The Balch Institute Collections, The Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Vera Viditz-Ward

African businesses offer more than goods and services. They are also meeting places where compatriots gather to share information. Many community events, such as funerals, weddings, and birthday celebrations, are organized from such establishments, which are patronized by a community of immigrants from the same country or region. Some highly educated immigrants have opened businesses as a second option, after realizing that their limited proficiency in English or their foreign degrees would not enable them to get the American jobs they coveted. Others hold a regular job while operating a store to help family members or to fulfill their entrepreneurial dream.