Think of Iowa, our home. Many people picture cornfields: the Great Plains of the American heartland.
One thing many outsiders may not know about this agrarian, predominantly white state where we teach is that it has become “a home away from home” for a growing population of African immigrants . These newcomers include migrants, immigrants and a few university students, as well as people fleeing violence in countries such as Sudan, Somalia, Benin and the Democratic Republic of Congo .
As social scientists at the University of Iowa we are both involved in Homebuilding in the Heartland , a community-based research project. Together with colleague Amy Weismann , we aim to build connections with this population and learn from African immigrants’ experiences as they resettle in Iowa.
Despite their contributions to the region’s labor force , African immigrants across the Midwest are often overlooked and sometimes struggle to access resettlement services. However, religious institutions frequently play supportive roles as they adjust to their new home.