new communities.

Don Stull is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Anthropology at KU. His work focuses on the meat and poultry industry in North America, rural industrialization and rapid growth communities, and industrial agriculture’s impact on farmers and rural communities.

Beverly Mack is a Professor of African Studies in the Department of African and African American Studies and a Courtesy Professor of Religious Studies. Her work focuses on Islamic and African literature and Muslim women’s lives in West Africa.