WHY YORUBA AND HAUSA ARE TAUGHT IN US SCHOOLS BUT NO IGBO
For many years in the past, I had been writing that Fulbright scholarship— US Government funded Yoruba and Hausa language teachers to teach Yoruba& Hausa language and culture in many US universities annually, but no Igbo.
Few years ago, the call for Yoruba and Hausa language teachers to go teach in the United States was up. I saw so many ndị Ìgbo crying of marginalization. Why only Yoruba and Hausa when Igbo is one of the major languages and culture?
Some blamed US government and say it's marginalization. I saw those posts on Twitter and Facebook and shook my head. I knew the problem but wasn't yet in a better position to talk. I needed more facts.
For many years, I was applying to some courses in a few universities
For many years, I was applying to some courses in a few universities
in the US on African Studies. It was compulsory to pick any African Language. I saw Nigeria, hoping to see Igbo. I saw Yoruba and Hausa. I began to write to the school but to no avail. The general language almost everyone in America recognizes to be African language is Swahili.
Even a child in America knows there is Swahili. East Africans are pushing up their identities and language. So many American linguists are studying Swahili and even teach it.
Now! Listen! I am in a better position now to tell you the true nature of events and not the lies
Now! Listen! I am in a better position now to tell you the true nature of events and not the lies
and abracadabra some of our people display online in the name of promoting and propagating Igbo language and culture in diaspora. Something that has no root. Surface level for media projection and personal self-beating.
I was engaging professors of Global Studies and Africanist scholars on Thursday. It was an intensive discussion, as, on my usual manner, I was crazily bold and inquisitive. I was saying everything boldly.
They said something that broke my heart and I was disappointed:
They said something that broke my heart and I was disappointed:
"Ogbonnaya, I am sorry to say that Americans don't know anything about Igbo language and culture. Don't get me wrong. We know Yoruba, Swahili and Hausa."
I began to talk about Chinụa Achebe's "Things For Apart" as basis of my argument. Achebe's Igbo.
I began to talk about Chinụa Achebe's "Things For Apart" as basis of my argument. Achebe's Igbo.
"Chinụa Achebe's Things Fall Apart is an African literature written in English language. We see it as African culture and not Igbo. In academic world, the Igbo can just be quoted on research, after that nothing else. I am sorry, Americans don't know Igbo language and culture,
just as I mentioned. Yoruba, Zulu, Swahili and Hausa are the languages of Africa, popular amongst the United States scholars"
Not that I didn't know all this. But I needed to hear from experts. Those in Global Studies carry out extensive research about all this.
Not that I didn't know all this. But I needed to hear from experts. Those in Global Studies carry out extensive research about all this.
Government and other agencies could assess their research and reports.
Is it whose fault that Americans don't know anything about the Igbo language and culture? Ndị ọcha or ndị Ìgbo?
Is it whose fault that Americans don't know anything about the Igbo language and culture? Ndị ọcha or ndị Ìgbo?
Is it some people who understand Africa to be a single country will know there is anything like Igbo, when you don't say what you are?
Will they give your language, a position, when there is no one showing any interest about it?
I love the Yorubas on this and give it to them.
Will they give your language, a position, when there is no one showing any interest about it?
I love the Yorubas on this and give it to them.
I doff my hat for them. No pun intended, it's a fact. The Yorubas are in all the faculty of African Studies across the world, pushing their culture and language. People are studying the Yoruba culture and languages.
Yoruba kids will take their language as elective course in the university abroad. I truly love them for doing this. But our people will mock their own for studying the language and culture.
The Igbo man is the most hitted in this issue of colonialism.
The Igbo man is the most hitted in this issue of colonialism.
He completed lost himself and loves mimicking external culture as a superior culture to his inferior one. It started from primary and secondary school in Igbo land where teachers would flog you for speaking Igbo. It's vernacular. Speak only English.
When some heard I am now in the United States, studying Arts and Humanities, they came with their uselesss advice:
"There is no money in Arts and Humanities. You better find your way and look for STEM courses. The world has left Arts behind.
"There is no money in Arts and Humanities. You better find your way and look for STEM courses. The world has left Arts behind.
I am advising you because I have been here for years before you."
Life starts and ends with money. This mundane thought is why their children would rather choose Swahili, German, French as language requirement over Igbo.
Life starts and ends with money. This mundane thought is why their children would rather choose Swahili, German, French as language requirement over Igbo.
They don't want their children to speak Igbo because it's primitive to them. But you will see them cry and complain of American government marginalizing them by granting the Yoruba and Hausa teachers the opportunity to lecture in most universities.
If America add Igbo language, who are the teachers going to teach in America? Goat? Cow? Chicken? Don't you know that these people go with data? Don't you know there were people who pushed for it, created contents and value that made their language to be accepted?
Just few months ago, some tried to bully me for rendering Fizikisi in igbo. So many debates took place. "Nobody will read it. He is just wasting his time. Who still reads Igbo."
This didn't come from outsiders. You know them. Even some so called Igbo scholars.
This didn't come from outsiders. You know them. Even some so called Igbo scholars.
If you don't take yourself serious, why should others take you serious?
From the report I got. A few schools that had crash courses in Igbo in the past had suspended it because of lack of interest of students. Most Igbo children in school here would rather pick other languages
From the report I got. A few schools that had crash courses in Igbo in the past had suspended it because of lack of interest of students. Most Igbo children in school here would rather pick other languages
but Igbo. When they saw how Yoruba children eat their language, some would rather go for Yoruba. Like I said: I love the Yorubas when it comes to their language and culture. Imagine if that fizikisi was done in the Yoruba language...
We like playing to the gallery.
We like playing to the gallery.
The question is: who are those ndị Ìgbo claiming to be propagating the Igbo language and culture abroad? Is it just a show off? Media show offs? Surface without root?
What our people in diaspora see as promoting Igbo culture and language is hiring a hall, get some yam, wear isiagụ and red cap and click back of their hands three times, then one at the front. They will dance: "Ike Pentecost." "Ndị ike ndị ike", "O nwere ngabasị".
They spray money. Then post on Facebook, IG or X. People will be jubilating that they are promoting the Igbo culture and language abroad. Ụwa hà ọzọ ha ga-abụ ndị Igbo. Is that all?
Remember, there is no serious symposium.
Remember, there is no serious symposium.
The so called yam festival should have a serious symposium just as Ahịajịọkụ lecture of Owere those days. Their new yam festival abroad has no foreigners that matter as observers. I am talking about those in academic world or a university platform to back that up,
then inculcate it into the educational research on the Igbo. It is a way to display the rich culture and get others interested.
It's just your community; perhaps you contributing money and hosting events to entertain your ego or show off. How many outside know about this?
It's just your community; perhaps you contributing money and hosting events to entertain your ego or show off. How many outside know about this?
How many know about your culture? I am talking about institutions.
These things you feel they don't matter, matter a lot.
Each year, so many foreigners receive grant to travel to Tanzania and other East African countries to live there and study Swahili for a term.
These things you feel they don't matter, matter a lot.
Each year, so many foreigners receive grant to travel to Tanzania and other East African countries to live there and study Swahili for a term.
It's part of their academic work. Do you know why? Swahili told their stories. Swahili are proud of their identity. They love their culture and appreciate who they are.
The Yoruba and Hausa are doing well in this regard. They do not forget their tongues.
The Yoruba and Hausa are doing well in this regard. They do not forget their tongues.
The only thing we remember about our culture is isiagụ, isiọdụm, red cap, hand-fan and walking about the camera as if we are doing beauty contest.
But a typical Igbo man sees no need for all this. It will not bring money. Who complain more of neglect? You know.
But a typical Igbo man sees no need for all this. It will not bring money. Who complain more of neglect? You know.
Eating yam in different parts of the world, wearing isiagụ up and down with Victor Ume's long red-cap doesn't make you a promoter of Igbo culture, when the owners of the land you dwell aren't even carried along to observe your culture and notice you exist.
You can have all the money in the world, but if you don't have an identity or recognition, ị tọrọ atọ. I am going far. How about some Igbo think tank groups in Igbo? Their meeting is a place to show off who is elite & who is not— a show of emptiness masked in flowery English.
Chimananda is doing her best, but she's in pop culture and literature. Achebe's works were recognized as African literature.
Yoruba and Swahili keep showing up, pushing their languages and cultures and taking over African studies. We only boast of being the most traveled.
Yoruba and Swahili keep showing up, pushing their languages and cultures and taking over African studies. We only boast of being the most traveled.
It should even be the more you travel, the more you table down your culture and language, pushing it in academic world. Mana onye ọbụla chọrọ ego ọkụ ọkụ. Some chọga grant. When they get the grant to do what will profit the Igbo language and culture,
ha anarie with the money. You think they don't know all this. E gbute e kee
I am writing this to upset and provoke thought. Nobody know your language because you don't even know it. Wearing isiagụ doesn't mean you are promoting Igbo culture. There is no culture without language
I am writing this to upset and provoke thought. Nobody know your language because you don't even know it. Wearing isiagụ doesn't mean you are promoting Igbo culture. There is no culture without language
Some of the shows and gatherings are just for ego. Ndị nwe obodo no know anything about their culture. The ones transporting their culture and language are doing it quietly with one mind. Ndị be anyị bụ competition. I cannot do it, you should not do it.
For clarity sake, ala Igbo will bear me witness that I have done my part and my best. This truth must be told.
I was laughing when some asked me why is it that most Americans don't know about our yam and new yam festival and other culture despite our people's show offs
I was laughing when some asked me why is it that most Americans don't know about our yam and new yam festival and other culture despite our people's show offs
and yam festivals. I told them the truth. Our people will just organize themselves in one hall, contribute money, wear isiagụ, decorate the place, dance, show offs, send pictures on the Internet. Noise everywhere —they have taken the culture to obodo oyibo.
Mana ndị ọcha nwa amadịghị ìhè há na-eme. Something even the government should be funding and promoting. Something that should even be a curriculum of its own.
Next time you see them blame United States government through Fulbright scholarship for marginalizing
Next time you see them blame United States government through Fulbright scholarship for marginalizing
the Igbo language, remind them of this post. Professors of Global Studies hid nothing from me and from my personal research and observations, it's true. Most things our people do here in the name of promoting Igbo language are just for social media surface level,
to entertain those back home, and show classism, no root. How you lay your mat determine how people will lie on it.
UNESCO saw all this and predicted the extinction of Igbo language and culture; some people felt they were blabbing. The joke is on you.
I paused!
UNESCO saw all this and predicted the extinction of Igbo language and culture; some people felt they were blabbing. The joke is on you.
I paused!
- Maazi Ogbonnaya Okoro on X
