I was born in UK and so was my friend. My friend went to USA and there, was treated like royalty by those with an interest in her background. They (as she put it), perceived my friend as being a 'real' Africa as her parents were born in Nigeria. She was a English as could be, but now considers herself to be a 'real' African, Naija sista (can't cook the food, don't speak any of the languages and was not particularly into the culture etc). However, she now sees me as a 'wannabe' African as my ancestors came through slavery in the Caribbean as peoples kidnapped from Africa and alluded to this during a conversation and I was very hurt. It was only 150 years ago that my family were directly African (doing my family tree; bitter sweet).
She has the blessing of now being able to immerse herself in aunts and uncles that bring her culture to life. My father sits in his home in Jamaica lamenting the history we have as Africans. I know many Africans in Jamaica who feel the same. I wonder how they would feel to be told by brothers and sisters on the continenet that they were not considered African but Jamaican?
(I know there are also many that do not consider themselves to be African in the Caribbean)

How come my friend and even my Chinese colleague, who is more east London that Eastenders (if you've seen the programme) can consider themselves Chinese or African and me? I'm just a 'wannabe'. I and my family believe that 'if you're a black man, you're an African' or is that only the privilege of the first generation of Africans in the Diaspora?

Who defines who and what you are? Ancestry? Parentage? Where you were born or what you believe to be true for you? And are you African if you were not born in Africa?

I'm sorry your friend was so hurtful. In answer to your last paragraph:

Who defines who and what you are? Ancestry? Parentage? Where you were born or what you believe to be true for you? And are you African if you were not born in Africa?

I define who I am, always have and always will. I was born and bred in Nigeria and though I have dual citizenship still consider myself a Nigerian first and foremost. My kids were not born in Africa but are immersed in the culture and have been brought up to see themselves as African first because that is their heritage, that is their ancestry and I think it's important that kids know what their lineage is.

For people from the Carribeans, of course it's difficult to trace your lineage and sadly in most cases nothing can be done about that but you should be proud of whatever part of your ancestry you know.

We don't choose how we are born or which culture or race so don't let anyone make you feel in anyway inferior. They are certainly no more special than you are because they could easily have been in your own shoes too.

Hold your head up and be proud of YOU everyday of your life.

Hold your head up and be proud of YOU everyday of your life.

I most definitely do. I feel quite strong in myself, but its my children I am worried about. I don't wish for them to become confused by others opinions. I'm trying to raise strength of character in them and part of that strength is knowing who you are.[quote][/quote]

JahAngel:

I was born in UK and so was my friend. My friend went to USA and there, was treated like royalty by those with an interest in her background. They (as she put it), perceived my friend as being a 'real' Africa as her parents were born in Nigeria. She was a English as could be, but now considers herself to be a 'real' African, Naija sista (can't cook the food, don't speak any of the languages and was not particularly into the culture etc). However, she now sees me as a 'wannabe' African as my ancestors came through slavery in the Caribbean as peoples kidnapped from Africa and alluded to this during a conversation and I was very hurt. It was only 150 years ago that my family were directly African (doing my family tree; bitter sweet).
She has the blessing of now being able to immerse herself in aunts and uncles that bring her culture to life. My father sits in his home in Jamaica lamenting the history we have as Africans. I know many Africans in Jamaica who feel the same. I wonder how they would feel to be told by brothers and sisters on the continenet that they were not considered African but Jamaican?
(I know there are also many that do not consider themselves to be African in the Caribbean)

How come my friend and even my Chinese colleague, who is more east London that Eastenders (if you've seen the programme) can consider themselves Chinese or African and me? I'm just a 'wannabe'. I and my family believe that 'if you're a black man, you're an African' or is that only the privilege of the first generation of Africans in the Diaspora?

Who defines who and what you are? Ancestry? Parentage? Where you were born or what you believe to be true for you? And are you African if you were not born in Africa?

The truth is that though every black person can trace his/her family history to Africa, the fact that for centuries some have had no connection to that continent has resulted in their direct African identity being eroded and replaced by the identity of whatever country/continent that their forefathers have made their home. Look at it this way, if you look at the Queen's family tree, you notice that they are Germans (and this goes back less than your 150 years), but the Royals are strictly speaking considered English (although when people are angry or are trying to be mischievous, you hear the German thing come up). Now if William or Harry want to be considered German (as well as their children), their best bet would be to go and settle there and have their kids there too.

The thing is your friend though born here can easily obtain the citizenship of an African country on account of her parent(s) or grandparent(s) being from that country. You cannot. So many Africans give birth to children in foreign countries, but the people back home still consider them from their country because in places like Nigeria, you are considered to come from the place your parents are from. In fact the Yoruba race has a name for children of Yoruba natives who are born abroad. They are called "Tokunbo" (which means from over the seas). The Nigerian constitution recognises the right of your friend to be a Nigerian citizen merely because her parent(s) are Nigerian. So your mate, despite her foreign birth and upbringing will not only be considered by Nigerians as a fellow African, but as Nigerian, and not only that, she can lay claim to belonging to a state, a local tribe and/or even a village, which unfortunately you can't. I am not trying to make you feel bad, but while generally you can claim to be an African because you are black, when it comes down to it and someone asks you what country and tribe you are from, you in all probability will be found wanting. It is not only first generation Africans in diaspora that are recognised (even second, third maybe more are too. If Barack Obama's children were to go back to Kenya, they will be accepted as Africans because they can directly trace their grandfather's lineage and family despite them being 2nd generation Americans.

The best bet if you like Africa so much (and are determined to be regarded and addressed as African) would be to become a citizen of one of the countries or better still settle there. One of my grandfathers was from Jamaica and he moved to Nigeria and settled there. He married himself a damsel and had a Nigerian kid.

So you really are African, just unfortunately not in the same way your friend is (she probably has at least one Nigerian name to boot). ^{(I must say that it is good you see yourself as African. Most Caribbean people I know in London distance themselves from the continent. ).}

are white Australians British? stop bitching and whining. you are a distinct ethnic group from Africans.

I and my family believe that 'if you're a black man, you're an African' or is that only the privilege of the first generation of Africans in the Diaspora?

you and your family need to slap themselves three times. then maybe the circuits in your heads would work correctly

not all Africans are black, charlie theron isn't black, kirsty coventry of zimbabwe isn't black. lots of North African people aren't black. the association of blackness to being African is just a lame theory. This whole black uhuru is superficial.

Bawomolo, (it didn't take long for the insults, is that par for the course then)?

You made one good point (not all African's are black, we could have debated the origin/ancestry of those you mentioned and whether they should be considered African merely by dint of where they where born, kinda like my Chinese colleague, the people you quoted probably have European born parents/grandparents, as he has Chinese so may be considered by many according to where their parents come from, like my colleague seems content with). How unfortunate that it was overshadowed by you ignorant rant of physical beating for people who's opinion differed from yours!
How can you threaten to slap people coz you don't agree with them and include their children in the slapping? What kind of person are you This is not the kind of debate I'm after. Take your insults elsewhere!

Sapphic, very insightful response. Thank you for your time in giving me deeper understanding. My husband is African (Ghana) and so are our kids. They can connect to their heritage, but sadly I have the long and painful route home. I rejoice though that there are many Africans that can sympathise with what I experience and are happy that I see myself as African (this is one of the things that my husband loved about me when we met. I don't think he thought there were blacks born outside Africa who thought like me).

I love whatever it is that unites all African's whether on the continent or outside of it.

Lets keep this positive please and fun please. Why make it unnecessarily unpleasant?