It was loud. It was brash. It was unwavering. It was my mother. “Amarachukwu! Have you prepared food for your family? Have you studied? I see you only got a 99 on your math test, where is the other point?” These are only a few of the many questions that a child coming from a Nigerian background may encounter.  In a Nigerian family, it’s “A plus, or bust!” When I was growing up, I recollect thinking of why I was chosen by some entity to have the burden of growing up in a Nigerian household. At first glance, this notion may be deemed as “harsh,”“ungrateful” or just plain “insensitive.” How could I, a little girl at an impressionable age hate a culture that I had not even begun to understand? Then it hit me. According to my schoolmates, I owned lions, lived in a hut, and ate dirt but I knew that was not true. I was constantly asked to translate the theme song of the Lion King and made fun of for things that my culture had nothing to do. I badly wanted to be of any background other than that of a Nigerian. After all, Asians were considered smart. Indians were considered technological, and Caucasians were considered wealthy. However, what was I to do when my culture was considered a joke? I carried what I considered being a “cultural burden” with me throughout my years of middle school, and even into high school. However, it was not until senior year, that I realized that I was being nothing short of self-centred.

During an activity in Spanish class, I met a girl named Tabeer. It was the first day of school, and we were playing social activities to get to know one another. It was my turn to talk to her, and the first thing that I did was obliviously hand her one insult after the other. “Hijabs are so convenient and lazy people friendly. You’re so lucky because you never have to do your hair! Being Indian must be so interesting. Have you ever been to the Taj Mahal?” She instantly shot me a look of confusion with some traces of disappointment. She then told me that she did not wear a Hijab because of her aversion to doing her hair, but because of her Islamic Culture. She also informed me that she was Pakistani, and had never even been to India. At that very moment, I realized that I myself was being an example of cultural insensitivity and stereotyping. I believed that no other culture had fallen victim to ignorance and complete disregard except my own. I was being the side effect of our constant unwillingness to recognize any other problems except the ones that we harbor ourselves. I was too focused on our differences, that I failed to notice our overwhelming similarities. I was under the false impression that people from the Middle East had it easy and that people generally thought that they were geniuses. However, Tabeer informed me that whenever she went out, people stared at her. She revealed to me some of the racist, ignorant and sensitive things that people said to her. Things like, “remove the rag off your head” and “you terrorist.” She asked me, “how people wrongfully judge a whole culture based on a few individuals that choose to do things that the religion does not even stand for? How can people assume that we are all violent, when the phrase ‘Asa Lama Lakum’ literally translates into ‘Peace be with you’?” At that very moment, I realized that all foreigners alike are subject to discrimination, and insensitivity.

From school to the workplace, foreigners are constantly being profiled and judged against far more often than we think. I do not think that this is because we have an innate will to be indifferent to people that are different, but instead I think that it is because we are not inclusive to any other ideas or customs that differ from our own. I do not know if it is human nature but I find many people to be sadly small minded and confined to the familiarity of their own culture and surroundings.Shakespeare once asked, “What is in a name”? In all likelihood, a name could be the difference between success and rejection. Foreigners hold a higher risk of being treated unfairly and discriminated against in the workplace. From 1997 to 2011, more than 11,800 complaints were filed under the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, proving that foreign voices are not being heard, according to an article from aol.com in 2012. For the younger foreign population, bullying statistics are on the rise. According to a November 1st, 2011 8asins.com article, 54% Asian American teens have reported being bullied in school, and 34.3% of Hispanics teenagers reported being bullied. Upon reading these statistics, it is evident that I needed to shift the focus away from myself, and realize that many people were going through the same frustrations and problems that I was, if not worse.

To shed light on the issues being faced by minorities, Tabeer and I formed a cultural support group. We turned those negatives into massive positives by influencing our school and communities to appreciate culture, and to not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Although I am not in high school, any longer but I am still taking strides to do my part to ensure that all cultures are not only recognized but valued as well. At an HBCU, people are under the false impression that since we are almost entirely black, we have no true representation of diversity. However, black people though we share the same skin, we are diverse within that skin in our thoughts, our origins, and cultures. We embody different religions, ethnic groups, and backgrounds that represent the dynamics of our existence. Contrary to popular belief attending an HBCU has made me more informed about the world in which I live, and now I am not afraid of my culture. I am free to be myself and I have realized that culture is not a burden but instead a blessing. What a time to be diverse.

~Amara Onwukaeme