Whenever strangers stop to talk to me, one of the first things they ask me is where I’m from.
People tend to mean different things by this question, so I give different answers on each occasion just to try and figure out what people are really asking me. Sometimes I say “I’m Nigerian.” On hearing this response some will say “were you born there?” I reply that I was born in London, and then they will say “so what you mean is you’re British and your ancestry is Nigerian.” Other times I will reply “I’m from London.” The enquirer will then say “I mean where are you from originally?” the implication being that they do not identify me as coming from this land. When I answer that my parents are from Nigeria they are satisfied with the response.
Experimentation aside, I classify myself as Nigerian. The reason being that although I was born and raised in London, I was raised in a Nigerian household with the values, etiquette's and cultural leanings of my ancestors. I was surprised to discover that a lot of people, both black and white, take offence at this. The stance of some is “why are you here if you don’t want to be identified as being British?” They assume my stance is a racial/political thing, but it isn’t at all! In my (Nigerian) culture, you are where your father comes from. So if my father was Irish and my mother Nigerian, I would be classed as Irish, full stop. If my father was Nigerian and my mother Irish, I would be classed as Nigerian, full stop. Still others will state that if your ancestors emigrated here from somewhere else, you cannot claim to be British. For me, if any person living in this society decides to classify themselves as being British though their ancestors were not, this is perfectly acceptable. I cannot see why there should be an issue with either scenario.
I’ve watched many documentaries where hundreds of thousands of people with full British ancestry emigrate to a foreign country and identify themselves as “ex-pat British”, even down to their children who are born in that foreign country. I have yet to hear of an instance where the people take on the identity of the land they have called home for many years. But this stance is readily accepted.
What do you think? Why is how people identify themselves a source of contention for some people? Would it offend you if someone in your society chose to take on the identity of their ancestors (assuming their ancestors were not originally from your society)? If so why? What are the motives/implications you read into such a decision? Should a person take their identity from who they were nurtured by or where they were nurtured?
People tend to mean different things by this question, so I give different answers on each occasion just to try and figure out what people are really asking me. Sometimes I say “I’m Nigerian.” On hearing this response some will say “were you born there?” I reply that I was born in London, and then they will say “so what you mean is you’re British and your ancestry is Nigerian.” Other times I will reply “I’m from London.” The enquirer will then say “I mean where are you from originally?” the implication being that they do not identify me as coming from this land. When I answer that my parents are from Nigeria they are satisfied with the response.
Experimentation aside, I classify myself as Nigerian. The reason being that although I was born and raised in London, I was raised in a Nigerian household with the values, etiquette's and cultural leanings of my ancestors. I was surprised to discover that a lot of people, both black and white, take offence at this. The stance of some is “why are you here if you don’t want to be identified as being British?” They assume my stance is a racial/political thing, but it isn’t at all! In my (Nigerian) culture, you are where your father comes from. So if my father was Irish and my mother Nigerian, I would be classed as Irish, full stop. If my father was Nigerian and my mother Irish, I would be classed as Nigerian, full stop. Still others will state that if your ancestors emigrated here from somewhere else, you cannot claim to be British. For me, if any person living in this society decides to classify themselves as being British though their ancestors were not, this is perfectly acceptable. I cannot see why there should be an issue with either scenario.
I’ve watched many documentaries where hundreds of thousands of people with full British ancestry emigrate to a foreign country and identify themselves as “ex-pat British”, even down to their children who are born in that foreign country. I have yet to hear of an instance where the people take on the identity of the land they have called home for many years. But this stance is readily accepted.
What do you think? Why is how people identify themselves a source of contention for some people? Would it offend you if someone in your society chose to take on the identity of their ancestors (assuming their ancestors were not originally from your society)? If so why? What are the motives/implications you read into such a decision? Should a person take their identity from who they were nurtured by or where they were nurtured?
2 comments:
Interesting stuff!
I'm part Irish, part Welsh (which explains my inability to spell I think) and part Scandanvian (the boarders moved a bit, so I dont know which one to use). I physically look like people from those areas, so I tell people that's where I'm from.
My relatives have been in the US for several generations on all sides, so I'm an American by nationality. If someone pushes I will tell them I'm a Montanan (the western state i grew up in and where my accent came from).
I think in the US you can get away with mentioning regional areas in the country or your ancestry as so many people are immigrants (except for the native americans) . It is ok to have some connnection with the cultures you came from
Yes, interesting...
I'm a mixture of several races, but Dad was 1/2 American Indian, (an original American!) so I often mark on questionnaires American Indian, and people seem to accept that identity verbally given as well, perhaps because I'm olive skinned, with no comment.
I think people are nit picking with you, because it shouldn't make a difference to them where or who you identify yourself with - sometimes too I identify myself out of a certain pride for that ancestry.
The only thing I can think of maybe why they concern themselves is that you may appear to them as rather exotic - tall, beautiful, dark of skin, with a British accent. So they are really just trying to talk to you! Enjoy that you are a standout!
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