Friday, May 13, 2011

Nigerian Vs. Nigerian American

I received a request on writing a blog about being "African" when you are not raised in your homeland and the definition of your ancestry, ethnicity, and modernity. I think these are all great questions and will do my best to give my opinion about it.

Well, first what makes an African "African" if he or she was not raised in his or her homeland? This might be a difficult question to answer from both sides of the debate. My side is this one: I am a Nigerian-American. This means I was a native born American but raised in a Nigerian home. This would also make me (in some way) an "African"-American. My family raises us with all the tradition and culture that comes with being a Nigerian; we were not raised as Americans even though we were born in American. People born in Nigeria and raised in Nigeria may say that we are not Nigerians at all; but by default (and blood) we are. I also don't really see myself as an "American" even though I was born in America because I don't know much about Caucasian culture or general American culture. How I address and relate to people out the Nigerian culture is how I would with people inside the Nigerian culture.

I know of someone has the opposite end of the stick from me: she was born in the U.S. but was reared in Nigeria. That makes her an American-Nigerian (which is weird to say to myself, lol). Although she was born in the U.S. she was raised almost her whole life in Nigerian. I know it sounds a little backwards, but I hope you can follow me. She was reared wonderfully to the Nigerian culture. Now, would Nigerians born in Nigeria say she was not a "Nigerian" because she was not born there?

Then we have the Nigerians that were born and raised in Nigeria. Of course, they would consider themselves (and of course they are) full-fledged Nigerians. Naturally, the would be considered Africans. If they came to the U.S., I would consider them just a Nigerian living in the U.S.! Lol! I wouldn't say that they were Nigerian-Americans or American-Nigerians; just Nigerians.

Soooo, what am I trying to say here? I'm saying so long as you have an African lineage running in your veins, you would be considered and African no matter how you put it! So, I think I answered two questions at once, but if anyone wants any other explanations, hit me up!

As usual, thanks for reading!

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