Senegal : Being African American in Senegal

Liberty

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Invisible.

When I arrived in Senegal I imagined that I was going home because that’s what everyone called it. Family members and church women in bright colored dresses all exclaimed, “You get to go back! You get to see Africa and you get to see home!” This idea of home is what drove me to take a gap year in the first place, but the thing about returning somewhere is that it is always completely different than you remember.



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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/being-african-american-in-senegal_us_58d9625be4b04f2f079271bb
 
Hi Liberty. I think it is unfortunate how so many African Americans have this romanticized view of Africa. Home? Our ancestors may have come from there, HUNDREDS of years ago, but it is a foreign world for us and the native Africans do not always view us as one of the family 'returning.' Having lived in southern Africa for a number of years, I learned very quickly that culture, language and wealth clearly separate us from the native Africans. In southern Africa and other areas, there is a general term which translates to "white-man." This term is often used for whites AND black Europeans/Americans. The term is largely culturally and not necessarily about race.

I have seen so many African Americans return to the states realizing just how different and disappointing their experience has been while there. They wanted to feel like they were going home, but it wasn't. The didn't speak the language(s), didn't know the customs, didn't have the same appreciation for the lifestyle presented to them. But, for those of us who were not so romantically duped, we experienced a people, language, culture rich with community, simplicity and beauty. We managed to make connections w/o trying to force it.
 
... I learned very quickly that culture, language and wealth clearly separate us from the native Africans. In southern Africa and other areas, there is a general term which translates to "white-man." This term is often used for whites AND black Europeans/Americans. The term is largely culturally and not necessarily about race ...


Here's more insight into the other areas:

doncatti
abrokyire
obruni


I don't know about in Ghana, but Ghanaians in the States called African Americans - those doncatti people.
https://destee.com/threads/african-americans-repatriate-to-ghana.79546/#post-860122

'abrokyire'(western) world
https://destee.com/threads/african-americans-repatriate-to-ghana.79546/#post-860201

Liberia was a starting point that went bad, it has to be set straight, and until we face the grim reality of this music, all else fails ... the Return of Obruni.
https://destee.com/threads/african-americans-repatriate-to-ghana.79546/#post-860251

Obruni has a couple of meanings. Originally used for Europeans, the term has transcended race to include white thought and lifestyle. Calling an African American obruni doesn't necessarily mean that the local population doesn't think or know a person is Black, even Western influenced Ghanaians that live abroad are sometimes called obruni.
https://destee.com/threads/african-americans-repatriate-to-ghana.79546/page-2#post-860283


African Americans Repatriate to Ghana.

Discussion in 'Ghana' started by skuderjaymes, Feb 14, 2014
https://destee.com/threads/african-americans-repatriate-to-ghana.79546/






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