Rant No. 1 - On Perceptions of Africa

Disclaimer: This post is meant only for the people who ask the dumb questions. Kudos to those people who know what Africa is really like, or have the decency to ask about it in a non-derogatory way.

Okay, so maybe I came from a high school were there were a lot of smart people, but as a Nigerian in America, I hate stupid questions and comments about where I come from. You know what I’m talking about :
“Oh, you speak such good English!” (Yes, because I’ve been speaking it all my life. Bitch.)
“Oh, your house! You mean like a hut, right?” (Yeah, with a giraffe in the backyard.)

I mean, well and fine, people can’t know everything. But seriously, the US has to start taking responsibility for the education of its people. I fail to see how the most powerful nation in the world can be home to some of the biggest idiots. Like the people who truly believe that Obama is a terrorist, and a Muslim. The candidates aren’t even bothering to educate their supporters about their rivals. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’d want people who think Obama’s the Antichrist voting for me. People would think I’m stupid too.

Let me set the record straight: Most African countries were independent states by the 1970s. We had cars, electricity, booming economies, and Beatles records. We now have movie theaters, satellite television, and high-speed internet. We have fashion labels, record labels, and iPhones. We have probably watched a lot of the same TV shows that you’ve watched, only maybe a year or two later than they were originally aired. We SPEAK ENGLISH. It is a requirement that non-U.S. citizens coming to the US for college prove that they have a mastery of the English language, or have been taught in English for the last 3 years of high school. We are SMART. Why do you think there are so many of us over here in the first place? Our parents are educated, a lot of them with college and masters’ degrees. They do not wear loincloths, or sleep on mats next to wood fires. I know how to use cutlery, but sometimes I will forgo it for the sake of convenience. Africa is not a COUNTRY, for God’s sake, people. It is a continent, with many nations that are not only diverse collectively, but have a lot of diversity within themselves as well. Nigeria alone has over 150 ethinc groups, and over 200 different languages and dialects.

Anyway, if you have the internet, that means you have access to Wikipedia. LOOK IT UP. And next time think before you ask me if I live in a tree. Asshole.