Opening the door and enter into the world where America meets Africa. By America, I meaning African American girls and women sitting in pain as they get their hair braided or waiting patiently but nervously in line.
African women sitting perched on high chairs and stools speaking to each other or on phone in their native languages of Igbo, Hausa, Wolof, Mande, Fula or the colonizing language, of French.
African movies from Nollywood or Ghana playing loudly on the TV.
The walls vivid with bright greens, bold oranges, and reds. The smell of incents burning and Shea butter mixing to create a nostalgic atmosphere to those who are familiar.
West African women are immigrating into New York City and using traditional skill passed down generation to generation to provide economy opportunities for themselves Harlem.
Some have become business owners opening salons and provide an opportunity to a newly immigrated West African woman.
“A lot of women came because they knew the could make more money braiding hair.” Said, Loqia, a mother of four young children and salon owner.
West African woman providing hair-braiding services in Harlem can be traced back to 1970s.
“My mom was one of the first African hair salons in Harlem but now you can find one on every block. I came over to learned English and take over the salon from my mother”
The salons true explain of cultural convergence, African hairstyles like Senegalese twists and Ghana braids are very popular in Harlem.
Fatouma Cohen said,” We would all get together and braids each other’s hair. I learned how to braid for my grandmother.”
Fatouma continued, “ She taught me how to braid because it was her job. I never thought I could make money in America braiding hair. I came here and worked as a CNA. But I quit to open up a salon with my sister. ”
Her salon located on 3rd ave between 110th and 111th street charges anywhere from $150.00 dollars for box braids to $20.00 dollars per cornrow braids.
West Africans are a very religious group of people. Islam has been the main religion in West Africa since the early 7th century.
“Most people don’t assume you are Muslim because you aren’t Arab looking and if you don’t wear the hijab. Some people are surprised when I say I am because I don’t look like I am.” Says Oluoremi Iwelu, a 24-year Muslim hair braider from Nigeria.
“Our religion is one of the things that make us different from African Americans,” she went on to say.
One of the hard parts of being immigrants is assimilating into the new culture environment. However, the West Africa community has created a net for newcomers.
If you ask any immigrant why they came to America and New York more specifically. They will tell they came for a better life; West African’s are no different. Sali a 24-year Fulani girl from Mali, who is studying to get her GED said.
“Money is different here than in my country, you can make a lot more here. The difference is big, I braided hair in my country too.” Sali wants to go to college here, but she has to save up the money.
When asked about racism, Sali like other West African don’t believe they experience racism like African American. However Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, feminist and author of Americanah wrote that,
“Dear Non-American Black, when you make the choice to come to America, you become black. Stop arguing. Stop saying I’m Jamaican or I’m Ghanaian. America doesn’t care.”
Different culture and nationality seem to be the biggest divide between West African and African American.
“We don’t see each other as the same, we even braid hair differently but we all bleed the same.” Said Sali.
At Fanny Mae and Mimi’s African hair braiding salons in East Harlem, Jennifer, an international business student at Berkley College. Bridging the gap from African to African American.
“I was born in Mali but I can here where I was three so I help my mom and the other ladies understand American culture.”
Nneka, another West African student born in Nigeria but raised in America believes,” A lot of West African make it a point to not lost their culture, but then also the have to learn the western culture.”
New York Times estimates that those born in Africa are about 4 percent of New York City’s immigrant population. Nneka a recently New York transplant believes that this number will keep growing, because, ”New York City is great place for young African people looking for opportunities’”
African Americans have been in New York City since 1905, because of the Great Migration while Africans started immigrating to New York in as early as the 1790s in neighborhoods like Concourse Village in the Bronx and Lel Petit Senegal in Harlem.
Billie Jeans a famous African hair-braiding salon in little Senegal or “Le Petit Senegal” is African American owned. The owner, Joyce Nicholas, understands her employees,
“Most won’t talk to reports even students because of culture and some because of fear of messing up their immigration status. I’ve tried before but the just won’t.”
Around the corner at Hair designs by Oumou, Oumou thinks that,“It’s all about embracing your natural hair and the culture.”
Like the Malian Cultural Center, which has free French classes to central Harlem African and African American kids.
“I want to open a school to teach kids the techniques of hair braiding.”