NAIROBI, Kenya, February 1, 2024 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- What is it like to be a young African in the diaspora? According to the new report Being African: How do Africans understand the diaspora? Young Africans in the diaspora experience different types of discrimination – exoticization in France, microaggressions in the United Kingdom, and surveillance and profiling in the United States.
The latest research report from narrative change organization Africa No Filter explores how young Africans experience their diaspora, how they define being African and the foundations of their belonging. It also examines how they define their relationships with other Africans and how dominant stereotypes about Africa influence young people in the diaspora’s perception of the continent.
The report reveals that while life in the diaspora is marked by various types of discrimination, young Africans in the diaspora possess a unique dual heritage that makes them proud of African languages, cuisine, music and history, while being strongly linked to the language and culture of their host country.
Their perception of Africa has also not been overly influenced by the many negative narratives about the continent carried by mainstream media. Rather, they relied on interpersonal relationships and social networks, and sometimes on trips to the continent, to acquire knowledge about Africanness. In addition, experiences of discrimination and recent racial awareness in host countries have also led to greater interest in Africa.
Moky Makura, Executive Director of Africa No Filter, said: “This report is a must-read for African governments and diaspora host countries as it focuses on an understudied group: The unique and personal life stories in the diaspora are an opportunity for African governments and host countries to reflect on how to transform young Africans in the diaspora into an economic, social and cultural asset both for their host country and for their country of origin. origin “.
The report was written by academics Lusike Mukhongo, Winston Mano and Wallace Chuma. Here are the main conclusions:
Young people from the diaspora experience different types of discrimination in France, the United Kingdom and the United States, but the result is the same: they feel like they do not fully belong to the country in which they live. They retreat into their African identity, but see it as something to be proud of, something to nurture, preserve and develop through visits and historical re-enactment. The ability to speak an African language was the most valued criterion of identity among young people in the diaspora – even those who did not speak an African language wished to be able to do so. Recent waves of racial awareness in the United States, the United Kingdom and France, as well as the “BlackLivesMatter” campaigns, have led young people in the diaspora to learn more about their heritage and identity. Their focus included learning African history, wearing African clothing and hairstyles, and using African names. Participants’ African identity was also reinforced at home by speaking and hearing African languages, eating African food, and listening to African music. Young people from the diaspora are treated poorly in their host countries, are often marginalized and do not have equal access to public services and resources, compared to other racial groups. However, the nature of the treatment varies from country to country: in the UK, black people experience similar microaggressions whether they are Black British, African, African American, Caribbean or Afro-Latino; in France, diasporas are subject to exoticization; and in the United States, they live in fear due to police violence and other racial violence taking place in the country. Young people in the diaspora generally have limited knowledge of Africa, but a great thirst for knowledge. They therefore seek information about the continent from a wide range of sources, including parents, relatives living in Africa and the diaspora, books and social media. Participants who have traveled to the continent believe they have better knowledge than those who have only lived in the diaspora or who moved to the diaspora at a young age, particularly when it comes to understanding the many and diverse cultures present on the continent. the continent. In all three countries, participants consider international media coverage of Africa to be biased, based on stereotypes and predominantly negative – focusing on poverty and political violence – but their views on Africa and their identity as a Africans were not too influenced by these reports because they were aware of the bias. For example, in the UK, most participants accessed news through the BBC, ITV and Sky News, which they felt regularly misrepresented Africa. Thus, although participants paid attention to images of Africa conveyed by mainstream media, they were not easily influenced by these images. However, they worry about the impact of these negative narratives on non-Africans. Even positive stories about Africa are seen as mainly about individuals, for example stories of African students winning competitions abroad, successful African inventors, African businessmen and women earning money, or a Kenyan woman who transforms plastic waste into bricks for housing construction. This focus on individuals maintains a negative image of Africa, leaving only a few pockets of positivity visible.
Methodology: As part of this study, 70 Africans aged 18 to 28 were interviewed in the United States, 20 in the United Kingdom and 20 in France. Participants were first- or second-generation diaspora members, born in the diaspora or having moved there before the age of five. All participants had few or no fixed memories of Africa and relied primarily on information provided to them in their host countries.
Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) for Africa No Filter.
Inquiries: [email protected].
About Africa No Filter
Africa No Filter exists because many narratives about Africa still lazily revolve around a single story, that of poor leadership, poverty, corruption, disease and conflict. These stories do not depict other, more progressive aspects of Africa and collectively perpetuate the idea that Africa is broken, dependent and has no influence. Consequence: harmful stereotypes continue to be conveyed against Africa, despite the considerable progress we are making. Africa No Filter’s mission is to change these stereotypes because they influence how the world views Africa and how Africa views itself. Through research, grantmaking, community building, and advocacy, we support storytelling professionals to help change stereotypes about Africa, one story at a time. Our funding partners include the Ford Foundation, Bloomberg, Mellon Foundation, Luminate, Open Society Foundations, Comic Relief, Hilton Foundation and Hewlett Foundation.
To learn more about Africa No Filter, visit our website: www.africanofilter.org.
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Source : African Media Agency (AMA)