While not every African immigrant has such impressive credentials, the presumption of the superiority of certain cultural markers, such as a European accent, cannot be entirely dismissed.
However, the racism against 'blackness' affects all Black Americans, regardless of whether they are the children of slaves or wealthy, Anglicized Africans. As discussed by Obama in his autobiography Dreams From My Father, as an individual of Kenyan ancestry, he was still treated as an African-American by the individuals whom he encountered in his daily life. Race may be a scientific fiction, but in American culture it is treated as a reality. This can cause a complication for Afro-Caribbean immigrants: they may feel frustrated that it is assumed that they are African-Americans with no ties to their African homeland. Growing up in a different educational system, living in a world filled with local tribal languages and rituals; observing religious practices that are often syncretic blends of Christianity and traditional faiths; and surviving local conflicts are all part of many Afro-Caribbean immigrant's heritage. These are experiences that make them stand apart from individuals who have lived in America all of their lives, and never lived for an extended period in Africa or the Caribbean.
Afro-Caribbean values, beliefs, and experiences will inevitably be different from Black Americans by virtue of their distinct backgrounds. Similarly, recent immigrant from Ireland will have a profoundly different view of the world than an Irish-American whose parents immigrated in the 19th century. The fact that American's...
One cannot proclaim if the have more in common with their Black or White American counterparts: even the transition of different African groups into American society is easier for some Africans, and more difficult for others. Class often has a greater influence upon the ability of various Afro-Caribbean groups to make an easy transition than nation of origin -- a poor Haitian may have more in common with both Black Americans and Whites of his class; an educated Kenyan may have more in common with Ivy League educated Black Americans. Regardless, the main difference between Afro-Caribbean immigrants and Black Americans is that the former have an 'immigrant' experience. They must make linguistic and cultural adjustments. They often enjoy group solidarity and tight-knit community support, than Black Americans may lack in many sections of the nation. However, both groups still face discrimination because they are characterized, in the racialized eyes of America as 'Black' and to address the social needs of these different groups, difference rather than racialized sameness is a more effective paradigm to apply when analyzing these both social categories.
Douglas A. McVay, "Race and prison," Drug War Facts, 2006, December 29, 2009, http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/node/64
