Africa has the most developing countries in the world. Unfortunately the perpetual political and economic precarity in the continent has performed as the “push” factor during the global migration movement. Every year, more Africans resort to emigration as a response to the demise of the socioeconomic development in their home countries.

According to U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), Washington Metropolitan Area (WMA) is among the top choices of destination in the United States (U.S.) for African immigrants. Based on 2011 ACS 1-year estimate statistics, there are 212,614 immigrants in WMA who were born in Africa. It counts over 12.7% of the total population of African immigrants in the U.S.

While descriptive statistics on African immigration trend is available, few studies have addressed questions including, what is the rationale behind Africans’ choices of destination other than economic incentives? What resources do African immigrants mobilize to empower themselves? What is the role of African immigrants in regional labor market structure and economic development?

To further examine the rationale behind African immigrants’ choice of WMA and their economic contribution to the Greater DC area, the research paper will include a comparative case study of another popular destination for African immigrants, Guangdong Province in China. The 2011 official data from National Bureau of Statistics of China shows that there are over 20,000 Africans living legally in Guangzhou city, which is the capital city of Guangdong Province. The number could be as high as 150,000 if including the undocumented African immigrants and those who reside in the city temporarily to seek tangible business opportunities.

This research answers three sets of questions that examine the characteristics and the role of African immigration in both WMA and Guangdong Province.
Question Set 1: What are the common characteristics of the top African-immigrant-sending countries to the two regions? What is the rationale behind African migrants’ choices of destination? Why do some Africans choose to immigrant to China instead of the US, ceteris paribus, while some choose the US over China?
Question Set 2: In which ways (i.e. income, education, and occupation) do African immigrants feel more empowered or more marginalized in the places where they settle?
Question Set 3: What is the role of African immigration in regional development and local labor structure? How does it fit in the global institutional and theoretical framework on regional development and labor economy?

This comparative case study uses both quantitative and qualitative research methods to answer these questions. Focusing on two regions—Washington Metropolitan Area and Guangdong Province—that are in two highly competitive yet drastically different state economies, this study will generate primary data through surveys and field research. Investigation will be complemented by statistical analysis and mapping based on ACS and BLS datasets. This research has high intellectual merits since it covers an unprecedented niche policy subject will that is highly valuable to policy makers from both regions. It also underscores salience of immigration and labor policies under the auspices of globalization.