African Americans, African Immigrants and Homeland-Diaspora Development in Africa

Mainstream understandings of nation-state development focus primarily on economic factors, consequently rendering invisible other viable ways, through which important development occurs in African societies. In extending the current theoretical framework beyond its focus on economics to encompass political, human capital and technological development, this article provides evidence linking African Americans to African attempts at development, first in Ethiopia, which remained uncolonised until 1938 and then through Ghana, which became the first sub-Saharan African nation to gain its independence from British colonial rule. The resulting theoretical payoff includes a broadened concept of development, which much more accurately represents and predicts reality. Empirically, the findings offer much-needed insight about the relationship, correspondence and differences between African historical Diaspora in the United States and more recent migration movements from African countries.