Too Close for Comfort? Immigrant-Host Relations in sub-Saharan Africa

Why do some immigrant minorities in the developing world integrate into their host societies while others face rejection and hostility? Half of all immigrants settle in developing countries, yet we know little about this immigrant experience. This paper introduces the variation in immigrant-host relations in sub-Saharan Africa. It then explains this variation as the result of immigrant leaders’ incentives to preserve the networks they lead and host members’ incentives to protect their own positions in society. Finally, using original data from surveys and interviews collected during twelve months of field research in West Africa, this paper tests the prediction that cultural similarities between immigrants and hosts exacerbate immigrant-host relations because immigrant leaders act to preserve their distinct group identity and host members reject those they fear will easily blend in. The findings suggest that cultural similarities hurt immigrant-host relations, countering the conventional wisdom that cultural proximity facilitates social integration.