Continental divide separates Africans, African-Americans
Story Highlights
Senegalese woman says of two cultures: We are "taught different values"
African, African-American teenagers had myriad misconceptions of each other
Nigerian says he tried to act like African-Americans to fit in, was still confused
Key to dispelling myths about both cultures is education, dialogue, immigrants say
By Eliott C. McLaughlin
CNN
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Africa is not a country, and Africans generally do not live in trees or hunt game with spears. Nor do they all walk around in the nude among lions and zebras.
African immigrants to the United States say cartoonish caricatures and a Western media penchant for reporting on Africa's disease, hunger and war -- rather than the continent's successes -- trivialize their cultures. They complain they have trouble dispelling the stereotypes once they arrive in the States.
They concede, though, the myths run both ways and some say they were surprised to find their values more often aligned with those of white Americans than African-Americans.
"I have been laughed at because of my accent and asked all the ignorant questions," said iReporter Ajah-Aminata N'daw, 25, of Fall River, Massachusetts. "Questions like: Did I live on a tree? Roam the jungles naked? Have wild animals at home?"
N'daw emigrated from Dakar, Senegal, in 2001. She works in a hair-braiding salon and has met African-Americans who share her values of hard work and family, but in most cases, "we are raised differently, taught different values and held up to a different moral code."
iReport: Read why N'daw is not African-American
Gaddafi Nkosi, 18, recently graduated from The Piney Woods School, a historically African-American boarding school about 22 miles southeast of Jackson, Mississippi. He has since returned to Pretoria, South Africa, but recalled well the misnomers he faced in the U.S.
"I came down from South Africa and so many people thought that maybe that's a jungle or maybe I'd go out chasing lions or something like that," he said. African, black students find common ground at Mississippi school »
Nkosi's American classmates acknowledge their misconceptions. Cydney Smith, 17, of Nashville, Tennessee, said she once believed Africa was populated with "uncivilized tribes."
Raphael Craig, 17, of Hyattsville, Maryland, said the television misinformed him as well.
Before Craig visited the continent in 2005 and 2006, he thought of Africans as "half-naked, running around with tigers in the jungle," Craig said, confessing he was unaware tigers roam only Asia.
But in Ghana and Nigeria, Craig saw children playing the same games he and his siblings played. He saw many signs of modernity, including Mercedes and other brands of cars found in the United States.
"OK, this country is running how we're running, just two different schools," Craig recalled thinking. "It really opened my eyes to the point that everything you see on TV is not always the actual thing."
If the Western media are doing Africans no favors, then the African media are also a disservice to African-Americans because it portrays them as criminals, some immigrants say.
Sandi Litia, 19, a Piney Woods graduate from Limulunga, Zambia, said she was initially scared of African-Americans because the African media show them "wearing clothes like gangsters and killing each other."
Nkosi concurred that African media "made it seem as if they were these aggressive people that did nothing constructive with their lives except occupy prison space."
Trying to fit in
Chinedu Ezeamuzie, 21, of Athens, Georgia, arrived in 2003. He had spent the majority of his life in Jabriya, Kuwait, and came to the U.S. to pursue his education.
The recent Georgia Tech graduate said he considers himself Nigerian because his parents -- both from the village of Uga -- instilled in their four children strong Nigerian values of family, community, spirituality and self-betterment. Test your Africa knowledge with a quiz »
In Athens, Ezeamuzie found his ideals at odds with those who shared his skin color at Clarke Central High School, his first stint in a public school.
On his first day, he donned khakis, a button-down dress shirt and nice leather shoes. He caught the African-Americans' attention upon stepping into the cafeteria, he said.
"They give me the look," he said. "Why is this guy dressed like the white folks, like the preppy guys?"
Ezeamuzie didn't understand why so few black students were in his advanced-placement classes. He didn't understand the de facto lunchroom segregation or the accusing glances he got for eating with white classmates. One classmate called him a traitor and asked, "Do you not like black people?"
"My whole life I had reaped benefits from being in different circles and bridging them," so he wanted to fit in, he said. iReport: What are the unique struggles of being African in America?
He found clothes akin to what he saw many African-Americans wearing --- baggy pants and an oversized T-shirt. He relaxed his British-trained tongue and tried out for the basketball team, the 6-foot-5 Ezeamuzie said.
Ezeamuzie recalled finding himself more confused by his experience with some African-Americans: Why were they so cliquish? Why did they mock students for being intelligent? Why were they homophobic and bent on using the n-word? Why did every conversation seem to involve drugs, girls or materialism?
"They kind of accepted me. They saw me a little differently, but I was thinking this is a very narrow mindset," Ezeamuzie said.
Ezeamuzie and other Africans say they feel African-Americans too often dwell on slavery and the racism that has persisted for more than a century since the Emancipation Proclamation.
"We have all been tortured," said iReporter Vera Ezimora, 24, a Nigerian student living in Baltimore, Maryland. "Now that we are free, holding on to the sins of white men who have long died and gone to meet their maker is more torture than anything we have suffered." iReport: Read about questions Ezimora faced when she came to the U.S.
Values at core of misunderstanding?
Martin Mohammed, president of the U.S. African Chamber of Commerce, estimates there are 3 million African immigrants in the U.S. -- about twice the U.S. Census Bureau estimate. He has heard from numerous immigrants struggling to find commonalities with Americans who share their skin color.
Mohammed emigrated from Somalia in 1998 and is now naturalized. He considers himself African-American, but "it does not mean that I have already assimilated into the culture."
Values and upbringings may lie at the center of the cultures' misunderstanding of each other, he said.
Many Africans come to the U.S. to escape dire conditions such as poverty or civil war. Their objectives are often advancing their education or finding good jobs, Mohammed said.
They also strive to reunite their families, or at least support them back home. Remittances from the U.S. to Africa total about $20 billion annually, according to the World Bank.
However, African immigrants find that education and good jobs elude their African-American brethren, and there is a perception that many African-American men aren't committed to supporting their families, Mohammed said.
The two cultures have much to teach each other -- especially politically and economically -- but they must accept they have something to learn.
"Honestly, what we need to do is realize both cultures are important," Mohammed said.
Myths thrive on ignorance
iReporter Emeka Aniukwu, 35, hails from Ebenebe, Nigeria, and said he has heard all the American misperceptions about Africa, but the cure to ignorance is communication.
He began dating Sonya Roberts, 25, of Austin, Texas, shortly after he arrived in the U.S. in March 2005. She taught him about African-American culture, and he taught her about Nigeria. The couple married two years ago.
"Talk to people, stop showing ugly face and don't be shy about your accent," he advised African immigrants. "Most of the media coverage about Africa is all about hunger, diseases and war, so what do you expect? People are curious and just want to know, so calm down and educate them as much as you can." iReport: Read why Aniukwu loves Africa-Americans
At Piney Woods, where about 35 of the 200 students emigrate from Africa, the school's president, Reginald Nichols, concurs that education is integral to understanding.
He's heard Africans say the African-Americans are aggressive, while the African-Americans accuse Africans of being reserved -- but the more they mingle the more they mesh, he said.
"You have the African students tell me that they have learned so much about standing up from the African-American students, and the African-American students said they've learned how to simmer down, so it's a wonderful thing," Nichols said.
Mohammed, too, said he'd like to see more African-Americans dispelling myths about Africa, which is increasingly important as Africans in the U.S. begin wielding more economic influence.
The chamber estimates African immigrants have about $50 billion in annual purchasing power. Numbers from the University of Georgia's Selig Center of Economic Growth indicate the number is just behind the nation's Native American community, which had $61.8 billion in buying power last year. The entire African-American market was estimated at $913 billion and the Hispanic market at $951 billion.
History dictates that economic power precedes political power. Mohammed said Africans can learn much about politics from African-Americans because of their "level of influence in Washington."
"I'm also interested to the extent that the black population can play a role in solving global conflict. We can help these discussions around the globe, but we must begin here in the U.S.A.," he said.
iReporter Faraji Goredenna, 53, of Layton, Utah, said he encourages African-Americans to learn more about Africa and lend a hand to Africans so they know "America's institutions and opportunities are open to them, too." iReport: Read how Goredenna embraces both cultures
But he'd like a symbiotic relationship, he said, explaining, "We African-Americans want to learn more about our history and culture as it exists in Africa, but we have also created a culture for ourselves here that we ask our brothers and sisters from Africa to respect."
Could 'American' finally come first for African Americans?
May 16, 2:07 AM · Landis Baker - SF African American Culture Examiner
The Obama election victory sparked massive celebrations among black people throughout the world. And for black-Americans, it was extra special considering the historical significance. There have been questions raised about the possible effects of it all on the black community here. And one question that I’m raising is this: will “American” finally come first in the self-identification of African-Americans?
My experience here in the United States has allowed me to learn more about my African-American cousins, things that the media did not always portray back home. And as a black person from another country, I was glad to learn how much we had in common. There are some differences as well though, and one that I’ve noticed between black-Americans and black people from other places is that, for the former, race comes before nationality. They are black first and American second.
On the contrary, a person from Nigeria would probably consider him or herself Nigerian first and black second. Similarly, an Afro-Cuban would be Cuban first and black second. The same would apply to an Afro-Brazilian and so on. I may be wrong on this observation but it became even more evident during sporting events.
There have been several times when I’ve watched sporting events where I’ve seen African-Americans root against their own national teams based on race. If the particular American squad has mostly white players, and the opposing one has mostly black players, they’d cheer for the opponents. One time, the U.S. women’s national soccer team, comprised of mostly white players, was playing a match against Nigeria. Two African-American women friends of mine said they wanted Nigeria to win, even after I’d told them that the team in white was the American team. They still wanted the “black” team in green and white to win. And during the last World Cup, the day after Ghana beat the U.S. team, knocking them out of the competition, I told my African-American barber that, while I was happy that Ghana had won, I felt bad for the American team. He responded saying that, if he were a soccer fan, he’d probably be supporting Ghana too.
These reactions really surprised me, but it was very interesting to see at the same time. Again it’s probably different for blacks from other countries. An Afro-Cuban would support his national team against any other, no matter if the Cuban team is all-white and the opponent all-black. The same would apply to an Afro-Brazilian with an all-white Brazilian team, or even a black South African with an all-white team, and so on.
I don’t think that it is bad that they think this way. In fact, I think it carries a sense of unity. And I’m not sure what the reason for this is, but it probably has much to do with the African-Americans’ historical experience in this country. They were denied a lot, and nobody ever thought one of them would get to the highest office in the land any time soon.
However, the Obama victory has given African-Americans more hope. They have more confidence and trust in their country now. There’s a feeling that the same country that denied them so much in the past has finally accepted them. So now, will they finally change too? Would they finally feel more American? Would their nationality finally come before their race? All this remains to be seen. In my opinion, it will not change overnight. In fact, it might never change. But, the Obama victory has allowed us to at least take a look at that possibility.
But a lot of it seems very one sided as far as the African/Nigerian observation
I know tons of black people(youth included) that never use the N word.
The whole cultural issue is so diverse. Just like when there were discussions on the Cosby show: there are a segment that said the Cosby show didn't represent black life for them. And then a totally different segment that said this mirrored their life to various degrees
"They give me the look," he said. "Why is this guy dressed like the white folks, like the preppy guys?"
Ezeamuzie didn't understand why so few black students were in his advanced-placement classes. He didn't understand the de facto lunchroom segregation or the accusing glances he got for eating with white classmates. One classmate called him a traitor and asked, "Do you not like black people?"
"My whole life I had reaped benefits from being in different circles and bridging them," so he wanted to fit in, he said. iReport: What are the unique struggles of being African in America?
He found clothes akin to what he saw many African-Americans wearing --- baggy pants and an oversized T-shirt. He relaxed his British-trained tongue and tried out for the basketball team, the 6-foot-5 Ezeamuzie said.
Ezeamuzie recalled finding himself more confused by his experience with some African-Americans: Why were they so cliquish? Why did they mock students for being intelligent? Why were they homophobic and bent on using the n-word? Why did every conversation seem to involve drugs, girls or materialism?
baggy pants & oversized tshirts(your not going to find a lot of older:30 and up dressing like that) and culturally-white latino italian black mixed asian kids dress like that
cliquish: just black americans? for real?
homophobic: I thought that was even stronger in Africa
drugs girls materialism? come hang out with some of the white guys I know of, or Italian dudes
cliquish: just black americans? for real?
homophobic: I thought that was even stronger in Africa
Accusations of cliquishness from someone from Africa should be laughed at. Tribalism (basically ethnocentrism elsewhere in the world) is rampant throughout Africa.
And "homophobia"? Seriously, I know too many Africans who see homosexuality (that's the identity as opposed to the behavior) as non-African.
I agree that both cultures talking and understanding is mutually beneficial. My personal observation of peers from Africa is that they are not as racially conscious as I am. They tend not to immediately gravitate to people that look like themselves socially because they do not see themselves as different or see things in black and white rather. They tend to have a more international attitude. Of course they would not understand the behavior displayed by some AAs that is destructive and self hating.
Also the immigrants that come here of any variety are usually hungry (eager and willing) to do what they need to to move up in the land of opportunity. The most accessible road is education.
I for one talk to any African person in my area that I see that wants to have a conversation. AAs do have residual cultural ties and from an economic standpoint we should work together especially to combat racism. Since racism exists banding together to create wealth makes sense. I am not saying don't buy anything from non blacks. Just don't by anything from ANY person who do not respect you because of your looks and buy from those who look like you and or respect you.
Interestingly AAs exhibit some of the same behavior and beliefs about immigrants as America in general does. Most immigrants start at the bottom and are not respected. This is where the ignorant comments and outright disrespect come from. Eventually immigrants assimilate into American culture bringing some of the culture with them.
AAs are unique. Because of the color line we cannot assimilate. This is a large factor in how AAs view themselves and some of their behavior and how the opposite side does too. This creates a cycle that keeps the percentage of AAs that move upward socially and monetarily lower than the human average through real and self imposed barriers.
Immigrant Africans are not socialized in this way so their level of economic and social growth should more closely match other immigrant groups.
They are however exposed to media. If you do not live in America you do not understand that it is acceptable to whore yourself out for money. Rapping about murder, drugs sex and being a thug by people who do not do these things is rampant. Why because they can make money doing it. Oh, also reality TV and self published sex tapes. Outside of America and even inside people cannot separate this message from reality. Not every black person is a criminal just like every southern rural white person does not live in a trailer and have sex with their sister. The messages in media are psychological. They are there to entertain and persuade you to buy things. Very little of it is informative. At least the easily accessible stuff is not.
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