A Great Migration
For years I have listened while my Caribbean and African friends who live in this country smugly complain about their black American neighbors, saying that many of us are unmotivated, lazy, and shiftless. These critics usually cite the success of their own ethnic groups in America in comparison with African American failures as proof of our inferiority. It always upset me when they did this. Not because they were insulting my people—I'm used to that—but because this is such a stupid and disingenuous argument.
There are of course countless unmotivated, lazy, and shiftless West Indians and Africans too, it's just that those people are still walking the streets of Kingston and Port-au-Prince and Bridgetown and Lagos and Abidjan. When it comes to work ethics and motivation, immigrant groups are not representative of their entire nations. Instead, they are people defined by their overpowering will and determination, traits which enabled them travel out across the world and start a new life in a strange land.
In light of this however, I think I have found the key to black America's future. We are, of course, one of the only two ethnic groups that did not come to the USA as immigrants. Maybe that is what needs to be rectified. To come into our own in the 21st Century, maybe we too should become an immigrant group. Maybe we, the hardworking, freethinking, self-motivated African Americans, should just get the hell out of here.
Here are my suggestions for our new host countries:
1. Ghana.
Accra's a big city with a surprisingly low crime rate, stable government, and an historic tolerance of African Americans (big ups to Kwame Nkrumah). W. E. B. Dubois's grave site is there, and so is a significant African American expat population. The beaches are nice, the clubs are fun, and it's cheap!!!
Check out these digs near Tema. That house is like out of a Biggie video. Guess how much they're selling it for. Can't you just see us out there, chilling by the pool, drinking Star beer while watch the Sixers on the satellite?
2. Jamaica.
Specifically, Treasure Beach, where the Calabash Literary Festival happens. I was a guest for the first year of the festival, it's a rather amazing event. Roger Guenveur Smith bought a house down there. Shouldn't we all follow the brother's lead? Treasure Beach is quiet, on the water, artsy, and you can also get a dope house on the cheap there too. I like this place, which is also for under $200K USD.
Anybody else have ideas on possible destinations?
Labels: Personal Essays
17 Comments:
Hi, Mat. I agree with you about immigrant (mis)perceptions of African-Americans. I remember when I was growing up, an Ethiopian immigrant telling me that Americans didn't work as hard as Africans. I repeated this to my mother, who immediately set me straight! And what an intriguing idea you present on AA's taking up new homelands. You might be on to something there! Thanks for the thoughtful post. SS
i've had somewhat similar ideas. but the problem with the other destinations is that we wouldn't have significant political power.
if we'd just move to rhode island...we'd be quasi-immigrants (how many black people live in rhode island now?). but we'd be able to get another congressman, a governor, AND a senator!
rhode island baby. rhode island.
This issue is so old and futile. If there's anything I've learned about being a member of a black West Indian family, it's that many black West Indians can be just as ambivalent toward other black West Indians, as they are to North American-born blacks. I know this differs from community to community, but if it's not Jamaicans vs. Haitians, it's Trinidadians vs. Bajans, and so on. The beef is always the same: "people from [insert Caribbean island here] are lazy and/or no good."
Anyway, I don't know if you've read this before, but Malcolm Gladwell's New Yorker article"Black Like Them" explores the subject of your blog entry in greater detail.
Great post, regarding this issue. I could not have ranted it better myself, as it's an argument I've debated several times myself... having gone to high school with a great number of West Indians.
Lester-
Rhode Island is not a bad idea. For years I've dreamed that if I ever have a bestseller, I was thinking it might be nice to buy one of those islands off the coast of Maine and then sell the plots to "our kind of people" so that we could have a little vacation spot where we could be in the majority. But my wife insists black folks aint going to Maine.
Rhode Island's a good compromise. Man, there was a writing job up at Brown last year too...
Mar-
That's good perspective. I think part of it as well is the difference in black criticism between North American blacks and others. Criticism of blacks by blacks is somewhat taboo here, where as people coming from countries where they are the secure majority have different comfort levels.
I think part of the reason this argument gets to ethnically black North Americans is that at times it seems true: immigrants often outperform their native born cousins. Of course, there is a complicated history behind that.
I was thinking of emmigrating to Canada (particularly since the 2000 election). Preferably Vancouver, which I think it the closest you can get to heaven in the modern world. If there were just a tiny black boho presence there, I would really consider it.
My wife thinks Argentina is the way to go- it's the cheapest urbane city in the world.
In what country can I find this wonderful urbane city called Argentina?
I meant Buenos Aires, obviously.
What kind of chickenshit coward is too scared to post as anything but anonymous even on the internet?
I wasn't sure if you meant Buenos Aires since my knowledge of Argentina is shaky. I only posted as anonymous because I don't have a blog ID and it's the easiest way to post. Wasn't trying to down you, big man.
peace,
Kwesi
Kwesi!
I'm sorry, man. My misunderstanding.
You wouldn't believe how much random anonymous sniping goes on in this comment section. Most of it is not even aimed at me, but at other posters. And then you get the white supremists coming through, and the literary snake-oil folks pasting in their ads. Most of the time I just delete them.
Sorry about that, again. But yeah, I heard Buenos Aires was real nice. I don't know if they'd be to keen on an influx of affluent negros, but you never know.
Yea bro...I've also experienced the Caribbean vs. American thing as well...I always thought that we were just Black...I'm all for distinctions(as I constantly preach) but not to the point where someone perceives themselves to be better or not wanting to be affiliated with American Blackness...and My first name is Desmond no less(named after the musician Johnny Desmond...no West Indian reference but I'm always asked)....but at the end of the day WE invented JAZZ....eff a roti...lol(I'm joking...maybe).
Also Mat, you may want to switch to haloscan for commenting....I had the same complaints you had but with haloscan you have greater control....real easy to intergrate into yopur blog.
http://www.afronerd.com
Therein lies the problem. This thinking that we're all "just black" only marganilizes a very diverse global community. This is a mistake. Yes our skin colour and the anti-black racism towards us establishes a connection; however, why would someone think that the African-American jazz experience would be fully appreciated by a Somalian immigrant community living in the US? It's not that group's cultural, social or historical experience. Jamaicans have a rich musical legacy of their own, as do Trinidadians and some other Carribean natives who continue the tradition of calypso and soca music in North America. And being a member of black-dominant society does have a major influence on perception of other blacks.
That "not wanting to be affiliated with American Blackness" can be a result of many things. It's a sentiment that many immigrants (black and non-black) harbour when feeling threatened by the possiblity of losing their culture through assimilation. Immigrants may feel especially vulnerable amid the current political landscape in the US. Sure, there may be certain values and customs that are similar among black communities from nation to nation, but we are different. And what some of us are truly searching for or are trying to hold on to is culture and community. This is why many black Caribbean-born immigrants don't always embrace "African-American" or "African-Canadian."
The black communities across North America need to understand these issues and get past them so we don't continue degrading each other with our elitist attitudes. It has nothing to do with who invented jazz or what island makes a better chicken roti. We're a people who speak different languages.
An Addendum:
I thought the Turks and Caicos Islands was the closest one could get to heaven.
I don't know what it is about Vancouver, and even Burnaby, that's attracting everyone, especially black folks. I have a few friends who moved out there in the past two years and their opinions are mixed. Cleaner lungs, a booming economy, and an ample supply of sushi is enticing.
Man if you want Jamaica you're welcome to it. Just watch out for the malaria epidemic that the Jamaican government is sitting on so as to not discourage the almighty tourist dollar.
Like many Jamaicans I also had a low opinion of African Americans for lots of reasons. I saw no reason to name myself after the continent that sold or half sold out my forefathers. I thought that with 400 years of slavery and another 100 or so of Jim Crow, the black american has only been free 40 years. I also thought they complained too much, worked too little and couldn't even see how good they could had it if the worked for a little harder.
But then I noticed two things. Jamaicans will work their asses off in the USA but back in the island they are just as lazy as the people they love to chastise. We're even worse, sitting on street corners as we wait for the money to come to us from western union. One more thing. When the Abner louima assault happened I heard a lot of angry voices, but none from the Caribbean, save for Wyclef. It was the black Americans who made this an issue, the Caribbean people would have been only too happy to let this slip under the rug as we always do. We may be hard workers here, but we can also be cowards. As for living in Jamaica, Treasure beach or anywhere on the south coast would be great. I've been thinking of living in Jamaica like an ex-patriate myself,or at least living in whatever Jamaica Chris Blackwell lives in.
I'm usually less retarded with tenses.
Marlon-
Black Americans are very good about shining a light on European injustice. So good at it, we often seem to forget that that in itself will not solve all of our problems.
It's a difficult balance between crying foul and just playing the game harder. Most of us have yet to find that balance yet.
I want to live in Chris Blackwell's Jamaica too. Where do I get a Visa?
Mar-
Well said.
Marlon,
The more I think about it, on the road, the more I think my own people are not my immediate ethinic group, but my fellow writers, particularly writers across the diaspora. I have much more in common with you than anyone who I grew up with in my apartment building.
Mar's post pretty much nailed it for me.
I just returned from 2 weeks in the Caribbean to see my parents (St. Martin). I am a black American. I was born in NYC. 95% percent of my family lives overseas. I thought my parents were from other planet growing up in suburbia with their strict ass rules, weird customs and accents.
As a child it was too much of a culture shock going from the white NJ suburbs to St. Martin to see family. Only as an adult did I appreciate it. Esp. living in L.A., I feel grounded the minute I step off the plane back on the island. I like being somewhere where the majority of people look like me and there are no weaves or nose jobs in an effort look more anglo.
For my parent's generation of immigrants they were not ready for the level of racism they faced here. Sitting in school reading history books is not the same thing as living it. I can't imagine coming from a majority black country to America in the late 50s or early 60s. That might have something to do with their reluctance to give up refering to the Caribbean as "home" especially if they moved here as adults.
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