I have always hated the first day of school. The teacher goes down the list and reads the names of students to record attendance. Mine is always written somewhere at the beggining...
"Joy...Aw...Awo" The teacher struggles, So I help them out.
"Awoniyi" I say. I usually sound a little annoyed. Mostly because it is pronounced the same exact way it is spelled. Ah-Wo-Nee-Yee. If they would really try, Im sure they could figure it out.
"Interesting." He/She usually comments. "Where are you from?"
"Nigeria" Now, I know that I wasn't really born there, and that I have only visited twice. But, I have no problem claiming Nigeria as my country.
Everyone in the class usually stares at me, as if I somehow turned into some sort of barbarian. Throughout the year people ask if I've chased a lion, or a tiger. They ask if my family back home is starving or if I have seen any of them on the "feed the children" commercials. My answer is always no.
Eventually, when someone finds out that I have lived in America my entire life, they tell me "You are a true African-American." Usually, the person is black so I tell them "You are too."
The response I get is offending and very annoying. All of a sudden, they become defensive. "I'm not African. I'm just black."
Yes, I have heard this comment many times. I have been the subject of jokes by "blacks" because of my African parents. But the truth is, we are all African. So-called-"blacks" are always talking about the importance of knowing our history, but what good is it when you don't accept that the people who are still living on the continent are your brothers and sisters?
We know that originally, whites stripped us of our dignity, our hope, and our history. For many years we were told that we don't have a history. But Black history didn't start with Harriet Tubman or any of the first slaves. It started in Africa. We are all Africans. Maybe you are from the Carribean, maybe you can't trace your ancestors past the United States, maybe you are a black-hispanic....I dont really care. We are African.
Why be so ashamed of what you truly are? If we want to truly be free from the chains that bind us, we should at least embrace who we are....Africans. All of us. I think the ignorance should stop.
So blacks...Want to do something progressive? Lets stop ignoring and degrading our OWN people. Lets start treating them like the family that they are. Of course, its easier for me to say, a lot of my family is still living in Nigeria. But at some point, all blacks should come to grips that our home is in Africa.
**If all Africans came together to do one thing, there is nothing that anyone in the world could do to stop us***
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I know a lot of black people whose family don't hail from Africa at all. Why pressure them to claim a continent they were never from?
And for that matter, I know several African Americans who simply don't feel comfortable with claiming any ancestory to Africa. Not because of shame or anything like that - simply because they can't connect to a place they've never been to and can't identify with.
There's a lot of truth to the old adage, "home is where the heart is." Everyone should be proud of their history and their heritage - no matter where they've come from. But claiming to be from Detroit rather than claiming to hail from Kenya shouldn't be a source of disgrace and shouldn't be viewed as ignorance. It's what they view as their home - how they identify themselves and, most importantly, how they've come to find their place in the world around them.
That is progress.
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"when you have nothing else to say, "Fwonk" is always the perfect thing."
"yeah well, fwonk"
--Devon
Fanaile Essence
The truth of the matter is that most "blacks" do hail from Africa in one way or another. Whether their ancestors were taken captive to Europe first, to Mexico first, the Carribean, or the U.S. Yes, the majority are from Africa...So I have to disagree with you. I haven't really met any blacks that are not African. A lot of them cant trace their ancestors past slavery anyway.
Africans were stripped of thier names and languages, forced into a religion, and TAUGHT that this place called the United States is thier only home. They were taken away from their families until their original culture disinegrated. I don't think that they should disregard the U.S as thier home, I just think they should accept that their ancestors are African.
I think it is very important to accept this because a part of who you are is understanding what you come from. It influences your decisions and your values. It has an effect on the way you treat and relate to certain people.
I call America my home. I have lived here for my whole life. But there also is no problem with claiming Africa as my home either because it is my Native Land.
Okay - but how does saying "African American" do that? I mean, I have to agree with Kiota here - if people started referring to me as "European American" - I would be pissed off. Why? Because I am Irish and Scottish - not German, not French, not Spanish, not Polish...Irish and Scottish.
And beyond that, to be called "European American" would lump me in with every other European asshole out there. I'm no longer a unique person with views - I'm just another "one of them". Not quite European...not quite American. Just some seudo-mixture that doesn't really fit in anywhere.
To use a blanket term like "African American" does just as much to rob these people of their identity. Unless, of course, every nation in Africa shares the exact same culture and lifestyle? I highly doubt that. I haven't been there - and I'm obviously no expert - but I'm willing to bet that the people living in Nigeria live very differently than the people in Sierra Leone or Tanzania. I'm also willing to bet that if you approached someone in Kenya and asked them where they were from - they would not answer "Africa".
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"when you have nothing else to say, "Fwonk" is always the perfect thing."
"yeah well, fwonk"
--Devon
Fanaile Essence
You have the luxury of knowing that you're specifically Irish and Scottish. Most Black people don't. Our situations are not the same. If I knew exactly what country in Africa I'm from, I would want to be called as such, but that's not the case. In this case, saying "African American" does not rob us of any identity because we didn't really have one to begin with in this country. It helps to restore our identity, even if it's a broad.
“I hope the departure is joyful and I hope never to return.” - Frida Kahlo
I think we should regress to the beginning
_Meke pretty much summed it up for me. And, at the same time, those weren't official countries when blacks were taken anyway. Europeans came and established those.
But you are right, I know neither of my parent will say they are from "Africa". But when they do meet a Kenyan, or someone from any other African country, they still see us as a unified whole.
The point is that America is just a melting pot of cultures. The idea of America is not to divide into separate sects, but to unite as one whole. I don't consider myself an Irish-American, because my family came from Ireland over a hundred years ago. If my family came from Ireland 20 years ago then I would call myself an Irish-American. I think the same applies for a lot of black people. There heritage has been in America for possibly a few hundred years, so they wouldn't consider themselves direct descendents from Africa.
I understand this as well. But you accept that you are Irish, correct? If someone came to you and said you're Irish, would you be offended?? I sure hope not, because you are. But Blacks have a huge problem with being associated in anyway with Africa, when many of thier ancestors didnt come here by choice. When many of thier ancestors tried their hardest to retain their native cultures.
No matter how long someone's family has been a part of another country, they shouldnt be ashamed or offended to have to claim thier original heritage. That was my point.
In no way am I encouraging seperation from America as a whole, so please dont misunderstand me. I am encouraging the unity of blacks...all blacks. That doesnt mean we cant be unified with other types of people.
The important thing to remember is that everyone can decide for themselves. No one else can force another to believe any certain thing, and I don't think jawoniyi was trying to say that 'black' people in America have to recognize that their descendants are from Africa. Every individual has the choice of determining their own identity and can therefore choose to recognize their origins or not. My family heritage is from the British isles, but I have no idea from which Gaelic people or exactly which region my descendants originated. For many 'black' people in America it is just difficult for them to figure out where exactly they came from.
I understand that what jawoniyi is calling for is a recognition of your place of origin and not just saying well I am American now and so I will disregard that grand continent of my origin (and not all 'black' Americans do). I am not one to speak for 'black' Americans, but in my experience and studies, African people and 'black' Americans face the same structures of oppression and so when jawoniyi calls for a recognition of international brother/sister-hood it makes sense that people of a common origin, no matter how far removed, should come together for their shared cause.
- Challenge yourself everyday, if you don't then it is a wasted day.
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I would find it offensive to be called European-American. I am not European. (I am not American either, but that is besides the point). If I were black, I would be offended at being called African. Calling a black person African-American differenciates them from white people, who're not called European-American, but simply American.
I agree with your blog. I understand what some other commentators mean about not actually being from Africa, but I know a lot of Black people who are sort of ashamed to recognize their connection to Africa, mostly because the continent has been ravished and is in shambles in many places. Also ingrained shame and racism has caused many to disregard Africa. But I do recognize my connection to Africa. I see many similarities between Black people in America and Africans, our music, food, dance, and many other cultural customs look very similar to me. Or at least what i see of Africans.
“I hope the departure is joyful and I hope never to return.” - Frida Kahlo
I think we should regress to the beginning
Its basic neglect of true culture due to stereotyping. Do you think that if we weren't degraded so much that our people would be ashamed to claim their true heritage, doubtful. The majority has seen us as spear throwing, leaf wearing, "click clack" speaking, AIDS and HIV infested 10th world country worthlessness... In return some of us jump the wagon and toss around the same stereotypes.
"Prefiero morir parada que vivir la vida en mis rodillas"
You're right. When I was in high school, people actually used to use African as an insult.
“I hope the departure is joyful and I hope never to return.” - Frida Kahlo
I think we should regress to the beginning
Its great to know were you came from.
If we are born in AMerica and our parents were born in AMerican then are we not all Americans with diffrent backgrounds?
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There were always in me, two women at least,
one woman desperate and bewildered,
who felt she was drowning and another who
would leap into a scene, as upon a stage,
conceal her true emotions because they
were weaknesses, helplessness, despair,
and