http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_25885140/colorados-african-immigrants-step-up-politically-neguse-candidacy
Colorado's African immigrants step up politically on Neguse candidacy By
Joey Bunch
The Denver Post
Posted: 06/03/2014 12:01:00 AM MDT51 Comments | Updated: about 23 hours
ago
The proof of a rising Colorado political bloc is on the ballot in November
as Joe Neguse, son of Eritrean parents, runs for secretary of state, and
Naquetta Ricks, born in Liberia, could join the University of Colorado
Board of Regents.
The emergence of African candidates for state office seems sudden, but the
political momentum of first- and second-generation Africans in Colorado has
been building for decades since Jimmy Carter signed the Refugee Act of
1980, which brought the first wave to the Rocky Mountains.
The left-leaning bloc has money, organization and solidarity to support
candidates in this closely divided swing state, according to community
organizers and some academics who have studied the evolution of the
emerging demographic in Colorado.
Neguse and Ricks are among an estimated 50,000 first- and second-generation
African immigrants who live in the Denver metro region and operate more
than 300 businesses that employ thousands, according to census and other
data.
Mexico remains the most common country of origin for Colorado's immigrants,
but second is Ethiopia. All African countries account for about half as
many Mexicans, according to immigration statistics from the Department of
Homeland Defense.
With rising numbers and rising economic profile come rising power, and in
Colorado the Africa bloc is flexing its muscle.
A study by the City University of New York's Institute for Demographic
Research and the school's sociology department found that the election of
Barack Obama, the son of a Kenyan, energized others with immediate ties to
Africa.
Through several African groups, immigrants in the Denver metro area seem to
have embraced politics at an accelerated rate in a more sophisticated way
than those in other large U.S. cities, the study's co-author, Holly E.
Reed, said in an interview this week.
Ballot test
In other cities, African immigrants tend to stick to local issues. In
Colorado, they aim for the top.
This year, Neguse is the Democratic nominee for secretary of state, an
office coveted by national Republicans and Democrats in swing states this
year.
The Colorado Democratic Party named Neguse its "rising star" in 2012, and
politicos in each party say he could someday run for governor if this
year's campaign goes well.
Last month, Ethiopian-born Daniel Yohannes, who moved to Denver in 1992,
was appointed by President Obama as ambassador to the Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris.
Neguse and Ricks said their families' origins and and their appreciation of
America's opportunities fuel their fire for American values and public
service.
"I was raised with a heart for getting out and getting involved in the
community," said Ricks, who is president of Network Financial Group and a
public education activist in Aurora. "My family never took for granted the
opportunities we have here, especially higher education."
After she volunteered on Obama's Colorado campaign in 2012, Democrats and
the Denver-based African Leadership Group approached Ricks to run for
office. She has seen first-hand the rising tide of political interest from
the immigrant community.
"People are starting to wake up and say, 'We have to be heard in politics,'
" Ricks said.
A continuing trend
Political activity among African immigrants is a new but strong trend, said
Peter Van Arsdale, a cultural anthropologist and author who directs the
African Initiative at the University of Denver's Josef Korbel School of
International Studies.
"They've been active socially. They've been very active in business.
They've been active in education and science, but not so much politics,
until lately," he said.
Van Arsdale predicted that if Neguse is successful, it will step up the
pace even more. "I think Joe Neguse is going to open the door, and you're
going to see other people of African descent getting into politics, both
men and women," he said. "And I have no doubt the women will do just as
well as the men."
Many African cultures assign community leadership roles to women -- Liberia,
Central African Republic and Malawi have female presidents -- and those who
are raised with that expectation don't readily see political limitations,
Van Arsdale said.
Reed said U.S. immigration laws favor Africans who have education, skills
and a command of English, which other immigrant groups can't quickly match.
"They have a lot of human capital, a lot of things going for them when they
come to the United States," she said. "We're getting the highly qualified
and highly educated immigrants here."
The acceleration in African emigres is largely because of those who arrived
early, bringing family, said Reed. She noted that in New York City,
politicians are beginning to avail themselves to African immigrant
communities not only for their numbers, but also for their strong tendency
to vote and the increasing interest in donating to political campaigns.
"I think there's a recognition now that, 'Hey, we have some numbers, and we
could affect change, at least on the local level,' " Reed said.
Among Neguse's supporters and Ricks' volunteers is Ethiopian immigrant
Nebiyu Asfaw, a Denver metro area project manager for Verizon Business and
an organizer for the second annual Taste of Ethiopia Grand Festival at
Laredo Elementary School on July 27.
Asfaw's parents were businesspeople in Ethiopia who sent him here for a
better education and more opportunities.
"Because of the opportunities I've had, it made me want to give back, to
make a difference, to work together to make our community better," he said.
"That's not just an Ethiopian perspective -- that's an American perspective."
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174, jbunch_at_denverpost.com or twitter.com/joeybunch
Received on Wed Jun 04 2014 - 09:16:09 EDT