Abstract: The article discusses the mindsets among the black population of the United States of America. In particular, the author studies an important aspect of mutual perception of - and relationship between the settled black US citizens (the descendants of the slaves brought to America centuries ago) and the recent immigrants from African countries. The author draws attention to network communities that serve the migrants as means for both, more successful adaptations in the host society, and the support of their own cultural identity, and also focuses on African immigrants’ voluntary associations. The article is based on field research conducted in seven states in 2013-2015. The field research has allowed to conclude that the relationships between African Americans and African immigrants are characterized by simultaneous attraction and repulsion. They understand that, of all ethnoracial communities in the country, they (and also immigrants from the Antilles) are closest to each other (to the degree that non-black Americans don't distinguish them, at times), they recognize common roots and relate to similar problems in societies for which racial division is pronounced. But myriads of social, cultural and linguistic differences immediately surface during attempts at mutual attraction in the process of “translating” images between different cultures, causing mutual repulsion.

Keywords: cultural identity, network communities, cultural difference, race, African immigrants, African Americans, Africa, United States, mentality, cultural images

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