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Yoruba Americans facts for kids

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Yoruba Americans
Total population
196,000 (estimate)
Regions with significant populations
Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston and Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Florida, Louisiana, California and most Southern States.
Languages
English (American English), Yoruba, Nigerian English), French, Spanish and Nigerian Pidgin.
Religion
Christianity, Islam, and Yoruba religion
Related ethnic groups
African Americans, Beninese Americans, Black Canadians, Nigerian Americans, Nigerian Canadians, Yoruba Canadians, Yoruba people

Yoruba Americans are people in the United States who have Yoruba ancestors. The Yoruba people are a large group from West Africa. Most of them live in southwestern Nigeria. There are also smaller groups in Benin and Togo. The name in Yoruba is Yoruba: Àwọn ọmọ Yorùbá Amẹrika.

A Look at Yoruba American History

Early Arrivals: The Atlantic Slave Trade

The first Yoruba people came to the United States long ago. They were brought as slaves from Nigeria and Benin. This happened during the Atlantic slave trade. Many people from Nigeria, including the Yoruba and Igbo, were forced to come to America.

People from Benin, like the Nago, Ewe, and Fon, were also brought here. The King of Dahomey often sold slaves from Whydah.

Keeping Culture Alive

These enslaved people brought their cultures with them. They kept their languages, food, and religious beliefs. These beliefs often involved spirits and honoring ancestors. For example, the ways of the Yoruba, Fon, and Ewe people from Benin helped shape Louisiana Voodoo. Later, Haitians who moved to Louisiana also added to this culture. Many Haitians also had Yoruba, Fon, and Ewe roots.

Santería: A New Religion in America

The Santería religion came to the U.S. with Cuban immigrants. Santería mixes the Yoruba religion with Roman Catholicism. In New York City, a man named Oba Ifa Morote helped start Santería. He was born in Cuba in 1903. He moved to New York City in 1946. He became known as Padrino and practiced as a babalawo, a spiritual leader.

Tribal Marks and Identity

In the past, Yoruba people and some other groups in northern Nigeria had special marks on their faces. These were called tribal facial identification marks. They helped people know which group someone belonged to. If a slave escaped, these marks might have helped them find their way back. But very few slaves could escape.

Slave owners often tried to stop these cultural practices. They sometimes mixed people from different groups. This made it harder for them to talk and plan rebellions. Today, many African Americans have Yoruba ancestors.

New Beginnings: Immigration After Slavery

After slavery ended in 1865, more Nigerians of Yoruba background came to the U.S. This started in the mid-1900s. Many came for school, to study at colleges and universities.

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a new law. It was called the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. This law made it easier for many Nigerians, including those of Yoruba descent, to move to the United States.

During the 1960s and 1970s, after the Nigerian-Biafran War, Nigeria's government offered scholarships. Many Nigerian students came to American universities. At the same time, Nigeria had many changes in its government. This caused many Nigerians to move away from their home country. Most of these immigrants were Yoruba, Igbo, and Ibibio.

Notable Yoruba Americans

See also

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