History of Somali Bantus in Maine

They are the descendants of people from various Bantu ethnic groups originating from what are modern-day Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique who were brought to Somalia as slaves in the 19th century.

[3] In the year 2000, the United States classified the Bantu as a priority and began preparations to resettle an estimated 12,000 Bantu refugees in select cities throughout the U.S.[4] Most of the early arrivals in the United States settled in Clarkston, Georgia, a city adjacent to Atlanta.

[5] In 2006, KPMG International released a study identifying the best places to do business around the world and ranked Lewiston as the best in New England.

[6] In June 2011, the Lewiston Sun Journal reported a growing number of Bantu recent immigrants earning high school diplomas and graduating in local community colleges.

The university students consist of both adult undergraduate and continuing education pupils, as well as high school graduates.