No One Is African. No One Is Nigerian.

[PhiPsiRuss]

Last week I was having lunch with a friend who is from Nigeria. We were talking about how people from Africa never identify themselves as "African." This is like how North Americans never identify themselves as North Americans, but from the constituent nations.

Then we got to talking about Nigerian identity. It turns out that Nigerians only identify themselves as such when they are outside that country. Inside Nigeria, they primarily identify themselves with their ethinic group, after that by religion.

We also talked about Nigerians discussing this among themselves. The topic is so loaded that Nigerians simply don't discuss Nigerian identity and what it means to be Nigerian. Such an attempt at public discourse could lead to violence, so leaders shy away from this.

I thought that this was fascinating. Anyone familiar with any similar situations abroad?

[moe.ron]

Very similar, but not so with violence. I could tell you that the Xhosa and the Zulu have a history of not trusting each other. During the transitional period from apartheid to a democratic country, civil war almost happen, especially in Kwazulu-Natal. Then there is the rumor that the king of Zulu is being paid off by the government so he doesn't run for office. Things are better now, but those early time during the transition was very very scary.

[TheEpitome1920]

Originally posted by PhiPsiRuss

Then we got to talking about Nigerian identity. It turns out that Nigerians only identify themselves as such when they are outside that country. Inside Nigeria, they primarily identify themselves with their ethinic group, after that by religion.

Isn't it kinda similar here? Americans identify themselves by ethnic background, religion and sexuality.

[Optimist Prime]

People in Germany aren't German. They identify with their Bundesland (lit. trans. federated nation) or sometimes by their city. Berliners especially feel this b/c of the cold war they feel like they were just pawns, so to hell with east and west. Also, some Americans identify with their state, i.e. Texans are different from Okalahmans.

[PhiPsiRuss]

Originally posted by TheEpitome1920
Isn't it kinda similar here? Americans identify themselves by ethnic background, religion and sexuality.

Its different because most Americans identify themselves strongly with their national identity, and from a young age.

[kdonline]

Although I'm not really sure what you're trying to discuss in this topic - I'm guessing national identity within countries and out of countries, compared to Americans? Here are my thoughts...(mind you, I'm posting this late at night, so maybe I am not getting the point.)

Americans often say things like:
"I'm German, Italian and Irish."
Yet they have no ties to the country, ie don't know of any relatives in those countries, nor speak the language (well, except for Ireland ).

More often than not, they, their parents, grandparents & great grandparents - and further back - were born in America. But how can you really claim an athnicity when you have no ties to it?

As for Russ' original comment that "North Americans never identify themselves as North Americans, but from the constituent nations." Well, Europeans do this too: they are Italian, French, Polish, etc. They don't call themselves "European."

As for identifying themselves within their own countries, I know that Greeks, Spaniards and Italians identify with their geographical regions.

Americans also identify themselves by their region: we are from the South or the Midwest or New England, etc. But of course to someone from another country, saying "I'm from the midwest" means nothing to them.

[Private I]

In the states I usually identify myself as Yugoslavian to make it easier on people. Here I identify myself as Serbian.

Last night though I was at a concert of a rock band reunion with over 200,000 people (and I thought I was going to die in the crowd) where people were wearing SFRJ (Yugoslavia) shirts. That is what we call yugonostalgia.