Black immigrants make up a growing share of the country’s population, accounting for 8% of all immigrants. Nearly half (47%) of black immigrants in the United States come from the Caribbean, while about four in ten (43%) come from sub-Saharan Africa, with smaller shares coming from South America and Europe (3% from both regions). Most Black immigrants are U.S. citizens (68%), while one in five (21%) have a valid visa or green card and about one in ten (8%) are likely undocumented. Like immigrants overall, black immigrants come to the United States seeking greater opportunities for themselves and their children, and most report improved educational opportunities, employment opportunities, and financial situations as a result of moving to the United States. However, Black immigrants report disproportionate injustice and discrimination in the workplace, in the community, and in seeking health care, reflecting the intersectional impact of racism and anti-immigrant sentiment. Below are five key facts about their experiences, based on the 2023 KFF/LA Times Immigrant Survey with a sample size of 3,358 adult immigrants (18 years and older), including 274 adult Black immigrants.
Three in four (76%) black immigrants work, and most say their situation has improved as a result of coming to the United States
Like immigrants overall, black immigrants say they came to the U.S. primarily for better economic and employment opportunities (87%), better educational opportunities (81%) and a better future for their children (80%). that moving to the USA made them better off in terms of educational opportunities for themselves and their children (85%), their financial situation (74%) and their employment situation (74%). About two-thirds (65%) also say they are doing better when it comes to security (Figure 1).
Black immigrants face disproportionate financial challenges, including paying for health care.
About four in ten (44%) Black immigrants have lower incomes (household income below $40,000 per year), suggesting that most employed Black immigrants work for an hourly wage (69%). Because of these lower incomes, half (50%) of Black immigrants report that they or someone in their household has had difficulty paying for at least one basic service, including rent/mortgage, groceries, health, health care, or other utilities in the past 12 months bills, about twice the share of white (27%) and Asian immigrants (20%) who say the same (Figure 2). Specifically, three in ten (30%) Black immigrants report that their household has had trouble paying for health care in the past 12 months, compared to about one in six White immigrants (17%) and about one in eight Asian immigrants (12% ).
Most (56%) employed black immigrants say they have experienced at least one form of discrimination or unfair treatment at work that was asked about in the survey.
A majority of employed Black immigrants (56%) say they have experienced at least one type of discrimination or unfair treatment in the workplace, similar to and higher than the share of employed Hispanic immigrants who report this (55%) the share of employed Asians (44%) and white immigrants (31%) reporting the same. Of employed black immigrants, about half (47%) say they were offered fewer opportunities for promotions or raises than those born in the U.S., and three in 10 (31%) say they were paid less for them than U.S.-born people. A quarter (25%) say they worked worse shifts or had less control over their work hours than U.S.-born people, and about one in five said they were not responsible for all the hours worked or did not work, were paid overtime pay (22%), or were harassed or threatened by someone at their workplace because they were immigrants (22%) (Figure 3). Beyond experiences of mistreatment, about one in three (34%) Black immigrants with less than a college degree say they are overqualified for their job and that they have more skills and education than the job requires. This proportion rises to about half (53%) of those with a college degree or higher.
Black immigrants report disproportionate injustice in social and police interactions.
Most (55%) Black immigrants say they have experienced worse treatment than U.S.-born people in at least one of the following places: in a store or restaurant, in interactions with police, or when buying or renting a home Shares reporting this among Hispanic (42%), Asian (36%) or white immigrants (22%). Specifically, about four in ten (38%) Black immigrants report experiencing worse treatment in interactions with police, about a third (35%) report this in a store or restaurant, and about a quarter (26%) say so , being treated worse when buying or renting a home (Figure 4). Additionally, about one in three (34%) Black immigrants say they have been criticized for speaking a language other than English, and about four in ten (45%) say they have been told to “go back.” where they are from,” higher than the proportion of Hispanic (34%), Asian (32%) or white (25%) immigrants reporting this experience.
Among those who have received medical care in the United States, Black immigrants are more likely than other immigrant groups to report being treated unfairly by a health care provider.
About four in ten (38%) Black immigrants who have received or attempted to receive health care in the U.S. say they have been treated differently or unfairly by a health care provider, higher than the share of Hispanics (28%) and Asian (21%) immigrant. and white immigrants (18%) who say this. The proportion of Black immigrants who report unfair treatment by a health care provider includes approximately a quarter (25%) who say they were treated unfairly because of their race, ethnicity, or color and 23% who say they were treated unfairly have been treated unfairly because of their race, ethnicity or color, health insurance or ability to pay, and about one in six (16%) say they have been treated differently because of their accent or ability to speak English (Figure 5).