I ran into a Kenyan couple last weekend at a party in Chicago. I thought I was being gracious when I mentioned to them how excited they must be to see Barak Obama do so well in the US presidential primaries. To my utter amazement, they eyed me suspiciously. So I persisted, “You know, he is half Kenyan.” They vehemently responded, “No. He is American!” “But his father was Kenyan,” I stammered. They huffed and puffed, “Well, he would do well to forget about that and identify as simply an American.” I was speechless!
I had never come across Africans who were so unwilling to claim a successful son of their soil! For instance, I’ve watched Nigerians puff their chests with pride at the mere mention of Seal, Sade, or Akeem Olajuwon, even though some of these international stars hardly acknowledge Nigeria as home. I’m sure folks from Benin and Senegal are equally proud of actor Djimon Hounsou and R&B singer Akon respectively. So this encounter with the Kenyans was astounding. Obama is no mere sports figure or entertainer. He’s running – rather well - for the most powerful job in the world. Why did this Kenyan couple not jump for joy at my suggestion that he was sort of one of them?
The man must have seen the shocked look on my face because he finally said, “Well, you know his father was Luo. Those Luos are claiming him. If Obama was nothing, they would not want to have anything to do with him.” He said this with a very slight smirk. His wife nodded vigorously.
I now understood and was saddened. This couple is Kikuyu. Over the past year, we have seen the deeply rooted tensions between the Luo and the Kikuyu come to the surface. The hostilities are so strong now that this Kikuyu couple would rather erase Obama’s Kenyan-ness than concede that he has Luo blood. I insisted that Obama was part Kenyan but they refused to budge. In their minds, the fact that his father was Luo expunged his Kenyan identity. This is a fundamental African problem. Many of us see ourselves more in terms of ethnicity than in terms of nationality. This does not have to be a bad thing. It could be a thing of pride and purpose if we could neatly complement each other. However, our visions are fragmented and our destinations are paved with bitterness and hostility.
As I struggled to reason with this Kikuyu couple, I realized that this was an argument that would only frustrate and depress me. I finally shrugged and changed the topic.
Your observation following your encounter is revealing but not surprising. When you say this is a fundamental African problem it sounds as if Africans are beset with the peculiar problem of loyalty to ethnic identities. The strong identification and protection of a persons Ethnic identity is an innate human instinct that is pervasive the world over and would continue to be relevant as long as human beings exist. It is therefore not just a fundamental African problem. I think the larger issue to address are the effects of a distorted sense of identity that has been the peculiar investment and legacy of colonialism on its subjects. Personally, I think your experience with your friends is a demonstration of a natural sense of nationalism that attempts and resists the obfuscation and concealment of their identity within the self-serving colonial misadventure that has tried to redefine and reclassify their consciousness.
This posting interested me so much that I had to read it twice.
I can see your point how this couple stated their comments concerning Obama. With the African countries being so proud of their people.
I am not extremely knowledgable with the African areas so these areas listed are a little foreign to me. Though it surprises me that this couple does not consider Obama as a full Kenyan.
Its unfortunate that here in America we do not honor all the well known. Such as the presidential candidates and others. We could learn a lesson from Africa and other countries.
I found this post very interesting that I had to read it twice. Obama is very popular in the world, so I can see it surprised you by the comments stated by this couple.
I don’t have a huge knowledge of the African world, so I am not exactly sure of these specific areas. Though it does surprise me that they do not acknowledge Obama as being Kenyan.
Its unfortunate that here in America we do not show our gratefulness for hero’s or idols among us. Such as the presidental candidates and others.
I have to say that I agree with Tomiwa. Even in America I feel like blacks more readily identify with our ethnicity than our country. I tend to be a proud black before I am a proud American. I really don’t believe I can explain it any better than Tomiwa because it was very well said. We struggle with identity, nationality, and colonialism, it is all all a means to understand who we are and instill pride within ourselves and I can understand why your African friends may feel as they do…right or wrong.
It is a shame that people are unable to outgrow old rivalries. The European’s colonization of the African continent and their stealing of resources set in motion a rivalry between African peoples which still exists today. Barack Obama, despite his authentic Kenyan descent, is not recognized by the Kikuyu people because of his Luo blood. It is an unfortunate reality that separates the Kikuyu from the Luo when one group will not claim a member of the other, despite his status and accomplishments. Additionally, it is tragic that instead of being unified behind Obama and acknowledging his Kenyan lineage, they choose to remain divided and hinder progression towards the future.
This situation does bring attention to the interesting point that the inner conflicts within a country itself are pervasive and can be even more hurtful and strange than that of nations. In Japan a similar situation exists. It is peculiar to us in America because it is commonly perceived that these are a people of obvious cultural unity because they all look alike. If you were to peer into the country and go beyond the languages, the dialects, the governmental regulations, the foods… you get specific regional differences and disparity. There are still descendants of tribal communities that exist in Japan - we know they exist in Africa still and we can only guess how many there are and all the subtleties that go along with that. But even these descendants living in a modern age *know* who they are, who accepts them regardless of blood lines, and who doesn’t. Another example of the beautiful, flawed human …
WoW.
Stephanie,
I remember you talking about this in class. This reminds me of the separation in black people and how we categorize ourselves.
I often see this problem - [sometimes] - in the African American community pertaining to two “types of black” - light skinned black people and dark skinned black people and black people that come from the upper middle class and black people that come from the lower middle class.
A great example is School Daze by Spike Lee, whereas the Gamma Rays were light skinned and had pretty long black hair and dressed with a sense of style and eloquence - some of it was weaved in - and the other sororities of girls were dark skinned had shorter hair and didn’t dress as “eloquent” and divine as the other girls. The Gamma Rays felt as if they didn’t fit into their ethinicity and shut them out.
Pertaining to Barack, I don’t see the big deal! He has had nothing bad to say about the Kikuyu’s at all! Moreover, I am pretty sure if he knew about them he would gladly respect and appreciate there culture.
Nonetheless, this is the major problem with black people worldwide - we can’t let the past be the past. And sometimes I feel that is why we haven’t overly overcome our “bitterness and hostility” because we are gripping so hard and not letting go to be FREE and free of negativity.
Taylor Mallory
Undergrad