Continental divide separates Africans, African-Americans

[Blue_Tires]

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Africa is not a country, and Africans generally do not live in trees or hunt game with spears. Nor do they all walk around in the nude among lions and zebras.

African immigrants to the United States say cartoonish caricatures and a Western media penchant for reporting on Africa's disease, hunger and war -- rather than the continent's successes -- trivialize their cultures. They complain they have trouble dispelling the stereotypes once they arrive in the States.

They concede, though, the myths run both ways and some say they were surprised to find their values more often aligned with those of white Americans than African-Americans.

"I have been laughed at because of my accent and asked all the ignorant questions," said iReporter Ajah-Aminata N'daw, 25, of Fall River, Massachusetts. "Questions like: Did I live on a tree? Roam the jungles naked? Have wild animals at home?"

N'daw emigrated from Dakar, Senegal, in 2001. She works in a hair-braiding salon and has met African-Americans who share her values of hard work and family, but in most cases, "we are raised differently, taught different values and held up to a different moral code." iReport: Read why N'daw is not African-American

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/14/africans.in.america/index.html?eref=rss_mostpopular

[slackmaster]

1. Walking around in the nude among lions and zebras seems strangely compelling

Coffee. Need more coffee.

[Tim01]

2. I knew a guy who was from Nigeria.

He said the same things that are said in this story. He is a big fan of America, he was here for college.


" Ezeamuzie recalled finding himself more confused by his experience with some African-Americans: Why were they so cliquish? Why did they mock students for being intelligent? Why were they homophobic and bent on using the n-word? Why did every conversation seem to involve drugs, girls or materialism?

"They kind of accepted me. They saw me a little differently, but I was thinking this is a very narrow mindset," Ezeamuzie said.

Ezeamuzie and other Africans say they feel African-Americans too often dwell on slavery and the racism that has persisted for more than a century since the Emancipation Proclamation."

[HamdenRice]

3. As an African American who has lived in Africa and has many African friends ...

I would say the characterization is a little superficial. It depends on the part of the country. In New York, with its huge African American population having been mixed with Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latin and African immigrants for centuries, there isn't as much ignorance or divide.

That said, I posted several months ago that my African friends told me that when they came to America, most Americans asked them if they had to trade in their skins for clothes at the airport.

DUers said I was lying, and there were howls of protest in that thread. At least my observation is confirmed by this news report.

I should also add that South Africans are really different from Africans from other parts of Africa and are surprisingly like African Americans, mostly because of similar historical experiences.

[SoCalDem]

4. It, sadly proves how lacking our education is.

If Africa is even discussed, it;s only peripherally, and usually stops with Mt Kilimanjaro, the wild life preserves, diamonds, and South Africa.

The only history that many ever learned about Africa, was how often the borders changed , and how many 'new" countries kept popping up, and which countries colonized the continent.

the same goes for South America..

[HamdenRice]

5. The "Save the Children" type fundraising pity fests on TV don't help either

I'm all for aid, but they are doing more damage by misrepresenting the continent as well as the source of the hunger than they are helping.

[SoCalDem]

6. I remember giving money when I was in school, for the starving Biafrans

and then the teacher could not even find Biafra on any maps we had..