Immigrants From Africa Snubbed by their Own Race

[bama47]

I read an article in the Des Moines Register yesterday. A lot of African immigrants that have come to this country can't understand why they aren't accepted by African-Americans in this country.

Here's some of the story:"Growing up in Nigeria, Lillian Obiara and her peers idolized aspects of black culture, the dynamic music, and the movie and sports personalities they saw on TV. They dreamed of one day marrying an African-American.

But when she finally came to the U.S less than two months ago to pursue a nursing degree she was shocked at her reception. Nothing nice. She said she has been treated better by white Americans."

Yet most African-Americans feel an emotional and spiritual ties to Africa. Many name themselves after African names and their babies, wear traditional African garbs and have marriage cermonies like Africans. What is up with this?

African immigrants believe that American blacks either romanticize the continent or snub Africans as unsophisticated. Also Black Americans feel Africans cannot identify with their history of slavery. WHAT? If you went to almost any African nation you will see plenty of slaves-mainly to their own race. Also genocide is very big in some African nations.

If we have an African American on the board here I would like to hear your feelings. I know this most black Americans want to be called African-Americans. So why don't they welcome their brother from Africa? i'm a little confused.

My family is from Norway. If I met a Norwegian I would do my best to help him or her in any way. For that matter I don't care if they are from Bulgaria.

I had a good friend from Nigeria in Spain back in the 1970's. His name was Williams Dawson. He told me the blacks of America were so lucky. His country was always at war and millions getting wiped out by their own people and etc. Now he said this not me. He said he would loved to have the rights of Black-Americans and this was in 1976. Oh well some things can't be explained.

[Blueangel]

Originally posted by bama47
African immigrants believe that American blacks either romanticize the continent or snub Africans as unsophisticated. Also Black Americans feel Africans cannot identify with their history of slavery. WHAT? If you went to almost any African nation you will see plenty of slaves-mainly to their own race. Also genocide is very big in some African nations. This a rather interesting topic.

I've seen this many times in the UK and I think it boils down to people not understanding the cultural diversity of black people and Africa as a continent.
I can imagine that any African-American who has done their research, may know which African tribe their ancestors belonged to and are proud of their heritage.
A more recent African immigrant may come from a race that has had acts of genocide commited against them by that very tribe.
This would be an immediate area of conflict and misunderstanding.

I would say that most of Britain's black people are Afro-Caribbean and they don't always relate to African immigrants.

The oldest Britons that I've come across of African descent are the descendants of man servants that were prized in the 15th, 16th and 17th century over here. Whilst they were still bought and sold in a similar fashion as slaves, they were prized and cosseted and treated as a status symbol.
Also, I feel that the European attitude towards African races is markedly different because of the history of the Moors. Much of Southern Europe has, at some time, been occupied by the Moors.
You only have to go to Granada and Seville in Spain to see the influence of the Moorish culture.

Basically, you can't put an African-American, an Afro-Caribbean and a French speaking West African in a room and expect them to naturally get on with each other.
Their native cultures are totally different and only their distant ancestry and skin colour are the same.

I would imagine the same to happen if you put American-caucasian, a Dutch man and a white South African in a room together. They could all come from the same ancestry but their cultures are incredibly different.

[Simon666]

What? It is not okay for black people to dislike black people from other countries? My guess is you are white and you don't like the French.

[Blueangel]

How do you come to that conclusion? :confused:

[bama47]

Nobody likes the French except the French lol Just look at their history. Germany still wants to take them over lol

[Simon666]

Originally posted by bama47
Nobody likes the French except the French lol Just look at their history. Germany still wants to take them over lol
Sure. :rolleyes:

[eyesandears]

Most Americans are unaware of the history of slavery, and racial ethnic discrimination practice worldwide in different cultures and civilizations either in Africa, Asia, Latin America , Ocenia

previouly and after the Colonial European period .

Most Americans have been brought since childhood into the belief that such evil behavior was the product and the monopoly of the Western culture.

Like so many Black Americans who rejected Christianity and converted to Islam , ignoring that Islam slaved Blacks and other and even discriminated in many times in history black and express in their literature degoratories remarks toward blacks.

How many Americans are aware than not all cases the Civil wars in AFrica and Asia after the European Colonial period was not fuel by multinational but by greed for power from despot who are black. How many blacks are aware than in countries like Sudan slavery is practice legally. In Asia in India , women were burn before the British turn in their colonies. Yes European
Colonialism did evil but it did good too. In Asia many tyrants raised to power because of personal agenda using people nationalism for such cause. In Latin America well , watch Spanish speaking television and anyone can find the open secret of

Discrimination . But way all the hispanics are the same ?
Hispanic is not a race is a term invented in America to classified the people coming from Latin America , even they are from different races.

While the Latin Americans, Asians and maybe Africa and even Middle Eastern society , culturally prefer not to expose their dirty laundry in public even they usually are willing in the case of racism to expose the West. The reality is that racism is going on among the members of such communities and people is aware , from public figure, artist , politicians, religious leaders and "followers , news reporter ( of course those hispanic , blacks , asians etc too ) etc but it is a taboo subject and the code of silent .

History should be told with all the mole and with all the positive facts too.