Guyanese Americans are an ethnic group of Americans who can trace
their ancestry back to Guyana. As of 2011, there are 208,899 Guyanese
Americans currently living in the United States. The majority of
Guyanese live in New York City â€" some 140,000 â€" making them the
fifth-largest foreign-born population in the city.After the
independence of Guyana from the United Kingdom, in 1966, Guyanese
immigration to the United States increased dramatically. Political and
economic uncertainty, and the internal strife two years earlier as
well as a radical change in US immigration policy opening up
opportunities to non-Europeans prompted many Guyanese who could make
the move to seek opportunities abroad. An average of 6,080 people a
year emigrated from Guyana between 1969 and 1976, increasing to an
average of 14,400 between 1976 and 1981.Many of the first Guyanese
immigrants to the United States were of African descent. They were
women who were recruited as domestic workers or nursing assistants.
Prior to the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 Guyanese of Asian
descent faced immigration restrictions because of existence of Asiatic
Barred Zone. However, many Guyanese who had studied in the US in the
mid 20th century or earlier stayed on in the US; although some like
Cheddi Jagan returned to Guyana. Shirley Chisholm's father represents
one of the earliest of Guyanese immigrants to the US during the 20th
century; emigration from Guyana at that time was mostly to Caribbean
or Commonwealth countries.Many Indo-Guyanese immigrants emigrated to
New York City during the upheavals of the 1970s and 1980s, a group
descended from the original Indian indentured servants that arrived to
Guyana in the early 1800s after the abolishing of slavery by the
British Empire.
their ancestry back to Guyana. As of 2011, there are 208,899 Guyanese
Americans currently living in the United States. The majority of
Guyanese live in New York City â€" some 140,000 â€" making them the
fifth-largest foreign-born population in the city.After the
independence of Guyana from the United Kingdom, in 1966, Guyanese
immigration to the United States increased dramatically. Political and
economic uncertainty, and the internal strife two years earlier as
well as a radical change in US immigration policy opening up
opportunities to non-Europeans prompted many Guyanese who could make
the move to seek opportunities abroad. An average of 6,080 people a
year emigrated from Guyana between 1969 and 1976, increasing to an
average of 14,400 between 1976 and 1981.Many of the first Guyanese
immigrants to the United States were of African descent. They were
women who were recruited as domestic workers or nursing assistants.
Prior to the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 Guyanese of Asian
descent faced immigration restrictions because of existence of Asiatic
Barred Zone. However, many Guyanese who had studied in the US in the
mid 20th century or earlier stayed on in the US; although some like
Cheddi Jagan returned to Guyana. Shirley Chisholm's father represents
one of the earliest of Guyanese immigrants to the US during the 20th
century; emigration from Guyana at that time was mostly to Caribbean
or Commonwealth countries.Many Indo-Guyanese immigrants emigrated to
New York City during the upheavals of the 1970s and 1980s, a group
descended from the original Indian indentured servants that arrived to
Guyana in the early 1800s after the abolishing of slavery by the
British Empire.
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