Liberia and Staten Island

Liberia and Staten Island

From Remembering the Forgotten Borough: Finding Refuge in Staten Island

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The flag of Liberia, bearing close resemblance to that of the United States.
The flag of Liberia, bearing close resemblance to that of the United States.
The flag of the United States, for comparison.
The flag of the United States, for comparison.

Liberia and Staten Island are intimately linked in a unique way: Liberia was populated mainly by American former slaves during the post-Civil War reconstruction; however, there were freed slaves settling Liberia before the American Civil War as well. Many families from Sandy Ground, Staten Island, later emigrated to Liberia during its period of colonization. Coincidentally, when the civil war broke out in Liberia, a multitude of people from both sides, desperate to escape the violence erupting in a once-stable homeland, made their way to the United States, which proclaimed protection for these refugees by granting them Temporary Protection Status. A number of Liberians settled on Staten Island for reasons that are not perfectly understood, but are described in some detail on the Little Liberia page.

Displaced Liberians have faced a number of hardships on Staten Island, including high crime rates in the areas they have established, a multitude of close calls involving their Temporary Protection Status being revoked, and their high qualifications from their old country not being accepted by American institutions. People who were lawyers or doctors in Liberia often now run stores or work as orderlies in hospitals here. A general consensus amongst Liberians is that the United States should have involved itself more closely with Liberia in the past, which would have prevented the civil wars therein, and, as a result, many feel as though the US Government bears some responsibility for their current status.

Liberians In Liberia
Liberia (Pre-Civil War)Liberian Civil WarLiberia (Post-Civil War)Child Soldiers
Liberians In America
EducationLittle LiberiaTemporary Protected StatusTruth and Reconciliation Commission