USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: WHAT MAKES AMERICA GREAT? PLEASE, EDUCATE US.

There is no new thing said about the history of America that those of us who have lived in the country more than a year do not experience: racism, police brutality, debts etc. You can hardly go to college or university in America without being introduced to/taught American history. And to be honest, the past has not been great.

In spite of all of these, there are not too many people who, after coming to America and spending a year or two, who have said '"Oh, I think I made a mistake.  After experiencing all these nasty things, I am going back to where I came from." On the contrary, such a person is considered 'lucky' by friends at home. We obviously do not see a palpable migration of those who have 'made it' in academia from America to Africa. On the contrary, even our meagre academic elite, which is obviously informed about these unsavory issues,  manage to get thinned out by migration to mainly American institutions. Why?

What is it about America that makes it a preferred destination for so many: rich. poor, young , old, white, black, learned, ignorant, etc.?

When did it occur to you that this is where you are going to spend the rest of your life? What triggered that decision in your mind?

What would make Ray Charles sing 'America the Beautiful'. with so much passion in spite of his own experience with racism?

'They come to America,' echoes Neil Diamond. Why? America is definitely more than the glitter. 

These questions beg for answers from those of us who have lived in this country for a while. And not just from the academic world. It would be great if answers can come from other Africans who have made America home: drivers, factory workers, artisans, security guards, etc.

And why? Because, as Africans, we need to learn, and learn from our own. After all, they cannot deceive us. 

On Thursday, May 12, 2016 at 2:48:01 AM UTC+1, Kayode J. Fakinlede wrote:

For many an African, there is a burning desire to live in America. There is a perception that indeed, America is the greatest country in the world.

We look at almost all areas of human endeavor, we see America in a position of leadership. Be it in the sciences, technology, arts or sheer physical exertion, America occupies either the top of the totem pole or quite near the top. All in all, America is a country that by and large, is the envy of the world.

Try as we may, not all Africans will ever have a chance to live in America. And even for some, a visit to this great land almost never affords the opportunity to see the internal dynamics of America to decipher what is responsible for its greatness.

However, for some of us, we have been privileged to be part of this society and some of us for decades. We consider ourselves Americans, by the privilege of being naturalized citizens. We also participate in the running of the country in one way or another. In other words, we individually consider ourselves as part of the engine that makes this engine move.

Nevertheless, we know that inside us, we are still Africans. We long for the day African countries will be as 'advanced' as America. For many, we may have lost the hope of coming back to live in Africa because we cannot leave the comfort of a smooth running society for where things just 'do not work'.  We miss the accoutrements that our great continent offers: friends, family, the weather, the food, etc.

However, to personalize the song of the great Neil Diamond 'I am, I said', America is fine, but it ain't home; Africa is home but it ain't ours no more. We are now lost between two shores.  What we do in some instances, is make blistering condemnations, sometimes justifiably, of those left at home, blaming them for our own malaise. But do we ever reason that these people just do not know how to do things right?

And there comes America to our rescue. We now have that great communications gear called the internet. This medium gives us the solace that we can live away from the continent and still be part of it. We know what is happening in as much as we care to know.

ALL I ASK: PLEASE EDUCATE US

Please take a few minutes of your time, reflect on what you have learned in America that makes it a great country; And, without any urge to criticize any African government, educate us.

We should be able to have some good materials coming from this exercise that our leaders can now use to educate themselves. 

FAKINLEDE

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