Summary
Kenyan Australians are Australian citizens and residents of Kenyan origin and descent. They may be of indigenous African, European, or Indian heritage.[2]
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 13,832 (by birth)[1] 3,786 (by ancestry)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Western Australia | 4,397[1] |
| Victoria | 2,850[1] |
| New South Wales | 2,764[1] |
| Queensland | 2,062[1] |
| Languages | |
| English · Swahili · · Kalenjin · Gujarati · Kikuyu · Dinka · Luo · Languages of Kenya | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity · Islam · Hinduism · Other | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| African Australians, Ugandan Australians, Tanzanian Australians, South Sudanese Australians, Ethiopian Australians, Somali Australians | |
Background edit
Uncertainties about the future of colonial-run Kenya prompted many Kenyan-born settlers of both European and Indian backgrounds to migrate to other countries, including Australia. There are also many Swahili-speaking Kenyans of indigenous African ancestry.[2] The majority of such migrants had no difficulty getting work and settling into the Australian community.[2]
The majority of Kenyan Australians are skilled and educated, with 72.5% of the Kenyan-born aged 15 years and over possessing higher non-school qualifications, compared to 55.9% of the Australian population.[2]
Population edit
The 2016 Census noted there are 17,652 Kenya-born people in Australia.[3][2] About one in five Australians who claim Kenyan ancestry live in Sydney.[4]
Languages edit
The languages most commonly spoken at home by Kenyan-born Australians are English and Swahili, however Kikuyu, Luo, Kalenjin, Gujarati, Dinka and other languages are not uncommon.[2] Kikuyu is a Kenyan language spoken by over one hundred Australians at home, and Luo is also spoken by about one hundred Australians.[5]
About 5,000 Kenyan-born Australians speak a language indigenous to Africa at home.[6] Some of the over 10,700 Australian-born who speak an African language may also speak a language of Kenya.[6]
The 74 languages the Special Broadcasting Service broadcasts in includes Swahili and Dinka, both languages spoken by many Kenyan-born Australians.[7]
Notable people edit
- Bruce Kamau, footballer
- Mark Ochieng, footballer
- Former Senator Lucy Gichuhi, Family First Party politician
- Rashid Mahazi, footballer of Diaspora Coordinator
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f "The Kenya-born Community: Historical Background (2011 census)". Australian Government, Department of Immigration and Border Protection. 19 November 2013. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f "Community Information Summary: Kenya-born (2011 census)" (PDF). Department of Immigration & Citizenship. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 February 2014.
- ^ "2016 QuickStats Country of Birth". quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
- ^ 2006 Census
- ^ The People of Australia: Statistics from the 2011 Census (PDF). Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Immigration and Border Protection. 2014. ISBN 978-1-920996-23-9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2014.
- ^ a b "SBS Census Explorer". SBS Online. Archived from the original on 7 December 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ "SBS unveils new Radio Schedule". SBS News. Retrieved 27 April 2018.