African in America

These thoughts were written by Stephanie, one of our 2020 summer interns. The opinions expressed herein do not reflect those of Civitas other than respect for the value of open dialogue.

There are distinct differences between being African-American and being African in America. Although on the surface, both refer to being of African descent the differences are many. As a first-generation Kenyan living in America, I have seen these differences first hand. Simply put, the cultures are different due to the surroundings each group has dealt with. These surroundings have caused rifts to occur between the two groups. It is common for Africans to hold disdain for African-Americans. To understand why you need to have knowledge of the long history of oppression Africans faced, and how that differs from the experiences of African-Americans. 

While we often talk about the Africans who were sent into slavery to America, we rarely hear of what remained of those who were left behind. European powers quickly began to carve Africa into pieces amongst themselves- against the will of the indigenous people. Colonialism and imperialism ran rampant throughout the continent. Europeans deemed themselves superior to Africans and began to erase all semblance of African culture and individuality. Missionaries flooded the continent professing the love of God while stripping Africans of their resources and murdering any dissidents. This phenomenon was best phrased by Jomo Kenyatta, the first president of Kenya, who said, “When the Missionaries arrived, the Africans had the land and the Missionaries had the Bible. They taught us how to pray with our eyes closed. When we opened them, they had the land and we had the Bible.” 

Distance from the motherland greatly contributes to the hostile relationship between Africans and African Americans. That distance fueled the ever-blazing lack of communication and understanding. A common misconception I’ve heard countless times from the African community is that African-Americans are lazy. Immigrants from Africa often come to America intending to start a new life free from the economic barriers of their homeland. In Africa, and many other places around the world, America is romanticized as the land of never-ending opportunity. So to arrive and find that African-Americans are unsuccessful is shocking at the least. From an African’s point of view, African-Americans have had every opportunity to become successful in life. It is only their lack of perseverance and grit that keeps them from doing so. It is clear that most Africans lack the knowledge of the systemic and institutionalized racism that runs rampant in America. However, when coming from a place where racism is much more de jure and easier to see it is understandable how Africans may not be aware of racism in America at first glance. Most Africans grew up hearing about how European powers ravished African nations. So by comparison, racism in America doesn’t seem to hold a candle to what Africans have faced for decades. 

In reality, both Africans and African-Americans have endured intense hardships. It is not worthwhile to try to compare who’s had it the worst, Instead Africans and African-Americans should work towards unity and understanding. Africans have the opportunity to provide an abundance of knowledge about the culture, language, and experiences that African- Americans were robbed of. At the same time, Africans can appreciate the culture that African-Americans developed and even serve to influence it. The unity of these two groups would truly be powerful. As I stated previously, there is a difference between being African-American and African in America. However, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Through open dialogue, and honest communication, Africans and African-Americans can truly understand each other, and create a community filled with love and acceptance.