I have heard alot of stories about the igbo identity on this forum. Please i need sincere comments. No insults,no bashings.

if you're born of igbo parents, you're igbo.

if you're igbo by adoption, you're igbo.

if you feel (ie want to be) you're igbo, you're igbo.

tpia@:
if you're born of igbo parents, you're igbo.

if you're igbo by adoption, you're igbo.

if you feel you're igbo, you're igbo.

WORD.

Andre Uweh:
WORD.

andrew what do you mean by "word"?

tpia@:
if you're born of igbo parents, you're igbo.

if you're igbo by adoption, you're igbo.

if you feel (ie want to be) you're igbo, you're igbo.

the first one is accurate, the second, manageable but the third is wide of the mark, not acceptable.

Not acceptable where and by who ?

ifyalways: Not acceptable where and by who ?

one day an hausa man will walk into ur umunna meeting and tell them that he's no more hausa but igbo. Hope u will accept him!

Chai Chineke mee! O nwe ihe nmadi ama avuvo na nairalandi a?

Antivirus92: andrew what do you mean by "word"?

TWhat I mean is highlighted here. Mazi Anayo here feels he is Igbo. Speaks Igbo language, eats Igbo dishes, belongs to Igbo association, wears Igbo traditional attires and practices Igbo culture. Would you now go and tell Mazi Anayo that he is not Igbo.

Europeans created Igbo identity; south easterners perpetuate it. That is what makes an Igbo. If you come from that south eastern region of Nigeria where Igboness is perpetuated, then you are Igbo (as far as the "history books" go).

ChinenyeN: Europeans created Igbo identity; south easterners perpetuate it. That is what makes an Igbo. If you come from that south eastern region of Nigeria where Igboness is perpetuated, then you are Igbo (as far as the "history books" go).

How about those who are not from the south east e.g Amb Ralph Chukwu Uwechue-the man with the topmost position in Igboland today?.

Andre Uweh:
How about those who are not from the south east e.g Amb Ralph Chukwu Uwechue-the man with the topmost position in Igboland today?.

Enough of this geopolitics zoning nonsense. The southeast region of Nigeria is simply that; the southeast region of Nigeria. I'm not wasting my time on those useless administrative zones.

ChinenyeN:
Enough of this geopolitics zoning nonsense. The southeast region of Nigeria is simply that; the southeast region of Nigeria. I'm not wasting my time on those useless administrative zones.

Its high time you behave like a child well brought up. The question raised to you was done in good faith. It has nothing to do with geo-political zones.
You mentioned south east in your post and I asked of those who represent Igbo Apex org but not from the south east. Imagine your reaction. Nonsense of this and that.
You shouldn't have mentioned the south east in your post since you will come back to it to call it nonsense.
People make una come see logic oooh!.

By southeastern, I mean the whole geographical region; not the "southeast" (aka "5 Igbo states" ) geo-political zone.

ChinenyeN: By southeastern, I mean the whole geographical region; not the "southeast" (aka "5 Igbo states" ) geo-political zone.

But geography has already cut up Ndigbo into 2 before the recent geo-pol zoning arrangement. I mean Ndigbo are not in one geographical zone.
I now know what you mean but you could have used lower Niger instead of south east.

Wait, so you mean that the southeastern region is only limited to east of the Niger? Well, if that's the case, then I guess Lower Niger seems more appropriate.

ChinenyeN: Wait, so you mean that the southeastern region is only limited to east of the Niger? Well, if that's the case, then I guess Lower Niger seems more appropriate.

Yea, lower Niger is more appropriate to use for the location of Ndigbo. Even before the colonialist devided Ndigbo into east and west regions, geography had done that already. They only followed the geographical demarcation to biset Ndigbo.
Anyway, back to topic: location of Ndigbo-the 5 south east states, Delta north, upland Rivers/Bonny, Opobo, Igbanke in Edo state, Ndoki in Etim Ekpo, Akwa Ibom state and Okpokwu LGA in Benue state.
Outside Nigeria, there are indigenous Ndigbo in Equatorial Guinea mostly of Aro stock.

Andre Uweh:
TWhat I mean is highlighted here. Mazi Anayo here feels he is Igbo. Speaks Igbo language, eats Igbo dishes, belongs to Igbo association, wears Igbo traditional attires and practices Igbo culture. Would you now go and tell Mazi Anayo that he is not Igbo.

is he born of igbo parents? @ odumchi, it's hightime we resolve the dispute in igbo history. Shouting "ona-eme ihere" and so on won't even help cos ur children will still argue it. Take the bull by the horn now against all odds and resolve ur problem once. Don't you know that apart from us arguing here,that there are people outside who view those arguements. Some of them are elites and historians and can pick reasonable points from our arguements.

tpia@:
if you're born of igbo parents, you're igbo.

if you're igbo by adoption, you're igbo.

if you feel (ie want to be) you're igbo, you're igbo.

What makes one's parents Igbo?

You can't bee Igbo by adoption because Igbo is not a country.

Igbo is not something you feel but what you are.

afam4eva:
What makes one's parents Igbo?

You can't bee Igbo by adoption because Igbo is not a country.

Igbo is not something you feel but what you are.

comment of the year! You really sound philosophical here. Gratias!

afam4eva:
What makes one's parents Igbo?

You can't bee Igbo by adoption because Igbo is not a country.

Igbo is not something you feel but what you are.

Do you actually believe all the Igbos you've met are from one origin or born of Igbo parents? Ethnicity is actually a thing of the mind and not a thing of blood. An Igbo is anybody that believes he is Igbo and has the ethnic consciousness. A typical example on nairaland is "agbotaen" and "Ogbuefi" who are both from Ika(Igbo speaking part of Delta). While Ogbuefi believes he's 100% Igbo, Agbotaen dislikes being associated with Igbo.

Even someone from the heart of Igboland like Oraukwu, Nnewi and Orlu could dissociate himself and children from Igbo if he so wishes while a white European like Andre's friend recognizes himself as Igbo.

Abagworo:

Do you actually believe all the Igbos you've met are from one origin or born of Igbo parents? Ethnicity is actually a thing of the mind and not a thing of blood. An Igbo is anybody that believes he is Igbo and has the ethnic consciousness. A typical example on nairaland is "agbotaen" and "Ogbuefi" who are both from Ika(Igbo speaking part of Delta). While Ogbuefi believes he's 100% Igbo, Agbotaen dislikes being associated with Igbo.

Even someone from the heart of Igboland like Oraukwu, Nnewi and Orlu could dissociate himself and children from Igbo if he so wishes while a white European like Andre's friend recognizes himself as Igbo.

It actually depends on what you understand the term "Igbo" to mean. If we're talking of the Igbo nation, which is somewhat of political and a social term, then anybody could claim to be a part of it. But in this case, we're talking of the Igbo ethnic group(tribe) which is a term usually used to refer to people from the same origin and share the same history. According to scientific wisdom, it's genetic. Andre's friend is just someone who wants to identify with Igbos and he's welcome but that does not make him an Igbo person. Though you could use "Igbo" to refer to him as a way of recognizing him being part of the Igbo family(nation)

afam4eva:
It actually depends on what you understand the term "Igbo" to mean. If we're talking of the Igbo nation, which is somewhat of political and a social term, then anybody could claim to be a part of it. But in this case, we're talking of the Igbo ethnic group(tribe) which is a term usually used to refer to people from the same origin and share the same history. According to scientific wisdom, it's genetic. Andre's friend is just someone who wants to identify with Igbos and he's welcome but that does not make him an Igbo person. Though you could use "Igbo" to refer to him as a way of recognizing him being part of the Igbo family(nation)

afam please keep lecturing him. That's the problem i have been having with these people at far end of igboland. Their view of the term "igbo" is different from ours. Odumchi once told me that a friend of his,whose mother is igbo but father is tiv,claims to be and associate with igbos. Odumchi then further told me that the guy is as igbo as myself. I replied him that the guy will never be as igbo as myself. I finally told him that the guy is igbo socially only while myself is igbo both socially and tribally/ethnically. These guys can't differentiate between igbo nation which everyone even a whiteman,hausa,efik etc can be and the igbo tribe/ethnicity which have a specific people who are related genetically.

afam4eva:
It actually depends on what you understand the term "Igbo" to mean. If we're talking of the Igbo nation, which is somewhat of political and a social term, then anybody could claim to be a part of it. But in this case, we're talking of the Igbo ethnic group(tribe) which is a term usually used to refer to people from[b] the same origin[/b] and share the same history. According to scientific wisdom, it's genetic. Andre's friend is just someone who wants to identify with Igbos and he's welcome but that does not make him an Igbo person. Though you could use "Igbo" to refer to him as a way of recognizing him being part of the Igbo family(nation)

We are not from same origin per say or what is your evidence?

Abagworo:


We are not from same origin per say or what is your evidence?

yes we are not from the same origin but igbo people are from the same origin.

Let me make it clear here. There are two types of igbo people. 1) indigeneous igbos-those who are igbos genetically. 2) Igbonised people-people of various origin who became igbos through inter-marriage (marriage),trading,neighbouring,confedrating,slavery,migration etc into igboland. Examine ur self and choose where you belong.

Antivirus92: Let me make it clear here. There are two types of igbo people. 1) indigeneous igbos-those who are igbos genetically. 2) Igbonised people-people of various origin who became igbos through trading,neighbouring,confedrating,slavery,migration etc into igboland. Examine ur self and choose where you belong.

At the end of the day. we're all now reffered to as Igbos. In as much as we have Ijaws, Yorubas, Hausas, Funalis who migrated thousands of years ago in our midst, they're considered Igbos now because they've married and mixed with the Original Igbos.

Abagworo:


We are not from same origin per say or what is your evidence?

The original Igbos or people of the original Igboid stock are from the same origin but we're mixed with people from other tribes who have themselves become Igbos.

afam4eva:
At the end of the day. we're all now reffered to as Igbos. In as much as we have Ijaws, Yorubas, Hausas, Funalis who migrated thousands of years ago in our midst, they're considered Igbos now because they've married and mixed with the Original Igbos.

Who are the original Igbos?

Abagworo:

Who are the original Igbos?

I really don't know much about them except that they were the first breed of Igbos just like Adam and Eve were the first human breed. Though then these people were not known as Igbos as the term "Igbo" is a British coinage of people with similar idiosyncrasies.

afam4eva:
I really don't know much about them except that they were the first breed of Igbos just like Adam and Eve were the first human breed. Though then these people were not known as Igbos as the term "Igbo" is a British coinage of people with similar idiosyncrasies.

This is more realistic than the Nri hegemony being imposed on Igbos in general. At least we are not sure of who to pin point as the pure breed for now until we get enough evidence.

Abagworo:

This is more realistic than the Nri hegemony being imposed on Igbos in general. At least we are not sure of who to pin point as the pure breed for now until we get enough evidence.

keep deceiving your self. Nobody is imposing eri/nri on you. The truth is that many people in igboland today anambra,enugu,delta,even imo and abia) trace their root to the same eri. There are igbo histories without oru,agbaja,isu etc but there is hardly an igbo history without eri/nri. Why is he standing out? Keep searching for evidence!