Oh gosh…it’s been ages!
There is something I really cannot get pass and I honestly want to talk about it. Please feel free to leave your comments as I really want to sound the opinions of others. Maybe am just being paranoid!
I am an African to the core but happen to be in another man’s land fulfilling part my dream (the big picture). I am really trying to enjoy this period of being away from home (9jer) in my life. Not easy I must say but I am not complaining. This brings to mind the adage that goes thus; ‘There is no place like home’.
In the society I live in at the moment, there are quite a number of people who share the same origin with me. A good percentage of them have been in this society for many years, established themselves, raised families et al. However, one thing that seriously irritates me is the conscious effort some members of my community make trying to dissociate themselves from their roots!
Ridiculous!
The other day, I was having a conversation with a friend and was amazed when she said she would not want her kids speaking her native dialect. They’ve got to speak the Queen’s English only. In my opinion, that is complete nonsense! This I consider the beginning of losing your identity. If your mother taught you in her dialect, why should you not pass on the same to your offspring? One question I always put back to her is; will the queen specially commend you for that? She does not even care what language your kids speak and no matter the level of the Queen’s English they speak, it is never going to change their skin pigmentation into that of a white person.
The classic is people who say they cannot not give kids names in their dialect. I was having another conversation with a group of friends about names. Some members of the group emphatically said they cannot give their children Yoruba names. These people are Yorubas by the way. I took the discussion further and ask about some specific names, taking the pain to explain the meaning of the names. I was gobsmacked at their attitudes & responses.
Alright, for the Yoruba speaking community, checkout some of the names I suggested. ‘ANJOLAOLUWA’ meaning ‘We are enjoying the goodness & wealth of God’. Guess what they said, not for them, they will rather names their kids some name they themselves don’t know the meaning simply because it sounds posh. How pathetic! Don’t get me wrong, I have got nothing against names from other tribes but I won’t condone someone or anyone running down his own tribe all for the sake trying to be ‘posh’. Get a grip! Every single person in that discussion group grew up in Nigeria and only came into this country as adults. I see people who act this way as fake & mentally distorted with identity and personality disorder.
We are all humans and the fact that our culture & language differs those NOT impose superiority. Our strength is in our diversity so the earlier you embrace who you are, where you come from & connect with your roots the better you understand you.
I am not a racist, far from it but I love who I am. I am black and I am extremely proud to be. Being black is so beautiful inside out!
Yoruba – One of the numerous tribes in Nigeria. Majority can be found in the western part of the country. It is also the name of the language spoken in the tribe
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2 comments:
I couldn't resist not saying anything on the subject matter.
My mum brought us up to speak English as our first language and then yoruba as the second hence, my instinct is to speak english first and speak yoruba when i wanna be the clown in the crowd (mainly because i try to speak with the kwara accent i learnt in University). In my mum's defence she's half hausa and half yoruba whilst my dad is yorube so which language to speak was going to be an issue.
Some Nigerians are really faking it by not teaching their kids yoruba but for some, they really don't speak it well enough to teach the next generation, i would teach my kids the basics and my mum would do the rest as Grandma.
I would love to give my kids yoruba names but i'm not well-versed to determine what name (except of course my situation would inspire me in dedicating the child to God and there's an apt name to go with that situation). On the other hand, i would find it easier to find a biblical name which would look like an english name but isnt in the deep sense.
I think there's a fine line in this debate but i really would love to put my hand up and say i am a great niogerian because i can speak the language and speak it often, but in reality i don't.I speak it only with people i am comfortable with and no where else. on occasion, i have been accused of posing or evening speaking with a fake british accent just because i dont have the yoruba accent or speak it around nigerians and it isntb the case.
I would really have to say that its a hard one to ick which side to be on, i would have to sit on the fence here.
Just stumbled upon your blog. Yes, we must pass on our heritage to our children wherever we might be. To think that several naija languages are dying already.
Try to update.
Take care.
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