A House with Two Rooms - The Advocates for Human Rights

in a university. We are looked at as if we came here to take from them what
belongs to them. 380
Another interviewee noted that there is a perception that African Americans “accused us of taking
over their community.” 381 “African Americans are always afraid that Africans coming here will take
their jobs and that white people like Africans better. It’s a myth…it’s a divide-and-rule tactic.” 382
Conflicts between recent African immigrants and African Americans can become very dangerous
when played out amongst youth. Interviewees in Minnesota reported these conflicts as a problem in
schools, and this very serious concern for youth was documented in other sources as well. 383 “African
pupils are singled out because of their accents and non-trendy dress and…the harassment exceeds
normal middle-school-age teasing…” 384 In Staten Island, a service provider noted that relations got
so bad that a group of African children formed a group for protection. One member of that group, a
Liberian, shot another student in 2005 and was convicted of murder. 385
An African American community leader in Minnesota noted that, although initiatives to bring
African immigrants and African Americans together have been undertaken, they are often “one-shot”
efforts and there is little sustained opportunity. 386 He noted that the African American community
does sometimes perceive immigrants, whether from Africa or elsewhere, as “taking something” such
as opportunities, from established communities. 387 He noted that African immigrants and African
Americans have common problems as people of color. According to him, those mutual concerns
should lead to mutual understanding and collaborative work on issues such as education, health
disparities, and other social and economic rights. 388
Gender Role Reversals
Liberian women in the United States have found new economic and educational opportunities. They
have found increased job prospects, thus garnering greater economic power and independence for
themselves. Furthermore, because many Liberian women work in the health care industry, they have
the opportunity to work overtime and possibly make more money than their partners. 389
New opportunities in the diaspora have led to a shift in gender roles from traditional lifestyles in
Liberia where, according to one community leader, “our moms were the ones who were involved in
our lives…dad brought home the money.” 390 Here in the diaspora, “most women in our community
make more money than men” and they work more hours, meaning that “they’re not home to take care
of kids, not home to cook for their husbands.” 391
Both men and women interviewees reported that some Liberian men find the altered gender roles and
power structure in the United States difficult to accept. 392 “The men feel less of a man…it is about
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