Somebody answer this question!! Why is being patriotic in my homeland GHANA frowned upon?! If you went out in public wearing Chalewote(flip-flops) you were a BUSHMAN(uncivilized) who civilized US? If you ever spoke any local language in the presence of strangers, you were ignored, if you ate local food; especially with your hands, you were an Nkrasini(BUSHMAN again)!!! All the things that really made US Ghanaians who we were, was being frowned upon by our own PEOPLE!! WTH?!
Instead, a proper person was to dress in western clothes, eat western food, and speak only English(and French if you could). Proper standards set by proper people?? Now lets do some history... When the colonial rulers came to the Gold Coast, we were so fascinated by the things they brought with them (eg. spirits, clothes, guns, books,ect.) that we were willing to give up our own people in EXCHANGE for these petty goods. We took up their language as our countries primary language. To the extent that teachers tell their students not to speak local languages in school to avoid punishment!!
How has modern day Ghana and infact Africa changed now?! Well we still are not allowed to speak local languages apart from the time when its being taught as a second language in our schools. We only eat western foods(fried rice and chicken-well more eastern, but foreign anyways) burgers, and soda(don't get caught drinking asaana in public) We only wear the latest fashion from the WEST, and mimic our style and accent to fit that of the artist that are made popular by TV(and oh yeah KOBOLO if you don't have DSTV-CABLE)
What prompted me to write this post continues to linger in my mind, even when I sleep! It was Ghana's 52nd independence on Friday March 6th, 2009. A celebration was held at the Masonic center in San Jose, CA to bring Ghanaians and all Africans together to share in our past. Howerver, I approached a friend of mine on my way out to joke around, but when I spoke GA; a local language that was common to both of us, in a group of other people, she responded "wait what did you say? I don't understand you..(western accent)" I repeated myself in GA and continued to walk out.
Later that night, I stopped by a chevron and walked by a group of Puerto Ricans on my way in. It was surprising how loud they spoke in SPANISH, and how they represented their flag colors on their shirts, with tattoes, and even on their cars. Then it hit me; the love and PATRIOTISM Mexicans and Puerto-Ricans show for their country is the reason the second language in the U.S.A is SPANISH!!
Well I am still that KOBOLO in CALI.. Ok33mini?! Just food for thought!!!
"COME STAND ABOVE WITH ME, DO NOT FEAR WHO YOU ARE, IF YOU ACCEPT YOURSELF, WHY WORRY WHO ELSE ACCEPTS YOU?!!!"
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Well the thing is ghanaians are not patriotic because they feel like they have nothing to be patriotic about.Why?well to answer that youll have me talking for days.But the thing is it it fundamentally has to do with our history and colonialism.Colonialism brainwashed us into thinkin that anything African is inferior to western things.People may argue that this argument is old. all that bullshit is dead and gone.But the thing is it continues today through "Neo - colonialism"..Neo - colonialism is in everything today, from our education to friggin entertainment. thats why for an african to be educated he has to be straight up western.Thats why the only way to look "Proper" is to suit up and talk with a british accent.Even with fashion, music and all if its not done in a western its 'Yawa' or inferior.So for african kids growing up everything "cool" has to be western. When you turn on the Tv all u see bout Africa is HIV and poverty and the west positive shit!..all this contributes to messin up the mindset making ghanaians frown upon being patriotic....well personally i think the solution should begin wit self introspection, trying to understand yourself, understanding who you are.And if you are Ghanaian who you are is ghanaian, you cant be good at being anything else but Ghanaian.Ghanaians dress in a specific way,talk in a specific way,eat in a specific way, its up to us to embrace this and start realising how cool we are.We gotta understand that theres no one fixed " cool" africans can be cool too..ever heard of Fela?..now if u talk about swagger fela was a man with swagger and was straight up african to the core!..we jus gotta develop a positive mindset bout ourselves which is like" This is who i am,if you dont like me, well fuck you and have a nice day"..lol..im pretty stoned so im 'i dey talk bunch' but i hope i got the message across..lol..peace and Revolution
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