Kemi Seriki (Pansa Pansa Forum)

How I Became Black: An African Immigrant Experience with Racial Identity

When I first migrated to America, I never considered myself black since I migrated from a nation where the idea of skin color was never reflective of my identity. In Nigeria, ethnicity, religion, social class, and gender define who you are in society. To be called black has never been part of the conversation since our social construct was not based on race. I can travel to any part of the country without worrying that someone is going to judge me or not afford me the imperative opportunity based on my skin color. When I migrated to America, I realized that my race and my ethnicity as an African immigrant would define the space that society afforded me. As an immigrant, I found myself in a country with unfamiliar rules and racial nuance that was foreign to me. As a black immigrant, nobody will pull you aside to instruct or educate you on racial hierarchy and how it is interwoven in all aspects of American life. Achieving the "American Dream" is the focus of many immigrants, but they often don't understand the hidden rules. African immigrants regularly face many challenges as they adapt to their new home.