Photo by Ákos Szabó: https://www.pexels.com/photo/panoramic-photography-of-green-field-440731/
Every day, hundreds if not thousands of Nigerians plan an “escape” to Europe or elsewhere. The economy is rough, so they believe that getting to Europe by any means necessary is the golden ticket to success and a better life.
Unfortunately, this is not always true. In reality, human traffickers mislead these people into believing that risking their lives to relocate to foreign lands will absolve them of life’s difficulties.
What many don’t realize is that once they arrive on foreign soil, they will be despised and hated just for the colour of their skin. They will be mistreated, exploited, and misled. They will end up working menial jobs for people who loathe their very existence.
On the other hand, we have a different set of diaspora Nigerians… those whose ancestors were victims of the horrific Maafa, aka the Atlantic Slave Trade. These folks having lived among non-Africans for hundreds of years seek to return to Africa. Some seek to return to Nigeria, a land where everybody looks like them. A land where they will not look out of place. A land where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin. A land where they can feel at home. A land where for once, they belong.
Some descendants of the Atlantic Slave Trade actually relocated to various African countries. There has been quite a number of success stories from those who relocated and invested in business which in turn created jobs for their families and the locals. Others, found it hard to succeed or they longed for products or services which they were used to in their birth countries. Quite a number of these people chose to return to the Americas.
Relocating to other countries have never been an easy feat. It does not always guarantee success, but finding success in such an adventure is rewarding.
African people in the Americas have never been loved and respected as true, blue Americans. They have always been despised and hated. They are looked at as immigrants in their own countries. Some of them seek to relocate to Africa to escape the hatred. Yet, at the same time, far too many Africans give up their life savings for a treacherous, life-threatening trip to the western nations.
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/action-activity-adult-athlete-262506/
This African World Cup… hmmm…. I have always dreamed of a day when an African country wins the World Cup. Unfortunately, it did not happen this year.
I was born in Canada to parents from Jamaica, West Indies. Our African family roots trace back to what is now known as Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Nigeria. Our European roots trace back mainly to Wales and England.
Growing up in Toronto, Canada, I was exposed to a lot of different cultures. I was a hockey kid. Always loved the game and always will. One evening while riding the subway with my Mom, I noticed that a lot of people were cheering and waving flags. I asked one of the people why they were cheering. They told me it was for Italy in the World Cup. They went on to explain what the World Cup is. I started chanting “Viva Italia” along with the others. That evening, a fan was born.
As a huge fan of hockey, I could not see the appeal of football (soccer in Canada and the USA). I, like many others, complained, what kind of game is this where the score is 1-0? This sentiment remained with me until my university days.
One day, I found myself checking out a “soccer” game on television. I started to focus on the players’ athleticism. The fancy footwork, the passes, the plays, etc. It was then that I finally realized why they call this “The Beautiful Game”. The fact that the scoring was so rare meant that each goal has a far greater significance and is a cause for celebration. That day was the day that I fell in love with the game of football, commonly known as soccer in North America.
Speaking of “soccer”, why is it that only Canada and the United States use that term (to my knowledge). I suppose it may have something to do with the fact that these two countries are the only ones with an entirely different sport called football. Since I became a fan of global football (soccer), I have referred to the North American games as Canadian Football (CFL) and American Football (NFL).
Naturally, being born and raised in Canada, I should cheer for my home country. This year was the first, since I have been a fan, that Canada was actually in the tournament. I usually cheer for several teams, each having their own reason for my support.
Italy: The Italian fans introduced me to the World Cup. I have had a great time working and socializing with Italian people my whole life. I am forever grateful for the Italians introducing me to the game. The passion they display for the sport is enough to make anyone want to become a fan.
Canada: My home country. The place of my birth. A place where I have lived a good life. Why would I not cheer for my country? I consider myself a patriotic person. I have a Canadian flag on the wall in my condo. I have a flag at my desk at work. I sing the anthem before watching games at the bar. I was even zoomed in on Sportsnet while singing the anthem during a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game.
I always wondered why Canada was not a world power in football. We have people from all over the world living here. In fact, football is the fastest-growing sport in the nation. I feel that eventually, Canada will become a great football nation… if we invest in more indoor facilities due to the climate.
Portugal: During university, while working for a student newspaper, I was assigned to cover the Portuguese community during the World Cup.
One afternoon, I decided to visit a bar in Little Portugal in order to get a feel for the community. I took the bus down to Ossington and Dundas where I had spotted a sports bar during a prior trip. As I walked towards the bar, I could see a few burly-looking guys hanging out in front of the venue. I almost immediately thought:
Am you sure you wanna go here? This looks like a rough place.
I walked up to the bar and went inside. I took a seat at the bar and started fiddling with my smartphone. The bartender introduced himself to me. He was also the owner. I ordered a pint of beer and then resumed writing on my smartphone.
Another guy at the bar started speaking to me in Portuguese. For some reason, I responded in Spanish and told him that I did not speak Portuguese. He then switched to English and asked what I was doing sitting there fiddling with the phone.
I told him I was there to learn about the community for my school newspaper. He was pleased and started a conversation with me. All the other guys turned out to be really nice. I was able to quickly become a regular.
I knew I was a regular when I would not go for a few days and upon my return, people would question me out of concern. They really did take me in like a long-lost son. I will never forget that summer in Portugal Village, Toronto.
Jamaica: The Reggae Boyz represent the beautiful land of my parents’ birth. How can I not support my team? Irie!
Toronto has a large Jamaican community. The Jamaican people are a fiercely proud people similar to the Italians in terms of pride and loyalty to their friends. Watching football, or any sport for that manner, with Jamaicans is always an exciting experience.
Ghana: Part of my ancestry is of the Akan ethnicity. I can trace my roots back to the Ashanti and Fante peoples, both of the Akan nation in Ghana. I always cheer on the Black Stars!
Sierra Leone: I can trace part of my ancestry to the Mende people of Sierra Leone. The SLFA have yet to qualify for the World Cup, but when they do, I can assure they they will have my support.
Wales: This year I discovered that part of my heritage is from the Welsh people of Wales. Wales is part of the United Kingdom. This year, Wales qualified for the first time since the 1950s!
England: I always knew I had English roots, so I always cheer on the team… although they haven’t won since before my time. Somehow everyone takes them seriously and considers them a major contender.
Japan: I have a lot of ties to Japan. Although I do not trace any ancestry to this beautiful nation, I have deep connections to the people of Japan. I travel there often and their hospitality is tops.
South Korea: Again, although I do not trace any of my roots to South Korea, I have been considered an honorary Korean by my many Korean friends in Canada and Korea. Fun fact: Korean is my second language.
Nigeria: The Super Eagles! The vast majority of my roots are from Nigeria! I consider myself a Yoruba man with Esan, Bini, and Igbo heritage along with Akan (Ghana) and Mende (Sierra Leone). I think that Nigeria should win the World Cup one of these days. The locals are so passionate about The Beautiful Game.
The Western movie streaming companies have awakened to the wonderful world of African cinema. NetFlix and Amazon Video have been investing in African film companies and have been promoting a lot of African movies lately.
I am very happy for this as I am not one to obtain movies via illegitimate sites. For me to download a movie from some random site, I would be robbing the producers, actors, writers, and others who worked so hard to create these works of art. As I live in the West, I am pleased to be able to consume African movies via NetFlix and Amazon Video.
African stories are finally being told to a global audience. Nollywood films are now trending in Canada. Africans can now tell our stories to the world. As a descendant of the victims or shall I say survivors of the Atlantic slave trade a.k.a. Maafa, I can learn a lot about my Yoruba heritage through some of the recent movies that have been released.
I am looking forward to movies regarding my other ethnic roots such as Ashanti and Igbo. The African movie industry is now going global and big things are in store. Africa has over 1.4-billion people and a very rich history which is unknown to most of the world. This is the era of African cinema… and era where our stories are being told by us, not by outsiders.
