NKORherAnt!

I cannot stand these ultimate Nigerians that always wanna be the soldiers of who is really Nigerian or not. This one chic has this obsession of like getting at people for this.. Like she’ll ask someone she thinks is African looking, where they’re from and if they’re like “oh I’m from LA” or something like that she’ll be like “You’re not from LA, where are YOUR PARENTS FROM” and they’ll be like “Nigeria” or wherever…then she’ll ask their name and if they give her a non-Naija name she’ll be like “What’s your REAL name, your local name?“ wtf… what if their first name is the English/Bible name? Who are you to tell someone what their name is or not.
I get irked when people wanna come at me like you’re trying to be oyibo and change your name...cos I say my nickname…like idiot...who the fk does me having a nickname alluva sudden have u come to the conclusion about who I am.. You don’t know me… if I feel like telling u my full name I will...till then ass-wipe how about I just say that name that ma and like virtually everyone in my family calls me… its not like even back in the village we don’t have nicknames and short forms of names…is it every time someone will be like olababajidetundeayo… pcheewww..

As far as were people are from…the American culture is not like us where you’re from where ur father is from.. (that orange tree in the middle of nowhere that has your ancestors last name carved on it)… people here pretty much pick where they are from by where they are born/or where they‘ve lived long enough to identify with…If you have a naija kid born here or grew up here….umm guess what growing up in American culture that’s what they’re surrounded by… what they look like the one kid in class talking about am from Nnewi…. Now don’t get me wrong that’s all fine and dandy...if their parents instill that in them. But that junk is effing hard having to adapt into two or more identities…only for someone to come and wanna tell you about yourself…

Why don’t you ride a goat to school and show us how very Nigerian you are…idiot!

Shakara

I actually can relate to what ur saying .... it annoys me to no end when pple say thst to me and i get it alot ..... cuz i didn't get to experience hs or college in naija..... and even worse in yankee i grew up in predominantly oyibo area (our family was the only black fam in a city of over 60,000 when we moved there) and when i say certain things thats an excuse to jump on me to tell me how unnigerian i am.... i don't even paly with that shit even when its joke cuz i'm tired of it... and these are the same pple who will look at me like i grew two heads when i start speaking my language.........
anyway my advice to pple is to embrace your heritage and ur culture... but most of all also, be yorself. noone can determine for you or tell you how nigerian or un-nigerian you are.

PinkyT

I get that a lot.. so much people will argue with me that my last name ain’t my last name and my first name is made up.. like WTF..a name doesn’t make u more African than the next African.. The Ugo Experience Actually it does...because in the majority of cases....you can tell where someone is from by their name....you can trace a name's history. The Exception A name can identify you as an African, but it certainly doesn't make you less African if you don't have an obviously African name. So all the Liberians that answer Smith and Cooper are less African then Kwame Abeni?

Neon79 Oct 19 2005, 10:49 AM I am not one to tell someone whether or not they are African but if anyone tells me "they are American but their parents are from Africa", I lose respect for them.

PhineBoy
100% agree. that's some straight sell out shit! But saying someone doesn't "sound Nigerian" is stupid too.

Lucky

But for real though, wetin you wan those that grew up in yankee say. If they now claim naija the next question that would follow is where from Naija, when they have not been, or seen the place? I no think it's fair to judge ppl like that, you identify with places you grew up at. Just like those that claim Lagos when they really are ijebo-ode, but they no speak ijebu or live there, will you deny they are ijebu-ode?

Mr. Smith

Why is it stupid to say someone doesn't look/sound Nigerian, African, black etc? Accents, physical attributes, slangs alot of times can be associated with people of a certain race, geographic location, etc. If a scientist can look at a rotten corpse and say(based on features) the person was likely African-American, then what is stupid about it? The Exception Describe how a Nigerian looks? there is no generic look to a Nigerian. Saying dumb chit like " you cut your hair short, Naija girls don't wear their hair short" is retarded. Mr. Smith If I put a random Nigerian, South African, Ethiopian & Ghanian together and ask you to point out the Nigerian, do you agree your chances of getting it right is greater than 25%? But there is a "generic" look to Nigerian, generic in the sense there are physical attributes typically associated with Nigerians. Just like there are attributes typically associated with Ethiopians, Ghanians, etc

Eldiva

Am I the only one that will not hesitate to tell people that I am from Ijebu Igbo and Ogbomosho. Me I have no shame in my game. Most times, people will now ask me why I do not have such a strong African Accent and it is then that I "MAY" proceed to explain. I am an avid Naija and will not compromise on that any day.

Soulbrotha
The funny thing though is THERE ARE PPL WHO FAKE LIKE THEY REALLY ARE FROM HERE! When we both know you left Naija like 3 years ago on the same F-1 visa...I mean come on, that ain't fly.

I've got no prob if you've been here all your life, were born here or transplanted at an early age and Yankee IS ALL YOU KNOW. There's a difference.

My thing is you are what you are. Trying to be something you're not is hard and transparent, ppl can see gaping holes through all o' dat.

Everyone has a right to be whoever they want to be at the end of the day. I think it irks ppl like me that there are those who'd rather jump on someone else's culture b/cos they're looking down on their own. Not even trying to at least learn something about where their parents or whoever are from, their origins or whatever. No matter who you are you have a history, except you were born out of the sky and even then the sky is still your origin.

Homegirl is def going about it in the wrong way. Esp, if you just met someone for the first time you can't just start attacking folks, rather you educate 'em. Today after a class I had, a girl mentioned my traditional name and went "some weird name" I immediately corrected her...(she was Af-Am) and ended up teaching the other one about how through theo-colonialism Africans were given english names and urged to use those instead of their traditional names.

I think if you come across ppl from either end of the spectrum you've got to educate. For me its all about balance. Its ok to imbibe whatever culture you want to if you're an adult but a lot of ppl I've observed imbibe a foreign culture because they aren't interested in that of their parents and that stems mainly from the fact that THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW JACK SQUAT about it or care to. That my friends worries me.

Uche

I don't think this is something for you to fret about because it's probably going to happen more than this time. Collective and individual identity crisis is something that people have fought for and it's not going to go away. It reminds me of the story of the blind men with the elephant. They all had their own definitions of what it was based on their limited sight (pardon the pun) and position at the time. What do you think the elephant is saying to himself?... If you only know!. lol So that's what it's all about. Perceptions and opinions.
If you know who you are and from whence you came, why should people's opinions worry you? For instance, I've been told by a Nigerian that it'ld be easier for me to marry a white man 'cos I can't pick out unlabeled ukazi leaves from ugu leaves, or pound yam with a morter without it having lumps. Lol And on the other hand, I've been told by another Nigerian that marrying a non-Nigerian is out of the question for me 'cos I'm knee-deep in my heritage and tradition with my knowledge of my ancestory to the 7th generation and what have you. And I laugh at these statements because they're opinions that speak only to tiny fragments and situations that do not make or even speak to my total self. No matter how "into the culture" one is, some people will always have issues with those that seem or act "different" contrary to the status quo bylaws and/or definition of any community. The same thing happens to anyone born of a mixed-race. As long as you know in your heart, who you are and can stand up and attest to that, I say, to hell with the nay-sayers. So, don't worry about a thing, every little thing is gonna be alright.

Basic

Its got nothing to do with perception. You can perceive yourself Greek all you want. It doesnt make you Greek. I perceive myself American, can I get my American passport now?