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Dat Yummy Yummy Medley

The semester had just ended. I clicked submit on the online class grading system, and welcomed summer break by shifting my attention to something I hadn’t given much thought to throughout the year. Food!

During the year, it’s easy to fall into the routine of rice and stew or some kind of pasta. But this time I thought to myself, “I want some red beans and rice!……and some curried goat!” I don’t even eat goat like that, but it definitely became my obsession. After a quick google search, I discovered Yummy Medley.

After seeing recipes for foods ranging from Jamaican to Ghanian to Eritrean dishes, I couldn’t help but be fascinated by this blogger. Years later, I am using my blog to talk about Lois.

I guess I assumed Lois confined herself to her kitchen all day, coming up with delicious recipes for me to try. Turns out, she is currently pursuing her doctorate in Nutrition and Clinical & Translational Sciences. But make no mistake about it Lois’s first love is food.

Though she grew up in Lagos, her mother was from Akwaibom (South South region of Nigeria, close to Cameroun). Growing up in Nigeria and travelling to connect with her mother’s side of the family, she had the opportunity to enjoy different delicacies offered in a country with over 300 dialects. It is possible her appreciation began there, but Lois says her experience at Howard University as an international student opened her palate more to other cultural delicacies. She would visit and spend holidays with school friends from different countries, taste their food, and think of how to recreate it in her world.

After encouragement from her husband she started her blog–anonymously while she was working as an economic policy analyst. . . .Fun! No, not really. Though Lois definitely had the mathematical chops to be successful in that career, she wasn’t enjoying it as much as creating meals and watching others enjoy it. Her love for food was so deep that she’d find herself asking strangers for recipes!

An African immigrant, Lois finds appreciation in the multiculturalism of the American foodscape. From Black American cuisine to South American or sometimes Asian cuisines, Lois finds a way to connect her readers to the shared enjoyment of culture and culinary art. In so doing she draws us into a curious celebration of transnationalism. For example, when we hear spring roll, most of us might think East Asia (e.g. China, Thailand). Her recipe for the Nigerian spring roll reformats our mental pictures. Her Fonio grits and shrimp recipe is a spin off of the Southern Black American dish using a grain popular in Senegal and Burkina Faso.

Undoubtedly being in America has influenced the kind of dishes Lois makes, but also the way she understands herself. Lois shared that having come from Nigeria, she hadn’t fully understood the lived experience of Black people here because in her words she ” wasn’t as exposed to the disparities” while in Nigeria. Most people who dream of coming to the States imagine a land of opportunity and do not have the sociological tools to even fathom to realities of lived life for those who do not meet the “status quo”. Her classes at Howard taught her about different kinds of privilege, including classism. Her experience at Howard taught her empathy, and helped her see she was a part of a whole, not a singular entity. And it seems this belief emerges even in her blog where the connections between continents are celebrated. Though inspired by her multicultural experience here Lois shared that she has become bolder in her own identity.

I am unapologetically African. I haven’t felt the appeal to be anything else. As Africans, as immigrants it’s not easy to stay on the straight and narrow. Cultural representation is wherever we are, whatever we do.

Make no mistake about it. Lois is a proud African. Like many immigrants Lois sees herself as transnational, crossing not only geographical borders, but cultural ones as well. Right now America is her home, but she is open to wherever her mission takes her. Whereas she is grateful for the opportunities that being in America affords her, she also hopes to use her platforms and resources to amplify African voices and advocate for social justice in Nigeria. In time, she hopes to return to Nigeria and serve her community back home, especially in nutrition education. Her current research examines iron deficiencies and cardiovascular disease among Black populations. I am not surprised. The work of an immigrant is rarely about themselves, but their community. How much would America, the Beautiful benefit from this framework.

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Between A Place and No Place

I was looking for myself on television, but didn’t realize it until I didn’t see myself. At four years old, my favorite show was Moonlighting starring Bruce Willis and Cybil Shephard. Family Ties, Punky Brewster. Small Wonder. All shows I loved. Looking back, I realize the first time I saw some version of myself was in the four episodes Rosalind Cash appeared as Dean Hughes on the series A Different World. Four appearances, across three years. A silver-haired, long locked, regal, sophisticated dean at the fictional Hillman University. She made quite the impression on me. The image of an erudite African American woman with hair texture like mine must have superimposed itself into my pscyhe. I ended up being a professor at a primarily White institution proudly wearing my long locks. But even as I look at her now, I don’t see myself.

I May, Love, Harlem.

Yes, I know right! It’s been too long, fam. Life has been happening. But I got a chance to sneak in some shows as I was trying to escape life, and was pleasantly surprised to meet some characters that excited me. If you haven’t met them, I’d like to introduce you to Ola Adebayo in Love Life, Quinn in Harlem, and Terry in I May Destroy You.

For decades television has presented these monolithic Black characters which depending on their gender fit one of a few stereotypes: the violent hypersexual male, the dominating hypersexual female, the comedic relief, the black best friend just to name a few. Where did these Black people come from? I mean, who were their mamas? And even on shows created by Black people, diasporic Blacks were rarely present. They were either northerners or southerners.

But today friends, things are changing and as they say in Instaspeak *claps hands* I am here for it! (did I do that right?)

About the Characters

Ola Adebayo is Marcus Watkins’ love interest in HBO’s Love Life: Season 2. During dinner, she shares with Marcus that she was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and moved to the US at the age of six (first-generation) .

Love Life' Season Two, Episode 4 Recap: 'Ola Adebayo' — Ola Adebayo played by Ego Nwodim

Quinn is one of four besties in Amazone Prime’s Harlem. Similar to the actress she is Trinidadian. For now, I am guessing she was born in the U.S. to her Trini parents (second-generation).

Quinn on Harlem TV Series – Alexus Renée Celebrity Myxer — Quinn played by Grace Byers

Terry is Arabella’s bestie in I May Destroy You written by Michaela Cole. ( Now, I know this blog is about being an American but I love Michaela Cole. She did in the UK what many are doing here and many of her shows and films are seen here so it still works!) She is Ghanian-British. It is uncertain which generation she is, but her connection to the culture is clear.

I May Destroy You's Weruche Opia: 'Michaela Coel showed our flaws and complexities' | Television | The Guardian — Terry played by Weruche Opia

Appreciating Authenticity

When Africans were onscreen it seemed like they were defined by their thick accents. They were depicted as idiots, culturally unaware, or out of place. As such this reinforced the notion that Africans didn’t belong in this great country. It reinforced the psycho-cultural belief that blackness is uncivilized and untamed.

When we see these characters they do not immediately have “African” accents. They sound American (or British) like anyone born or raised (t)here would sound. This inadvertently counters previous assertions of Black people’s illegitimacy and instead says to audiences “I too am American. I belong here, and I contribute to this financial and cultural economy. ” Ola is a playwright. Quinn is a boutique owner. Terry is an actress. Their positionalities in the shows have nothing o do with their heritage. Instead, their heritage is only a part of their story. Like all of us, it is one of many contexts of identity. Ola, Quinn, and Terry just want to follow their passions and make a life they can be proud of. Something the West promises immigrants, and their children take hold of.

Celebrating Cultural Identity

While their ethnic heritage is not significant to their storyline, it is still part of who they are. On her first date with Marcus, Ola shares that her father is a civil engineer and her mother was a superintendent to which Marcus replies “classic high-achieving Nigerian”. The data have shown that Nigerians are among the most accomplished of Africans in the U.S. so this was more than just incorporation of facts, but a nod to these members of the diaspora. Marcus then asks about her parents’ response to her wanting to be a playwright, another acknowledgment of the tensions between African parents and their Westen kids. Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, and Yvonne Orji have all joked about their parents’ reactions to them wanting to be in the arts. In fact, there was an SNL skit about Nigerian parents’ high expectations for their children, which according to this skit I have utterly failed my parents. Sorry!

There is no shaming. No neoliberal ambition to get up from under your parent’s rule. No message about whats’ the right or wrong way to be. It’s just part of her story as it is for many children of immigrants. The audience listens to Ola talk about navigating those expectations and wanting to break free from the limitations her standpoint as a child of immigrants might place on her creativity. She doesn’t want to write about “being stuck between both worlds.” She wants to write about her alcoholic aunt.

Quinn, on the other hand, does face opposition and disappointment, from her mother (Jazmine Guy) who constantly reminds her she could have attained success by working in accounting and marrying her accountant boyfriend. We also see Quinn navigate her mother’s expectations and the tensions that come with it at times.

Thanks For The Reminder Mom Quinn GIF - Thanks For The Reminder Mom Quinn Harlem - Discover & Share GIFs

Again, this frustration is just part of her story as it is for many children of immigrants. Just like many of us, she mimics her mother in her authentic Trini accent when illustrating her mom’s disapproval. Here, she showcases the potential to codeswitch as well as the performative aspects of coping with immigrant parents. Come on you know you do it!. Imitating our parents, our aunties is just one way we process how disconnected we feel from their perspectives at times.

Terry does this as well, though I wouldn’t say she is imitating. She merely code switches. Her Ghanian accent comes out when she is in a certain raw mode. I have identified that in myself. It’s at that moment that my American friends tell me they realize I’m “not just American”. It just comes out jare! You will just be exzited! (yes with a z). You will be dropping articles and adding them in places where it doesn’t make sense because the moment calls for it And that is exactly what Terry does. These subtle representations communicate to the viewer that her blackness is more than complex. It’s rich.

Framing Diasporing Tensions

In each of these shows, the first or second-gen immigrants interact with American-born Blacks and certain topics arise though not given much attention. In Love Life, Marcus is aware of the high-achieving Nigerian trope as well as the Nigerian scam stereotype. This seems to be the extent of his knowledge of Nigerians and enough for him to interact with Ola and attempt to understand her story. This openness to her exemplifies the potential for dialogue among diasporic blacks in learning people beyond the tropes.

In Harlem, Quinn and Angie have a long discussion about appropriation and performing Caribbean identities, Jamaican specifically. Again, it presents to us the topics related to cultural performativity and how first and second generations might feel about it. There is also a scene where X discovers she loses a job opportunity to a Nigerian scholar and mentions how insecure she felt that she couldn’t compete with a “black Black” anthropologist. This sentiment resonates with many African descendants of slaves, American-born Blacks, and it was necessary to frame this tension. We can’t expect any show to have the answers, but I consider it a gift to even raise the question.

Most of the Black characters in I May Destroy You are children of immigrants. The series is written by a Ghanian immigrant so her world is embedded in it. Though I am aware of the tensions between Black Brits (Caribbean ) and African Brits, Cole doesn’t address this as much as the tensions between White and Black.

Nonetheless each of these shows goes into my canon of storytelling that presents nuances racial and cultural identities that I am not used to seeing and are worthy of applause. Good job!

We Have a Podcast!!

When it comes to the journeys of immigrants and their children, there is so much to write about and talk about!

So we are on podcast too!

First episode can be found here!!

Whether you are foreign-born or American-born, this podcast is for you. This is for us and for U. S. Times are changing. We are finding our place in the center, no longer pushed to the background and shoved in limiting racial categorical boxes.

Our stories matter. Your story is Our story. When we realize we are interconnected, perhaps we can love better.

Take a listen, like, and share!

Arsene Lupin

After some coaxing from a friend, I decided to give this recommendation from Netflix a try. The show: Lupin. The cover: A Black man’s face. So of course it’d show up for me. I mean Netflix knows me, but I was resisting being known by artifical intelligence so I hadn’t given the show a chance. Also, I find it really hard to suspend my disbelief. How is it possible that no one knows that this guy is able to change his looks and be undetectable? This is the same reason, I just can’t get down with Superman. A pair of glasses is really throwing you off, Lois??

But here I was sitting in our movie room ready to scrutinize, and I was pleasantly surprised and automatically hooked.

Arsene Lupin is a popular literary character in French literature. While the beloved character has been depicted as of European descent in comic strips and television shows, Netflix does what it does best and flips the script. In this show, Lupin is French of Senegalese descent. . . in France. Oh this is gonna be good.

The exceptional Omar Sy — Omar Sy, Actor

The Good

When we think of France, we think of Pareeee, the Eiffel Tower, fashion, baguettes, croissants, cheese, and love, but many African immigrants know them for their racism as well.

While walking down the Champs D’Elysees during one of my many visits to Paris, I recall scratching my eyes while shopping for gifts only to discover that tear gas had been sprayed two blocks down. Being Curious Georgina, I walked toward the stinging mist and found a group of Ivorians protesting France’s involvement in their country’s election. They were angry but not impassioned, yet police officers dressed in gear met their grief with force. This wouldn’t be the first visual for me drawing my attention to race relations in France, but it was a poignant one. As I saw White French men and women walk by in disgust and frustration with their fellow Frenchmen, I recognized the apathy. One that I had witnessed in my own country.

This is what makes Lupin gangsta (at least to me). The premise of the show is that racism alongside white privilege worked together to wrongly accuse a Senegalese immigrant of an offense which landed him in jail and ultimately caused him to lose his life. Inspired by Lupin, his son Assane Diop (played by Omar Sy) seeks vengeance for his father.

So his immoral actions (stealing, deceiving, threatening) seem justified, and media psychologists would agree the audience is meant to identify with the anithero. He is doing wrong things for the right reason. Even more interesting is that the audience regardless of race is invited to see injustice from his point of view, a racialized one. There is no room for doubt. Pellegrini (played by Hervé Pierre.) and many of the other White characters on the show look down on French Blacks without shame.

When entertainment takes on institutional racism I can’t help but think that’s a good thing. But when engaging with reality, let’s not lose sight of creativity. They can co-exist.

Hmm…Are We Serious?

Omar Sy is over 6ft tall and beautiful dark chocolate in a country in which racial bias is prevalent. Clark Kent might be able to get away with some glasses, but how is this tall black man walking around and no one knows he’s Sernine! (Gotta watch to find out).

Season 1 held me in suspense. It had all the elements of mystery, injustice, and anxiety induction that kept my eyes on the screen long enough to forget the logical incongruence for me. Maybe it was possible that there are several men Diop’s height that the cops really couldn’t tell who he was. Maybe it is a good thing that he wasn’t presumed guilty right off the bat by some of the people he interacted with.

Season 2 was just released, and of course I had to complete the series. The writers amp up the racist French people trope, but at times it doesn’t make sense. Say when two black men find themselves in a small Normandy town and can’t seem to see each other.

Lupin Cast & Character Guide: Who Plays Who in Season 2?

I Got Questions

Could they have casted more characters of color so that Omar Sy is not the only or one of two Black men running around France?

If this compromises any authentic representation of racial representation in France, could they have filmed or set some of the content in Little Africa or neighborhoods with majority Black characters?

Could we have highlighted Little Africa considering Assane comes from a Senegalese immigrant family? Was Ben his only friend?

Could we have pulled out any Mission Impossible stunts where Assane wears a mask (yes a white face) and wig? Doing so, could have been a great opportunity to illustrate privilege more vividly. Also, would have been more fun!

Now, maybe I should have known this, but Guiderdia’s ethnicity as a North African could have been a little more obvious for U.S. audiences? Is that why no one believed him?

Um…where the Black women at? Its great to have a Black lead, but are there are absoultely no Black women in his life? An aunti? A cousin? Anybody working in a store, hotel, or standing in an elevator? We can do better.

I say we, like I was at the writer’s table. . . .Maybe I should be! Ha!

Trying Not To Laugh GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

Overall, though, I appreciate the show Lupin and am inspired by it’s lead actor Omar Sy who started his career in his 40s. Nothing is perfect and inclusion is yet to be fully mastered, so there is always room for critique and improvement. Nonetheless, good job, Netflix.

This wraps up my “If you ask me. . .” segment! Watch Lupin here.

About Mr. T. No, not that Mr. T

For people of color, representation and ownership of images are far and few between. Before Jane the Virgin (2014), the last show featuring majority Latinx characters was George Lopez show (2002) which lasted until 2007. That’s 7 years, two shows centered on Latin-American life. And before Lopez, was Chico and the Man (1974). It was 24 years before there was Latinx lead. Meanwhile Latin-Americans make up eighteen percent of the U.S. population.

Asian Americans make up about six percent of the population, that is around 19 million people. Before Fresh off the Boat (2015), Margaret Cho’s All-American Girl (1994) was said to have been the first sitcom featuring an all Asian-American cast, and Cho received much praise for being the first Asian American lead. is often credited for being the first Asian American star. (It should be noted that between AAAG and FoB was, a show called outsourced featuring Indian hybrids, but we can reserve the bias toward East Asians in television and sheer invisibility of Indian families on television for another entry.) Some research after binging Cobra Kai led to the discovery that Mr. Myagi (Pat Morita) starred in the sitcom Mr. T and Tina (1976). which had actually been one of the first (if not the first) network sitcom featuring a majority (East) Asian-American cast.

He was always Mr. Myagi to this millennial (or is it GenXer?), but Pat Morita was born in California to Japanese immigrants. Like many Asians in California during in the 1940s, his family owned a restaurant, but he would later find his fortune in entertainment. I may have recognized him in Happy Days when I’d watch Nick at Nite, but I wouldn’t come to see him until The Karate Kid. Before the The Karate Kid, however, Morita played many roles with his big break as Taro Takahashi in Mr. T. and Tina, a show about a Japanese inventor who immigrated from Tokya to Chicago with his family. The show only aired four episodes, but it’s certainly worth learning about as we consider the dearth of representation of BIPOC communities and the opportunities, albeit limited for immigrants and their children, to feature in stories which reflect their community.

It’s interesting to see the primer episode featuring cast members from Welcome Back Kotter, an Italian, an African-American, Latino and a Jew(?) approach a Japanese man. The enactment of racial and ethnic identity in the 1970s is eye-opening. It begs one to consider not only how Black actors were trained to perform blackness, but how Asian-American actors enacted Asianness, accents and all.

It is also important to understand the decision making that goes into who gets air time and how groups are portrayed. Margaret Cho has been open about the compromises she was foreced to make in presenting Asian-Americans including being forced to conform to the thin ideal and experiencing barriers to portraying Korean-Americans humorously, but authentically including the negotiations that second-generation Americans make between their parent’s culture and an American culture. In fact, Mr. T attempted to showcase these tensions in identity-formation among Mr. T’s kids who spent a lot of time with their American nanny, Tina.

Today, there are more shows centered on immigrant life and challenges. Maybe Mr. T. was before it’s time. But one thing is sure, and that is the visibility of an immigrant contributing to America, and making life better for his family is significant to our cultural media landscape and the value we ascribe to ourselves and others.

Black Box

No,it’s not Bird Box, and it’s likely better. But to be transparent, I am completely biased.

I don’t recall where I learned about the film, but the trailer seemed interesting enough. A psychological thriller about a single father with amnesia, trying to recall his old memories, and possibly discovering something terrible about himself. Fractured, comes to mind. (but don’t worry, it’s not what you think). Then the selling point. When I saw my television mom, ~~Claire~~, Phylicia Rashad was in it. I clicked *Watch Now*.

And what a pleasant suprise!

Black Box, directed by Ghanian-American Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, features Mauritarian-American actor and producer Mamoudou Athie as Nolan, Nigerian-American actor and director Tosin Morohunfola, and Zimbabwean-Australian actress, writer, and director Charmaine Bingwa.

And this is all you need to know. Watch it!

Haha, just joshin’! But how exciting right? Or is it just me? Here are the reasons, I found Black Box interesting and worthy of support.

Humanity in Stories

Director, Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, aims to tell”authentic, sensitive, human-centered stories”, and that he did. No doubt, Black Box is a story told by people across the African diaspora, about a human experience. It wasn’t about being African. Wasn’t even about being Black. Without giving it away, the story is about attachments, whether good or bad, and to some degree the film entertains the boundaries of science. Regardless of our hue or cultural background, most can relate with relational and professional tensions

Diversity in Stories

Remember when diversity meant the one Black character in a sea of White faces? The creative skills of Black people across the globe were featured in this film, and the racial diversity of the cast was reflective of American metropolitan cities in which Black Box takes place. A project with the contributions from rising stars, there is little information available about their narratives which may (or may not) have played a role in the kinds of stories they tell or are apart of. One thing is for sure though. From the writing to performance, the cast includes a diversity of Black people within the diaspora.

Black Box was originally written by Brooklynite Stephen Herman, a recent graduate from Baruch College and an award-winning director himself. Director, Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour was born and raised in Houston, TX to Ghanaian parents. He studied in Japan for a while and it is there he discovered an interest in a style of storytelling which places emphasis on character’s psychological processing. Though he has directed a few shorts and commercials and received awards for them, Black Box is his first feature length film. Mamoudou Athie, though born in Mauritania, was raised in Maryland, US when his father came to the US to seek asylum. A rising talent, Athie has starred in a notable number of television series including Madame Secretary, The Get Down, and Patti’s Cake.

Tosin (we on a first name basis bc #Naijarepresent), probably best known for his roles in Black Lightning (2018), Love Is_(2018) , and The Chi (2018) defines himself as the proud son of Nigerian immigrants. Not only is he a filmmaker, but he is also the founder of the Multicultural Theatre Initiative, a theatre company which aims to cultivate interest and develop writing skills among diverse groups. Charmaine Bingwa winner of the 2018 Heath Ledger Scholarship, was born in Australia to Zimbabwean immigrants, and thus is the first Black recipient of the award. Bingwa is relatively new to the business, but has already written, produced, and directed a few flicks including Little Sista. Little Sista offers a window into a life of an second-generation Aussie whose mom engages in native spiritual rigutas. To add more complexity to the character, the main character (Bingwa) is also a lesbian. This intersectional approach to storytelling adds nuance often overlooked or undervalued in the mainstream. And of course, Phylicia Rashad needs no explanation.

It doesn’t stop there. The cast also includes other diverse characters including Dr. Reed , played by Hans Soto. In addition, Tosin plays a Ghanian character, Dr. Gary Yeboah. Look at that, an immigrant doctor. His immigrant identity is not relevant. He is just Nolan’s friend and is deeply concerned about him and his daughter.

Why does this matter?

By now, you should know. Representation matters. And representation isn’t sticking minoritized person of color in a script, whitewashing them or coaching them to perform an ethnicity. Representation matters in whose stories get opportunity. Thanks Blumhouse. Representation matters in whose lens through which we view a story, and it matters in the physical presentation of humanized bodies of color we view on screen. It matters because in the absence of these, it is easy to privilege an Anglo-centric view of bodies of color. However, seeing Osei-Kuffour, Athie, Mohorunfola, and Bingwa’s name in the credits reminds us all that our identities are plentiful. Even more, seeing second-generation Americans starring in a screenplay written by an African American and playing alongside an African American presens a view of unity countering some of the other narratives out there about Black American and Black Immigrant relations.

Overall, it was a thought-provoking film, so if my reasons are of no consequence to you, I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Dear Founding Fathers, We Present Shyamala’s Daughter

I was so distracted by my fear of the continuation of an administration which would pose a threat to my physical and psychological well-being in these United States, that I couldn’t even enjoy the history Kamala Harris made as the first female Vice-President of the United States. And she is not just the first female, but also first South Asian for sure. But is she the first African-American woman?

Kamala Harris was evidently jogging when she won the vice presidency

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is harris-for-tovia-story-0013e37ab9a63cbfad834fd7beb282967b0b333d-s1300-c85.jpg

Speaking of which a dear friend of mine who is Indian called me to celebrate and asked me a question which she could probably only talk to me about.

“Her father is Jamaican. Why do they keep calling her African-American?” she queried. Along with this question, I see memes circulating about the authenticity of the Vice-President elect’s blackness, because she is mixed or bi-racial. So for some within the Black community, she is not really Black. (Here we go again)

These questions expose the limitations of the racial constructs we hold onto so tightly in this country, and the claims to authenticity some of us push forth to exclude others for the purposes of elevating our increasingly targeted sense of self.

Well, Vice-President Harris is Black.

She is Black because her father is a first-generation American, being born in St. Ann Parish, Jamaica to Afro-Jamaican parents. Consistent with the stories of many immigrants, Donald Harris came to the the United States to pursue higher education at the University of California and, depending on one’s take, contributed meaningfully to the field of economics. When Kamala’s father arrived in the 1960s, he was likely not just Jamaican, but became Black. He was certainly a descendent of Africans. Per the organization of racial classification systems here in the U.S., though he had come from an entirely different culture, he likely became a color, experiencing the meaning of his melanin in this country.

Her mother, born in Chennai, India came to the U.S to pursue her graduate degree at University of California, where Shyamala met Kamala’s father. According to the story, they met each other at a protest for civil rights. The both experienced what it meant to be non-White in this country and exercised their rights as Americans to do something about it.

What Kamala Harris's multi-ethnicity can teach us about race - Los Angeles Times — Kamala as a young girl with her mother, sister and grandparents

Kamala is a second-generation, biracial American. To be born of a South Asian woman, does not cancel out her African ancestry from her Jamaican father and its implications for her lived experience in the U.S. It is perhaps for this reason her mother committed to her children developing their Black identity by moving to a majority Black neighborhood and building a Black community by attending Black churches. And though attending Howard University does not automatically make you Black (side-eye Rachel), it is often described as a “mecca” for Black people of all backgrounds. Yes including a young South Asian Black American woman.

Dallas attorney shares special connection with Kamala Harris as sorority sisters — Kamala Harris with her AKA sisters which she pledged at Howard University

Along with many other groundbreaking successes, Kamala Harris gets the honor of deconstructing the rigid lines of racial identity we use to box people in. She gets to be a token of celebration among her South Asian, Black, and Caribbean communities. And having the privilege of being mixed, she might be able to utilize her cultural standpoints to express and exact empathy toward a multicultural America. Another brown leader in the White House not only widens the vantage point for those in power (fingers crossed), but widens the opportunities for many girls and girls of color striving to become more than gender assigned occupations. The low representation of women in STEM careers is the reason young girls, and especially those of color, may avoid the math and the sciences. If increased representation on screen can increase young girls’ self-efficacy (their belief in their capability) , what can seeing an actual vice-president who is female and brown do for girls in this country? Visualization helps dreams seem reachable and representation makes hopes attainable. Identification is a path through which we come to understand and see ourselves. For brown people in this country if we are seen, it is more often through the lens of limitations, than the actual attainment of our ability.

America, though it wrestles with welcoming foreigners, is a nation of immigrants. The Anglo founding fathers of this country likely did not imagine Obama’s son or Shyamala’s daughter, but Kamala surely represents what they imagined in their vision for the country–a land where any citizen can lead the people, not limited to a monarchy or a select few. Thank you forefathers. Another immigrant’s child is in the White House.

The Sit-In

What’s this have to do with first and second-gen Americans? I imagine that would be your first thought.

Unexpectedly, plenty.

The Sit-In is a documentary about the one week that entertainer/activist Harry Belafonte hosted Johnny Carson’s The Tonight Show. The documentary suggests that during the peak of the Civil Rights Movement and civil unrest, Carson wanted to create space to address political issues on his show, but felt slightly ill-equipped to do so, especially as it relates to racial injustice. Belafonte had an evening special once on NBC and was generally beloved by African American and White audiences alike. During that week of letting a Negro man host a late show during the most segregated time in television history, Belafonte used his platform to humanize African Americans, amplify voices of color and the concerns of marginalized communities.

Not even sure where I heard about the show or ‘peacock’ for that matter. Likely instagram. Having an affinity for history, I couldn’t help but view it and I can say it left an imprint on me for the following reasons:

Immigrants Envision America

Belafonte who was a second generation American, born to Jamaican born parents and is an iconic figure in American history. Yes, he was known for his calypso flavor and even as an actor. But I’d argue his mark in history is less about his talent, but more about how he used his talent as a platform for social justice. Belafonte was known for bridging racial divides, have an integrated dance crew on his own show and inviting everyone from Robert Kennedy and Paul Newman, and the Smothers Brothers to Martin Luther King Jr., Leon Bibb, and Buffy Sainte-Marie

Reflecting on his experience hosting, Belafonte shared a sentiment that is probably common among many immigrants, and that is while there is much to be critical of in this country, there is also much to celebrate and he was determined to hold America to its aspirations of equality for all people. He would try to do so by making White audiences of The Tonight Show see people of color as not just entertainers, but Americans also

In a time where a nation is really struggling for its soul, [I] believe that all of us have a responsibility to do everything we can to salvage the best that’s in America because there’s a great deal that’s good about it. -Harry Belafonte

In an interview, Indigenous-Canadian American folk singer Buffy Sainte-Marie introduces her song Welcome Emigrante where she expresses the irony of anti-immigration sentiment.

“It’s pretty silly for first or second or third generation American to be making fun of and refusing help to newly arrived immigrants, when the fact is they haven’t been here that long themselves” – Buffy Sainte-Marie

The documentary also briefly covered Sidney Poitier, a Bahamian American who like Chadwick Boseman (may his soul rest in peace), actively selected roles which elevated Black people. Potier was likely one of the first Black men to slap a White man onscreen. To see such a thing in the 1960s just a few years after the Jim Crow era, where Black people couldn’t sit in fronts of buses or drink from the same water fountain, was empowering demanding to be seen as a person.

History Urges Hope

Much of the footage in the documentary cover the one of the ugliest times of America’s story, somewhat reminiscent of our current times. Division. Protests. Anti-Black and anti-immigrant sentiment. The emerging fist of White supremacy breaking through the promises of the Declaration of Independence, declaring all created men equal.

It was humbling to watch these individuals, Rev. King, Coretta Scott King, Belafonte, Robert Kennedy, John Lewis, Sidney Poitier and others be light against darkness. It seems so easy to hide against the shadows of hateful rhetoric. It’s easy to pick a side and participate in the illusion of us. vs. them compared to good vs. evil. Righteousness vs. unrighteousness. During a time where violence against Black bodies was legal and imminent, they spoke the truth and stood in love. Their message was not one of hared of any group, but hatred for injustice. As I reflect on our current challenges, I am encouraged that good can prevail, and perhaps I could be among those who do good works and be light.

Over 50 years later, we find ourselves in familiar territories, not just here, but around the world. And one thing that is consistent is the people pushed to the margins, push back, not to demand dominance, but dignity.

The immigrants of this country have used their voices and platforms to demand that the vision of this country since its independence comes to fruition. The Sit-In is just one of many examples of how immigrants and their children push to make this country better.

Just Moved to Yankee!

And what comes to mind when you hear this phrase?

Me? I see a packed suitcase and an airplane landing at JFK. Honestly, I see Akeem with his animal skinned turban screaming from a balcony “Yes! Yes! F@#! you too!” (Classic!)

Whereas the term “yankee” may more famously be known to refer to northerners in the U.S. during the Civil War, it was also a derogatory name the Brits used to describe their rebellious colonies in the Americas. In fact, the fun kid’s song I learned in preschool, “Yankee Doodle” was the proposed first national anthem (Thank you Francis Scott Key!) Today, when people say Yankee, they are referring to The United States of America.

This is certainly what Kemi and Dumebi had in mind last year when they named their organization, Just Moved to Yankee (JMTY) which helps new African immigrants adjust and succeed in the U.S. Kemi, who was just 15, when she arrived to attend college in West Virginia, found herself feeling lost in the sea of information or perhaps a better description would be the desert of ignorance. When she was a student she observed that the issues affecting international students were not adequately addressed. Support systems were not set up to assist immigrants in succeeding beyond academic excellence. Dumebi, on the other hand, arrived in Dallas, TX for graduate school and experienced a range of emotions from excitement to disappointment to loneliness. While she was happy to be in the land of opportunity, she realized staying connected with people from her ancestral land was critical to her psychosocial well-being.

Kemi and Dumebi connected while doing graduate work in Texas, a hub for international students, and collectively worked to make sure that international students would not have to face the challenges they faced. Given the opportunities that already existed for other immigrants, the two women focused specifically on helping other African immigrants.

I feel like a lot of schools do not give international students the right information to thrive. There were so many mistakes that I would have avoided as an international student if only I had the right information.
-Kemi

Using social media as their primary platform, Kemi and Dumebi post helpful tips and cautions for immigrant students and those entering the job market. Their posts often follow international news that impact students like the current administration’s recent attempt to strip visas from international students. Their posts offer strategies to achieve success in careers, presents reviews of companies seeking to hire, shares idea for legal side gigs, and inspires entrepreneurship. For Kemi and Dumebi, success is not just about grades, but achieving your purposes for leaving home and your family. Because jobs to international students are not guaranteed, JMTY has partnered with an organization called F-1 doctors to help international students secure jobs in the medical field.

As best they can, JMTY also answers questions and attend to concerns their instagram followers send them. In addition to their instagram posts, they hosted a semi-formal networking brunch where guests could ask burning questions of a Nigerian American CIO about working in corporate America. The duo definitely had more in store, but COVID. Currently, Kemi and Dumebi host Instagram Live Chats in the place of live networking events. When things return to normal, the team plans to continue cultivating community in person to assist African immigrant students

The ultimate goal of JMTY is to “. . .guide [international students] through the school selection process, course selection, search for scholarships, visa interview prep, and ultimately, connect them with members of our community who can help them when they eventually move to the U.S.” However, JMTY does not only focus on the scholastic success of African immigrants, but they also addresses their overall well-being. Being African in America also means that one may need to adjust to being double-stereotyped (as an African and as a Black person) and manage the effect of being marginalized on one’s self-esteem, self-efficacy, and success. For example, in one post, JMTY addresses the challenge of seeking a corporate job with an African name and an identifiable accent. Dumebi shares her story of learning to Anglicize her name to accommodate Americans struggle with non-English names. In another post, the ladies feature a follower’s personal message in which they are seeking advice on wearing braids to an interview. Not offering any direct advice or judgment, Kemi and Dumebi create a safe space for African immigrants to discuss their racial experiences, whether positive or negative, as well as be a community to one another Nonetheless, the ladies are grateful for the opportunities presented here in the U.S.

With all its injustice, we cannot deny that America is still a land of opportunities. America has allowed us to live at a much higher standard than a lot of us would have if we were in our various home countries. We have met some of the best people here, had some of the best experiences here, and as people who came here for school, we are better educated because of the U.S.

The ladies have pushed through the barriers and achieved their own personal success with Kemi working full time as a Senior IT Financial Analyst at a healthcare company and Dumebi working as a Strategy & Operations Associate at a financial services company. The duo were featured on the podcast “The Tales of an African Princess” hosted by Dr. Ozi, a Microbiologist who came to the United States from Nigeria to pursue her dreams. To learn more about Just Moved to Yankee or to support, you can follow them on Instagram, or LinkedIn. Click. Like. Follow. Share!

My American Flag

On July 2, MoveOn.Org launched a voting campaign called My American Flag in which they feature writers, actors, activists and other creatives against their immigrant back stories, and a newly created flag–one that tells their story.

Of course, your girl was ecstatic as the message resonated with my message and my mission for this blog and current projects. Here is one of our problems here. These socially constructed racial categories are limiting! So much so that it shuts out the plethora of expressions of cultural identity which enriches the U.S. immigrants and their children are not evil enemies, but contributing citizens.

The NaySayers

Of course the campaign is not without critique. Let’s briefly entertain them.

The campaign is divisive.

I’d argue that disregarding the myriad of immigrant stories and cultural hyridization is to erase–that is whitewash brown ethnic narratives. How much more divisive can one get?

The project is silly because the entire American experiment is wrong.

Yes, the Brits, Dutch, French and Spaniards who arrived here in the early 13th century literally stole this land and used menaical weapons of spiritual, psychological, and economic warfare to dominate people groups and subject them into the submission they themselves were fleeing. Still today whiteness persists to silence the voices of marginalized people, and brown people specifically around the world. And yes, the idea of democracy, though flawed in practice, didn’t even take into consideration people who were not the majority. Nonetheless when TJ and dem wrote “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men were created equal” they started a firestorm that immigrants have continued to enflame. The project was honorable. The implementation of the project was disgusting and shameful. Immigrants come to set the U.S. on the course to becoming its aspirational self.

This campaign goads white supremacist nationalist

Yes, but it doesn’t take much to goad them. The premise of White supremacy is that no other culture is worthy or can claim rights to a land which they occupy and control. From my perspective, this moment says, Ef that. This land now belongs to all of us. This campaign bulldozes through the white supremacist logic and makes space for all the different ways to be American.

My American Flag not only offers a visualization for the diversity which exists here in the U.S, but celebrates the contributions of that diversity. This movement also finds a place for the inbetweeners, the hybrids, the people caught between multiple lands to exist. It doesn’t force them to choose but allows them to be all aspects of their cultural selves.

This approach to identity is crucial to deconstructing classifications and the stereotypes that come with it. Can you imagine how much stronger we would be if we respected and embraced all the ways in which we are a melting pot of goodness!

Check out what these cultural disruptors had to say.

A great America acknowledges our collective wrongs…to build toward a future that values freedom & equality for every person on American soil.

I was raised to be as proud of being from India as I was to be born in the United States. Identity has no borders.

Being American to me means standing on the backs of immigrant parents’ sacrifices.

Our country is a work in progress, a poem still being written.

To be an American who is Black . . .is to constantly ave your heartbroken but you manage to find revolutionary joy anyway.

The commitment to making America is great by celebrating and making room for its diversity is the heart of this blog and my current personal mission. I will always be proud of what being inbetween offers me, chief among them a revolutionary perspective. Vote unapologetically.