“AFRICA—THAT’S NOT MY NAME”: NAVIGATING HYBRID IDENTITIES AND INCLUSION FOR RECENT AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS IN THE US SOUTH FROM A DECOLONIAL FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE

Despite growing Black African immigration to the U.S. South, dominant integration frameworks overlook the historical and cultural contexts shaping Black migration. As a result, the distinct stories, desires, and post-migration strategies of this population are often silenced. This dissertation addresses this gap by examining first-generation sub-Saharan African immigrants’ lived experiences in Atlanta, Georgia, focusing on how these intersecting identities: race, gender, and reason for migration, affect their experiences of social inclusion. Through semi-structured interviews with 24 participants, 10 conflict-generated migrants and 14 voluntary migrants, this study employs a decolonial feminist lens to center participants’ voices and epistemic sovereignty in defining social inclusion. Findings reveal that social inclusion is neither linear nor uniform but a dynamic, ongoing negotiation mediated by structural barriers and everyday interactions. Participants’ hybrid identities functioned simultaneously as barriers and sources of resilience, requiring tripartite, strategic navigation between African heritage, American Blackness, and institutional expectations. Migration pathways shaped by colonial histories and ongoing geopolitical marginalization significantly influenced inclusion strategies: conflict-affected immigrants prioritized safety and community cohesion, while voluntary migrants emphasized professional advancement. Across experiences, participants employed cultural balancing, selective adaptation, and code-switching to maintain identity while expanding opportunities. This research makes three key contributions: (a) it applies decolonial feminist epistemology to African immigrant studies in the South; (b) it demonstrates that social inclusion requires context-specific, intersectional approaches rather than universal models; and (c) it positions the U.S. South as a unique site where historical racial legacies intersect with contemporary immigrant negotiations. The study reimagines immigrant belonging through frameworks that honor transnational attachments, recognize epistemic diversity, and acknowledge the affective, unfinished nature of inclusion.