Nigerians Abroad: Migrants, Immigrants, and the New Diaspora

This chapter discusses Nigerians in the British, American, and Chinese diasporas. Nigerians are the most educated immigrant group in Britain and one of the most educated immigrant groups in the United States. Their migration stream is shaped by a culture of professional migration. Nigerian migration to China is somewhat different as most Nigerians in China migrated to engage in trade. The chapter then looks at the Nigerian second generation in the United States and Britain and not in China because they are still young, examining how they identify and their experiences in the workplace. It discusses second generation Nigerians identification endpoints and whether their high levels of educational attainment allow them to exit the black category, be whitened, or become honorary whites. They cannot because of the persistence of racial barriers. But the demographic changes being wrought in the United States and Britain from steady large-scale migration from many parts of the world has opened up space for first- and second-generation Nigerians and other African immigrants to assert their ethnic, cultural, and class differences from the more established black groups in these countries. While the immigration laws and regime in China keep many Nigerians in a state of immobility. The chapter concludes with discussions on the future of the US and British color lines and directions for future research.