That's right people...Africa is NOT a country. I've been thinking a lot lately (thank you Jordan) about why it is that as a nation we ("Americans") don't really have a clue about Africa. When I polled classmates, friends, family and other Americans, asking them what the first word was that came to mind when they thought "AFRICA", some of the common words that came to mind were: AIDS, safari, poor and black. When the same group of people were asked to name ten countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, very few could name more than five. Sadly enough, I struggled to name and locate ten on the map. There is an application on Facebook that is called Traveler IQ and I sailed through all of the other continents with ease...until I got to Africa. It's embarrassing and sad to feel like you know nothing about the continent where your ancestors came from but everything about the continent that destroyed that connection.
Africa is definitely a place I want to learn more about but, I always wonder why it is that I can name and locate soooo many countries in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, but stumble when it comes to Africa. Did we ever learn all the countries of Africa? Was I asleep during that history/geography series? Or were we pretty much just taught about Africans being brought to the U.S. as slaves, because I feel like that's all I really ever learned about African history...Colonization, and slavery.
I was extremely excited to learn and really process a year or so ago, that my paternal grandfather hails from Cape Verde. Of course because of colonization he is African and Portuguese but nonetheless, this awareness of my own connection to Africa, the friendships I've made at S.I.T. this year with really wonderful African men, and the research I've done on West Africa (Senegal) specifically, have really ignited something in me to learn more about the different cultures, countries, religions, people, and histories of the various nations that make up Africa. I want to see and understand all of what makes up these countries not just the negative pieces.
Right now the top 10 African nations I'd like to visit are:
1. Cape Verde
2. Senegal
3. South Africa
4. Kenya
5. Ghana
6. Morocco
7. Mali
8. Nigeria
9. Ethiopia
10. Mozambique
I've already decided that while I'm in Spain, over various long holidays I am going to visit Senegal, Cape Verde, and Morocco. Any other suggestions? Any other thoughts on why we just don't really distinguish African nations or see them as independent countries and lump them together as though they're one country?
3 comments:
Most people without a college education will have just as many problems locating south american countries as african countries. Upon learning that Paola is from Colombia, more than one of our coworkers have asked "And where in Mexico is that?" I tend to know the areas of the world where I have travelled or have a special interest, and I believe that's true for most people. Most people do not travel to Africa. Though, as you pointed out, most african americans should have a special interest in the land of their ancestry.
People in the U.S. especially are sooo geographically challenged! It's really pretty sad. I can't even tell you how many times people have asked me if I speak Puerto Rican or Mexican...because somehow they've decided that various dialects are languages and of course the only places in Latin America are Mexico and Puerto Rico. If they know about Colombia I'm sure it's just about drugs, war, and kidnappings.
The point you made about black American's (I'm not a fan of African Americans)...I think it's easy to say that we should have a special interest in our ancestry but the thing is, most black Americans have NO knowledge of their ancestry other than someone came from "Africa"...and as we know,that's not enough to trace your roots. I mean, my last name is Scottish/English...how could I even think to trace that to my ancestry??? It's complicated.
If Sarah Pallin had read this post, maybe she would be vice-president-elect today. Yikes!
Thank goodness she did not.
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