The level of cultural awareness among students of African descent in the United States about the Gullah/Geechee (African American) and their intention to participate in "roots tourism" (heritage tourism) in Sierra Leone

The Gullah/Geechee people are descendants of enslaved Africans who live in several southern states in the United States. This group of African America claimed direct heritage to some West African countries including Sierra Leone. The study explores the level of cultural awareness among students of African descent, living in the United States and their perceptions about the Gullah/Geechee cultural heritage, and response to five factors Cultural Awareness Scale (Feelings/Thoughts, Behavior/Comfort, General Knowledge, Motivation to Travel, and Cognitive Awareness). The study investigated the differences of cultural awareness perception among students of African descent, when data was analyzed by gender, age, ethnicity, and education level. This research also sought to identify elements of heritage or “roots” tourism that would be attractive proposition to potential African American tourists. Using surveys data was collected and analyzed from 347 participants in several colleges in the United States. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 24 was used to identify cultural awareness dimensions and a five-component solution was determined. The findings show that students who were born in Africa were more culturally aware of their ancestral heritage when compared to African American and Caribbean African students in the United States. Although the findings did not show that a relationship exists between general knowledge about the Gullah/Geechee culture and motivation to travel to Sierra Leone in order to pursue ancestral roots, however, male students show a higher cultural awareness score when compared to female students. Also, older and graduates students were more culturally aware about their ancestral heritage when compared to younger and undergraduate students. Further study is needed to determine the effect of slavery in roots tourism in Africa.