Africa to (Latin) America

Today, NPR had an interesting segment on the increasing number of Africans immigrating to Latin America--specifically to Brazil and Argentina. This is a phenomenon I had no idea about. I'm so used to hearing about immigration in the US context--a divisive and polarizing issue--so it's surprising and disorienting to think that immigrants would emigrate to countries other than the US and Europe. But it makes sense. Lusane and Mundra say that many African immigrants are drawn to Latin America by economic factors--seeking better jobs. Considering Brazil's economy grew by nearly 6% in 2008 this makes sense. They also mention Argentina and Brazil's relatively lax immigration laws and the fact that a large portion of Brazil's population is of African descent as further incentives for African immigrants.

Immigration and the movement of people in the world really interests me. The idea of Somalis refugees dhow-boating to Dubai or educated Congolese seeking jobs in Brazil are fascinating vectors I've never thought about.