Monthly Archives: December 2020

Philadelphia is the largest city in the state of Pennsylvania and is one of the oldest cities in the United States.  Founded in 1682 by Englishman William Penn, a social reformer and champion of liberty, he named the city Philadelphia using the Greek term meaning “brotherly love”.  Philadelphia has the nickname “City of Brotherly Love” and is nowadays more casually known by locals and non-locals alike as “Philly”.  The Philadelphia metropolitan area has over 6 million people (America’s eighth-largest metropolis) and includes cities and towns in the states of New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, in addition to Pennsylvania.  Philadelphia has a large population of West Africans immigrants, including 15,000 Liberians in the metropolitan area, and even more scattered throughout the state of Pennsylvania.  Philadelphia has a neighborhood in the southwest part of the city that is nicknamed “Little Monrovia”, which refers to Liberia’s capital and most populous city.  The city is home to the African Cultural Alliance of North America, an organization that provides services to African immigrants and hosts cultural events.  The CEO of the organization is originally from Liberia.   

Los Angeles is America’s second most populous city after New York.  Greater Los Angeles—which includes Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, Ventura County, and Orange County—has a population of nearly 19 million people.  If Greater Los Angeles were its own country, it would be the 15th largest economy in the world (its GDP is more than twice the size of the combined economies of Nigeria and Liberia).  Known for its endless sprawl (and endless freeways), Greater Los Angeles is the largest metropolitan region in the United States by land area and includes over 200 cities such as Santa Monica, Pasadena, Malibu, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Burbank, Long Beach, Inglewood, Irvine, Anaheim, Oxnard, and Huntington Beach.  Los Angeles is well known for its huge immigrant population and attracts people from all over the world.  Although the African immigrant community in Los Angeles is much smaller than other groups from Asia and Latin America, there is still a sizable population of West Africans throughout Southern California.  The immigrant population of Liberians in Greater Los Angeles is estimated to be around 2,000 residents.  

Seattle is the largest city in America’s Pacific Northwest region and located in the state of Washington.  The Seattle metropolitan area has a population of 4 million people and is the fifteenth-largest metropolis in the United States.  Known as the “Emerald City”, Seattle is situated in a magnificent natural environment, surrounded by evergreen forests, mountains, and water.  Having no shortage of scenic views, outdoor activities, cultural events, trendy restaurants and coffee shops, it is no surprise that Seattle is a popular tourist destination with over 40 million visitors coming to the city each year. Just 100 miles south of the Canadian border, Seattle is America's northernmost metropolis.  The Seattle metropolitan area includes the cities of Tacoma, Bellevue, Kent, Everett, Renton, Kirkland, and Redmond.  There are an estimated 1,000 Liberian immigrants living in Seattle and the area is home to the Liberian Association of Washington State.  Seattle is also home to several humanitarian aid organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation who have donated millions of dollars to tackle public health issues in Liberia.  

The city of Orlando, located in the Central Florida region of the United States and known as “the City Beautiful”, is ranked as America’s 23rd most-populous city.  The Orlando metropolitan area has a population of 2.6 million people and is home to several theme parks including Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, and Universal Studios.  Orlando’s theme parks, natural attractions, and year-round warm weather make it one of the most-visited cities in the world.  The Orlando metropolitan area includes various cities and towns such as Kissimmee, Sanford, St. Cloud, Winter Garden, Winter Park, Altamonte Springs, and Apopka. While the Liberian immigrant community in Orlando is small, the Central Florida region has experienced tremendous population growth and is becoming an extremely diverse city.  As more companies continue to invest in this region due to its business-friendly environment and low cost of living, there will be more relocation of Liberian (and other West African) immigrants to the Orlando area, following the trend of native-born Americans moving to the Sun Belt from other parts of the U.S.  Orlando is also a destination for an increasing number of international students as schools like University of Central Florida and Valencia College expand. 

Chicago is America’s third-most-populous city and its metropolitan area, known as Chicagoland, has a population approaching 10 million people.  Chicago is a vibrant international city with a robust economy that is the corporate headquarters for 57 Fortune 1000 companies.  While manufacturing and food processing provide a strong foundation for its economy, the city is also an important financial center and is home to the Chicago Stock Exchange, Chicago Board Options Exchange, and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The Chicago metropolitan area covers 14 counties across three states—Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin—and includes cities like Aurora, Naperville, Joliet, Elgin, Waukegan, Cicero, Skokie, Gary (Indiana), and Kenosha (Wisconsin).  Chicago’s Liberian immigrant population is not as large as other U.S. cities because many of those that came as refugees have relocated to other parts of the state or other parts of the country, however, there are still several thousand Liberians that live throughout Illinois.  Chicago is home to African International House USA, an organization founded by a native of Liberia and whose mission is to promote African-based culture through its popular annual event, the African Festival of the Arts.

Charlotte is the 23rd-most populous city in the United States and is the most populous city in the state of North Carolina.  Known as the Queen City, this metropolis of 2.6 million people has been one of the country’s fastest-growing cities the past two decades.  Charlotte’s youthful population, low cost of living, and geographical location in America’s Sun Belt, have made it an attractive destination for business investment.  The Charlotte metropolitan area is a sixteen-county region that stretches into the state of South Carolina and includes the towns of Concord, Gastonia, Huntersville, Kannapolis, Indian Trail, Mooresville, Monroe, Salisbury, Matthews, Cornelius, Mint Hill, Statesville, Shelby, Rock Hill (SC), and Fort Mill (SC).  There are an estimated 3,000 Liberian immigrants living in the Charlotte area and as many as 10,000 throughout North Carolina.  Charlotte is home to a nonprofit organization representing the Liberian community and the city even has a Liberian restaurant.  

The Greater Miami Area is the seventh-largest metropolitan area in the United States and has a population of 6.2 million people.  The metropolitan area is composed of Miami-Dade County, Broward County, and Palm Beach County.  Its main cities include Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Hialeah, Coral Gables, Miami Gardens, Miramar, Homestead, Davie, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, and Boca Raton.  This is a diverse community where 40% of the population was born in another country, however, the immigrant population of West Africans in Miami is small compared to other major U.S. cities, and there are very few Liberians—the majority of Liberians in the state of Florida reside in the Jacksonville area.  In the United States, many Liberians immigrants have worked as nurses and caregivers.  As the nursing care industry continues to grow throughout Florida, there will likely be increased opportunities for Liberian immigrants in Miami.    

Atlanta has a population of over 6 million people, making it the 9th most populous metropolitan area in the United States.  Atlanta is the capital of Georgia, which is the 8th most populous of the 50 states.  The city and surrounding area—known as the Atlanta metropolitan area—is the commercial capital of the Southeast United States and has the third-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the country.  The metropolitan area includes the municipalities of Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta, Marietta, Duluth, Lawrenceville, Tucker, Lithonia, Decatur, Clarkston, Conyers, and many others.  Atlanta has a Liberian immigrant population of at least 20,000 people and is home to several nonprofit organizations that support the Liberian community in the U.S.  The city is also home to the Carter Center, which has provided services in Liberia for many years.  Atlanta has a large cohort of black-owned businesses and professional groups that will surely play a role in the development of Liberia’s economy in the years ahead.   

Los Angeles is America’s second most populous city after New York.  Greater Los Angeles—which includes Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, Ventura County, and Orange County—has a population of nearly 19 million people.  Known for its endless sprawl (and endless freeways), Greater Los Angeles is the largest metropolitan region in the United States by land area and includes over 200 cities such as Santa Monica, Pasadena, Malibu, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Burbank, Long Beach, Irvine, Anaheim, Oxnard, and Huntington Beach.  There are nearly 20,000 Turkish people living in Greater Los Angeles (mostly in Orange County) and there are several chapters of the Turkish American Association operating across Southern California.  The University of California Los Angeles and a few private language schools in the area have Turkish language courses.  Turkish Airlines operates direct flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to Istanbul (IST).

Philadelphia is the largest city in the state of Pennsylvania and is one of the oldest cities in the United States.  Founded in 1682 by Englishman William Penn, a social reformer and champion of liberty, he named the city Philadelphia using the Greek term meaning “brotherly love”.  Philadelphia has the nickname “City of Brotherly Love” and is nowadays more casually known by locals and non-locals alike as “Philly”.  The Philadelphia metropolitan area has over 6 million people (America’s eighth-largest metropolis) and includes cities and towns in the states of New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, in addition to Pennsylvania.  There are several thousand Turkish people in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, many of them coming to study or open small businesses.  There are Turkish Student Associations at the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel, and Temple University.  The Penn Language Center at the University of Pennsylvania offers courses in the Turkish language.