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African immigrants like US Blacks, are an untapped niche market within the US population. US African Chamber of Commerce estimates the buying power of African immigrants to be $50 billion dollars in annual consumer spending.

A new first-of-its-kind study undertaken by New American Dimensions and commissioned by the US African Chamber of Commerce (USACC) found this market to be underserved and completely mis-understood (see http://www.99clients.com/USACC/African_Immigrant_Presentation(2).pdf).

The 1.4 million African-immigrant market has been growing steadily in the United States. With this in mind the USACC commissioned this study to identify their consumption of goods and services in hopes of helping marketers understand the consumer attitudes, and buying habits of the African-immigrant market.

As expected a overwhelming majority of African-immigrants (87%) place high importance on staying connected with family and friends in their native country. This data is validated by their high use and ownership of electronic and communication devices such as computers (85%), cell phones (96%), and Internet access (73%),

When it comes to consumer purchases, most respondents cite word of mouth as a favorite influence in purchasing, demonstrating strong trust in friends and family. Other influences include Advertising (mainly TV and Print), Pricing, and Brand loyalty. Most like to purchase in person, instead of online, so they can see, touch, and examine what they’re buying.

African immigrant shoppers are prone to hunting around for the right price and the right product. More than one-third will generally choose the brand with the lowest price: Supermarkets are the most- patronized stores among this demographic group, while discount stores and low-end department stores are the top shopping venues for clothes and accessories. 58% of African immigrants prefer African food compared to food from other cultures. 46% buy products that agree with their religion.

The study found that media consumption in the African immigrant market basically surrounds their desire to stay informed and culturally aware of their homeland. African immigrants spend more hours watching English language media than African language media. CNN tops the list of favorite English-language TV channels followed by ABC, Fox and NBC. The majority of respondents believe Africans are usually portrayed negatively in the US media.

Respondents want to see positive images and stories about their home countries. Many point out that poverty, AIDs, and fighting monopolize press and fictional depictions of Africa. They want the media to show real people who are happyt and content, don’t focus on the jungles or tribal activity and avoid Coming-To-America stereotypes.

Among African immigrants, those in younger demographics are the heaviest visitors to internet social groups. Yahoo and Facebook are the most favored websites. 72% of respondents use email and instant messaging (IM). The favorite African language websites named in the study where Hiram.com, and African News.com,

In terms of aspirations, African immigrants most often describe “success” in big-picture, far-reaching terms. Most respondents emphasize the need to give back to their community, and most send money to relatives back home on a regular basis. According to David Morse, president and CEO of New American Dimensions. “This is a segment with a powerful sense of identity and pride in being African.” These consumers possess very high educational attainment and incomes

About the research: The study was conducted by New American Dimensions in conjunction with The African Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Bruce Corrie, The Minneapolis Foundation and Aguilar Productions. Findings are the result of focus groups in Los Angeles, New York City and Minneapolis and a four-market quantitative survey of 393 African immigrant adults in California, Minnesota, Washington, DC and New York. The study is supplemented by a video snapshot of Africans to personify the findings from the research and bring them to life.

Remember, We Must Share The Knowledge (Network)….To Share The Dollars!

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It's your friendly neighborhood "Digital Drummer" again...smile

Should We Save Black Radio?
By Paul Scott
Source: No warning Shots Fired.com

Funerals are funny things, sometimes. Never mind that the dearly departed cheated on his wife, borrowed a small fortune of unpaid loans from friends and habitually kicked his neighbor's dog, according to the pastor during the eulogy, the man was a saint.

I thought about that scenario when I heard folks mourning over the impending doom of black radio.

Radio One's owner Cathy Hughes was on the Tom Joyner Show this morning begging for a black community bailout of black radio because of a proposed bill by Rep. John Conyers that would make radio stations have to shell out some major dollars to stay on the air. The best part is when she mentioned that Conyers turned on his boom box during a meeting with radio execs, drowning out their whining.

She considered it an an insult. I call it karma.

For years, members of the African American community have begged "urban" radio stations to be more responsive to the needs of the community, especially highly impressionable black youth. Unfortunately, our cries have largely fallen on deaf ears. Seems that profit before people has been the order of the day.

The politicians are selling the proposed legislation, HR Bill 848, (the Performance Tax) as a way to put more money in the pockets of musicians who were forced to work at Mickey Dee's after their short careers were over but the radio folks are saying that it is a conspiracy to not only silence black voices but to prevent us from ever hearing good black music ever again.

Let's be honest. For many of us, black radio died a long time ago. We aren't producing any more Marvin Gayes and Stevie Wonders. What passes today as classic Soul music is Jamie Fox's "Blame it on the Alcohol." It's not that the black community is not full of talented, would be musicians singing and rapping on street corners in every hood but black radio is too busy playing Soulja Boy every five minutes to give aspiring artists a fighting chance.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the strong legacy of black radio stations, as the companies were instrumental in not only giving us the latest hits but giving the community critical, need to know info during the 60's and 70's. Ms. Hughes should be especially honored for her innovative approach to black talk radio with WOL in Washington DC.

But this ain't the early 80's and the days of radio hosts like Petey Green have long been replaced by the Lil Waynes of the world.

I find it very disappointing that while the Right wing media moguls are up in arms over the FCC's new diversity committee that could possibly break their vice grip on the air waves, black folks are concerned about whether or not they can get their hourly Beyonce fix.

As my grim faced college professor once told me when I ecstatically told him that I had scored an internship at the local station that would allow me to gangsta-rize the airwaves back in the late 80's...."What our people need is information."

In all fairness. There are a few black radio talk shows in major cities and the syndicated guys do devote ten minutes or so every day with serious dialogue but these efforts are quickly negated by mind dulling music and slap stick comedy.

I must admit that when I heard Ms. Hughes' impassioned call to arms, this morning I was caught up in the moment as she, convincingly, warned that the end of black radio would totally devastate the African American community . I was just getting ready to grab my protest sign and bullhorn before reality set in.

If Fox News' top dog, Rupert Murdoch decided to start a new network of stations to target the urban consumer, would our children know the difference? Or would they even care as long as they could still hear T-Payne?

I didn't see too many of our people boycotting BET when it was bought up by Viacom. As long as they played the same gangsta videos and kept Comic View, life went on.

See, the execs are expecting the black community to exhibit a degree of cultural consciousness that has not been cultivated by black radio. You can't just push a button and expect the people who you have dumbed down for the last decade to automatically become Afro-centric scholars....Just doesn't work that way.

What the radio folks have never realized is that we are all in this together and an enlightened community benefits all its members. If black radio had been fulfilling its duty of raising the consciousness of the African American community no one would have dared to even suggest a bill that would cut off their flow of information or good music.

So, do we fight against HR 848?

I say yes, especially since, as activists such as Davey D have pointed out, this could eventually effect the noncommercial stations that play progressive music. Also, the few black talk radio programs that we have are essential to our collective growth and development.

However, black radio must make a commitment to truly be the voice of the people. We must make Cathy Hughes and the rest of them sign a contract with black America that they will put the needs of the community first and foremost. They must immediately change their play lists and give artists with a positive message, both national and local a chance to be heard. They must also make sure that at least one hour a day is devoted to the dissemination of information. Also, they must set up community advisory boards that meet monthly to make sure that they stay down with the 'hood.

If this happens many of us will stand shoulder to shoulder with them as they fight the power.

If not, as the disgruntled airline pilot said as he saw a 747 plummet to the ground….Crash and Burn!

(Paul Scott writes for No warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com)

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Need some great ideas for corporate or personal gift-giving?

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and see some of the most unique afrocentric gifts available online!

We Deliver ONLINE - Direct To Your Desktop for just $14.95

Please take the time to purchase one our afrocentric screen savers TODAY!

Don't Just Talk the Talk...Let Your Dollars Walk the Walk

If you have any problems with purchasing online contact me direct at sales@citylightssoftware.comor call (213) 944-4176

***************************************************

This Online Journal was brought to you by InterServe Networks. Feel Free To Forward To Your Network Of Online Friends

We Practice Responsible E-Commerce Marketing and Privacy Policies. We do not indulge in or encourage Spamming. We never send unsolicited emails. You are receiving this message as part of our opt-in subscriber mailing list or you are a member of an affiliated newsgroup.

For comments or suggestions please contact us at the following;

Jim Neusom (jneusom@yahoo.com)
Executive Director/Publisher
InterServe Networks/City Lights Software, Inc.
www.citylightssoftware.com
www.twitter.com/jimneusom
www.myspace.com/jimneusom
www.myspace.com/freshfaces2u

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Greetings Family,
(Contact Information At The Bottom Of The Page)

It's your friendly neighborhood "Digital Drummer" again...smile
 
I've been advocating this for years (Google Jim Neusom with key words Wells Fargo, or Foreclosure)....Fight back! Federally bailed-out banks targeted Black homebuyer - Now Blacks are targeting them
 
The NAACP and others have filed separate class action lawsuits against many of the country's largest lenders. These lawsuits allege systematic, institutionalized racism in sub-prime home mortgage lending (see http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/278447/jim_neusom.html for details).
 
These banks are getting billions in bailout money… Now it’s time for these lenders to be held accountable for the devastation they have wrought on the Black community.  They may have passed President Obama’s stress test…but they have failed us.
 
According to the lawsuits, Black homeowners who received sub-prime mortgage loans from these lenders were more than 30 percent more likely to be issued a higher rate loan than Caucasian borrowers with the same qualifications. This is a violation of Fair Housing Act and Equal Credit Opportunity Acts, it is illegal to “Impose different terms or conditions on a loan” (such as different interest rates, points, or fees) based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or handicap.
 
Wells Fargo charged Blacks more than twice as much as whites for home loans. JP Morgan charged Blacks and Latinos more than twice that of whites. Citigroup, US Bancorp and Wachovia charged minorities one and a half times more. Blacks and Latinos were more than one and half times more likely than whites, to be denied a loan by the top banks that received a taxpayer bailout.

A 2002 study by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) cited in the lawsuits demonstrate that these lending disparities are pervasive (see http://www.huduser.org/publications/fairhsg/unequal.html). The National Community Reinvestment Coalition’s most recent study finds that discrimination against minorities still persists in mortgage lending (see Income is no Shield Against Racial Differences in Lending 07/2007). The Federal Reserve Board, the FDIC have all made similar observations. 
 
If you suspect that you have suffered damages due to racial discrimination with your home loan, check out my story on Associated Content http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/278447/jim_neusom.html for details, links and lawyers who will evaluate your claim at no cost or obligation.
 
Remember, We Must Share The Knowledge (Network)….To Share The Dollars!

 
***************(Advertisement)*********************

Need some great ideas for corporate or personal gift-giving?

Then go to City Lights Software
(http://www.citylightssoftware.com)

and see some of the most unique afrocentric gifts available online!

We Deliver ONLINE - Direct To Your Desktop for just $14.95

Please take the time to purchase one our afrocentric screen savers TODAY!

Don't Just Talk the Talk...Let Your Dollars Walk the Walk

If you have any problems with purchasing online contact me direct at sales@citylightssoftware.comor call (213) 944-4176
 
***************************************************

This Online Journal was brought to you by InterServe Networks. Feel Free To Forward To Your Network Of Online Friends

We Practice Responsible E-Commerce Marketing and Privacy Policies. We do not indulge in or encourage Spamming. We never send unsolicited emails. You are receiving this message as part of our opt-in subscriber mailing list or you are a member of an affiliated newsgroup.

For comments or suggestions please contact us at the following;

Jim Neusom (jneusom@yahoo.com)
Executive Director/Publisher
InterServe Networks/City Lights Software, Inc.
www.citylightssoftware.com
www.twitter.com/jimneusom
www.myspace.com/jimneusom
www.myspace.com/freshfaces2u

To subscribe to our opt-in mailing list simply send an email to; The_City_Lights_Reporter-subscribe@yahoogroups.com( on Myspace go to http://blog.myspace.com/jimneusom)