I love my African people, Nigerian or not. Remember when Ghana made it to the quarter finals and Nigeria didn't, I became a Ghanaian o! I don't discriminate. But i've been hearing some stuff about other Africans not liking Nigerians. I haven't directly experienced this but i keep hearing stuff like Nigerians think they are better than other Africans etc etc
So yesterday i was talking to my friend and i said "you know how we Africans are loud" and i was promptly corrected that it wasn't all Africans but just Nigerians that had the reputation for being loud. I thought about it for a minute and i agreed simply because in my experience that seems to be the case most of the time. A Nigerian can be standing in front of you and be yelling all in the name of having a conversation and when you mention it, they say "Sorry, I'm Nigerian". True story. I might or might not be guilty of having pulled the "I'm Nigerian" excuse on occasion.
Anyway, back to the Nigerian vs. other Africans issue. When i first came to the States in 2002, the first school i went to was pretty much a college filled with international students from all over the world. I was excited to say the least. I just couldn't wait to meet people from other countries and i did. Ethiopian (I think they have really cute guys), Eriteans, Somalians, Sudanese, Indians, Asians (not Asian-Americans), i met them all and i loved it. Of course there were Americans at the school but there was a decent sized amount of new immigrants at that school. I never noticed anyone not like me because i was Nigerian.
The people who had issues with me (never happened in school though) were African-Americans. I have been asked on multiple occasions why we Africans think we are better than them. That thought never occured to me until i was asked the question, so the first time i was caught off guard. By the second and third times i had had the "opportunity" of being told to go back to Africa, had been mocked because of my accent, accused of coming here and wanting to take benefits meant for Americans and what not, so i knew i wasn't the one with the problem.
To think that other Africans have the same attitude towards Nigerians, that some African-Americans have towards us is mind-boggling. I don't know how the average Nigerian here carries themselves towards other Africans, but i would be the last person to think i'm better than another African. When we are being teased and mocked and discriminated against, these people don't care that you are Nigerian. You are black, open your mouth and have an accent, bam! We are all lumped together. I think it's sad really because i've heard it enough to believe that some other Africans don't like Nigerians.
So what's the deal people? What's really going on with this Africans vs. Nigerians beef?
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I guess it depend on locations...I've been here for a long time and have not really encounter other Africans hating on Nigerians...I've had Ghanaian and Ethiopian roommates and we got along so well...The East people do say we are loud but that's about it
ReplyDeleteas for the African-American and Nigerians on campus we be like cat and rat...sadly we don't get along at all...they don't like us because they say we claim to be better than them and we don't like them because we see them as akata pataki...You know especially the ones always claiming "i aint african i'm African-american"
Sorry for the long comment....Happy new year in advance.
o, madam sting! I never knew until I started reading certain nigerian blogs that other africans (with a lot of blogs specifically mentioning mon pays le Ghana) feel inferior to Nigeria and hate on them, cos of that. I was as shocked as you are... especially when most of the ensuing comments supported this hypothesis.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand it to. because we are all black and our motherland is africa! Black (african and african-american) should help each other and not fighting each other!
ReplyDeleteI (from Togo) and my BF (nigerian) are 5 years togheter we don't have a problem of discrimination but in this 5 Years I learnt that there's is alot of prejudes on the both sides.
So sad!
But I still have hope that one day everything will turn out for good!
lol i feel you babe. Well i have met a couple of Nigerians that feels superior to other African countries. You see the way the individual corrected you that Nigerians are loud, I have seen a couple of Nigerians telling a Ghanian or a Cameroonian that they should not compare Nigerians with other countries cos they are way better.
ReplyDeleteMy dear it goes both way some Nigerians cannot help themselves vice versa as other Africans.
Like 2pac would say, "thats just the way it is, somethings wull never change"
Compliments of the season
Ive always wanted to know as well, esp Ghanians vs Nigerians...i wish i knew the reason for this beef. And oh yes! Im soooo loud its embarrassing...i need help.lol
ReplyDeleteGood subject... From my personal experience, I will say it's not Nigerians Vs. Africans; it's more like Nigerians vs. Ghanaians. I happen to live in an area with LOTS of Ghanaians and relatively few other Africans, and thus far it is the Ghanaians that always ask me why Nigerians feel like we are better than them. I think the problem is with their own insecurities, and I don't know what the source is. With other Africans, I always get positive comments about how much they love Nigerians,Nollywood, and how they sort of wish they were Nigerians or could visit Lagos or Abuja. Even a Jamaican who is hooked on Nollywood expressed this desire to me.
ReplyDeleteAbout Nigerians vs. African Americans, sorry about your experiences o. I've personally not experienced that, but I have heard other Africans complain about being attacked by AA. Then they retaliate by calling them Akata and reminding them that they don't know their ancestry.
well, can't say i've experienced such.but what i CAN say is i think the reason for all the beef is largely because of how blessed nigeria is compared to ghana in terms of population,resources,cultural diversity,etc. Then, what give's this beefing a lot of effontry is the fact that ghana ( and a lot of other african countries) are progressing and moving ahead in their various economies as corruption isn't as wide spread as it is in nigeria. So other nationals feel like nigerians are just overgrown babies with little or no achievments and that we don't deserve all that we are unfairly endowed with.
ReplyDeleteThis is the most recent post i've seen so far. Compliments of the season to all.
@bsnc lol at 2Pac quoting!
ReplyDeleteBAD-BELLY?....abegi! make dem leaf mata for jonathan o jare....we are a proud contry....even with ALL our faults....you just can't take away the resilient attitude & controversy that trails our name....even international news agencies are always curious about us becox we are simply unique in everything we do be it good or bad!...lol...we are seen as the 2nd most happiest & religious people in the world amidst poverty & deprivation! W-H-Y?????...there is something in us that lights up a room when we walk in!...who no like us, make dem take their heads go jam transformer o jare!.. ahahaahaaaaaa...up 9ja for life!
ReplyDeleteIt is simply a deluded and wrong mentality thing! Good to know that your blog is still running…
ReplyDelete