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45 Int'l Migration Rev. 3 (2011)

handle is hein.journals/imgratv45 and id is 1 raw text is: INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION REVIEW What Explains the Increasing Trend in African Emigration to the U.S.? Kevin J. A. Thomas Pennsylvania State University In this study, data from the U.S. State Department on visas issued abroad and information from other sources are used to examine trends in African emigration to the U.S. The results suggest that, on average, moderate increases in African Gross Domestic Product between 1992 and 2007 had a buffering effect on emigration trends. Yet, emigration to the U.S. increased much faster from the poorest than wealthiest countries in Africa. Contrary to expectations, larger emigration increases were found in Africa's non-English than English- speaking countries. Despite the increasing overall trend, however, crit- ical differences were observed in the impacts of specific types of flows. For example, overall trends were driven by increases in Diversity Visa migration, refugee movements, and the migration of immediate rela- tives. However, significant declines were observed in employment- related emigration from Africa to the U.S. The results further suggest that impact of trends in African fertility, urbanization, and phone use are circumscribed to specific contexts and types of migration flows. The findings, therefore, provide an empirical basis for concluding that the dynamics of African migration to the U.S. are becoming increas- ingly more complex. INTRODUCTION The surge in African migration to Europe and North America toward the end of the twentieth century is well documented in the literature (Hoggart and Mendoza, 1999; Owusu, 1999; Arthur, 2000; Van Moppes, 2006; Carling, 2007). Not surprisingly, these trends have engendered increased scholarly attention to the determinants of these movements. Much of the discourse on contemporary African emigration, however, revolves around an elucidation of its determinants (e.g., Hatton and Williamson, 2003; Adepoju, 2004, 2006) or give special focus to issues such as the migration of skilled professionals (Reynolds, 2002; Eastwood et al., 2005; Hagopian et al., 2005). In doing so, the current discourse D 2011 by the Center for Migration Studies of New York. All rights reserved. DOI: 10.1111/j.1747-7379.2010.00837.x IMR Volume 45 Number 1 (Spring 2011):3-28 3

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