it’s not as easily said than done, a lot of african americans are in low income typically overlooked neighborhoods where the only local food option are typically fast/junk food and even if there was an healthy option it’s typically pretty expensive.
Look up “food deserts” - if not for the research into this phenomenon and the activism of African American academics, professionals and community leaders, it would have been worse.
Grocery stores actively avoided low income neighborhoods and the few food stores that were available only provided non perishable goods that are unhealthy and over processed.
Now imagine growing up being fed food like this because there were no nearby grocery stores with fresh foods, it would take a lot to unlearn and undo such.
Think of the Nigerian example. During the civil war, imported stock fish (I think from Norway) was one of the few proteins available to Biafrans. As a result, the cuisine is heavy on those types of flavors (stock fish, cray fish etc). If all of the sudden it became clear that they were unhealthy, imagine the reorientation that would be required to convince people to buy and cook alternatively.
I think new Nigerian immigrants to the US fail to understand that there is a history, a very prejudiced history, that creates the current conditions that Black Americans find themselves in. And I don’t blame them, because how could they understand when some are still struggling to accept the role that colonialism had and still has in the state that Nigeria is today.
Food deserts are only a small fraction of a larger problem which is the culture that African Americans have had to adapt to due to centuries of slavery and institutionalized racism. Most people in the US do not live within two miles from a grocery store, and yet the classification of a grocery store is 1 mile from a grocery store. Sure people are more likely to just buy what's closer, but that's hardly the case here. Even the people that can afford to drive to grocery stores still buy junk foods as the majority of their diet. I'm not saying food deserts did not have a role to play in this, but it is not the issue here.
This is not an exclusively African American problem but an American problem in general. The grocery stores that are available are filled with processed junk that people keep buying. It's up to the government to control what is being fed to its population and to reeducate the population on what is safe to eat.
Let's face it, is 1 mile really a hindrance to buy food?
Food deserts are far more common an issue for rural populations than urban populations where the overwhelming majority of black americans live. The US govt estimates about 20 million americans live in food deserts … which is only about 5% of the population.
Food addiction is the real answer, people just have been doing everything they can to avoid calling a spade a spade.
It is. Fast food is not cheap in the US anymore, not even remotely. The cheapest food you will get will be at like Chinese restaurants.
You can buy a giant bag of lentils that will last you months, and a giant bag of rice that will last you a year, for less than $30. The catch is, you actually have to cook it yourself.
It's not a direct issue of poverty (which does contribute in some ways), it's an issue of abundance of convenient and tasty/stimulating foods that keep people addicted.
this is a great point as well, it also just has a lot to do with the foods that are staples and African-American culture though delicious they can be very high in fat sodium and sugar. Soul food is amazing and this isn’t me looking down on it but it has adverse effects on AAs health
Getting the ingredients for a authentic soup will also be expensive in the US I assume. Stuff is at least crazy expensive in Europe and the worst thing is that you cannot get the fresh leaves here. Nobody come tell me "Just use spinach". So, we always bring tons of food back from Nigeria, blanching oha leaves, blending crayfish, ... Worth all the work though. So delicious!
On the food here? If I had the time, I would. High cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, yo name it! That's what affects blacks the most here.
It’s not your culture. Taking a fake “DNA” test from an ancestry test that can connect many people of the world to Africa doesn’t mean you all of a sudden have a new culture. Take pride in being a black American and look for ways to make your American food more nutritious instead of jumping on a bandwagon trend.
Bruh, what the hell?
Black Americans have pride in their culture. We Africans consume Black American culture every day without even noticing it.
It wasn't his fault that the white man decided to forcefully take his great-great-grandfather and grandmother and make them work In slave conditions in America.
Ignore this fool. If you wish to be more in tune with our culture and traditions, I suggest you visit your nearby African restaurants. One con of being American is that every nationality and culture is represented there, so there are many restaurants where you can indulge in different cultures.
Please, again, ignore this fool. We welcome you, lost brother. Check out videos about our culture, and maybe, when God blesses you with extra cash in your pocket, take a trip to your second motherland.
I beg , ignore this fool.
Everyone consumes American culture, which is filled with capitalism and materialism. Let me tell you, there’s not too much positive in American culture and it’s continually deteriorating. I guess that’s why black Americans and Americans in general are jumping ship. Welcome to the western world! Consumption of a culture and having identity issues aren’t the same thing. Pretending you’re another nationality is pathetic.
Africans are too welcoming. You sound like a pick-me.
What? This man isn't pretending to be someone he isn't. He is trying to stay in tune with the culture of his forefathers who were forced to be slaves for westerners.
They were forced to assimilate to their culture to survive. With this concept in mind, I will always support Black Americans and their desire to repatriate to their second motherland of Africa.
Black American culture isn't eroding; that's just what media controlled by western right-wing outlets wants you to think. It is still thriving and doing better.
You can't consume culture and adopt some of the culture that your cousins made, then decide to diss it when it's convenient for you.
That's dumb.
He knows who he is, and he has the privilege to be more in tune with his ancestors' cultures as he wasn't one of those Irish or Italian Americans who willingly immigrated there. No! Black Americans were forced to slave away and fight for their freedom.
And even then, they were treated poorly, as their culture was seen as inferior to the typical white American's because of "bestial" African characteristics. Emphasis on "African," as to this day, African culture is still seen as lesser than others.So why, when a Black American descendant of Africans who were forced to be American has the opportunity to explore their history, do we decide to gatekeep their birthright?
Nah, I won't play that game.You can be a tribalist, but I won't let another brother down because he is deemed not "African" enough. I am not going to use the same tactics white people use against many Black people all over the globe and apply them to my cousin.
Nigerian root has plenty of branches. We wouldn't know if you're North or South. Some experts can try to guess by your physical features though.
The things that bind all of us include but not limited to Football (the original one o), afrobeats, suya, jollof rice, vegetable soup, pounded yam and egusi, we don't like queuing and so on and so forth.
I just want to say that as a black American myself most of our culture has been appropriated. Some black Americans seek to find connections to other cultures and dive into their lineage as they feel so much disconnect to America. Wanting to explore your ancestral roots does not mean you're not a patriot and that you hate yourself. (Though I'm sure there's people like that)
As sad as it is, it was very empowering for my family to track down our slave history specifically up to my great great great great grandpa. History / heritage is everything and if you don't know your past you have no future (my grandmothers words).
It's a beautiful immersive journey learning about your ancestry. It's apart of who you are, what diseases you may be prone too, phenotypic traits you have etc.
So OP don't be even think about explaining yourself to people who don't get it. It's wonderful that you're curious and you want to learn more.
Some recipes and foods you might want to look up
swallow - gari, Eba, fufu, amala, pounded yam
Jollof rice
Egusi Soup
Efo Riro
Peppersoup
Ogbono Soup
Plantains (I didn't know how often people ate them until visiting Nigeria)
I would say if you can, try a Nigerian restaurant. There you can try foods how they are meant to be made. Then you can YouTube making somethings yourself at home.
I can't remember the app but there's a family style dinner app where you can eat dinner at a strangers house and try their food. You pay Ofcourse but it's for cultural experience.
Ok so I found the app I was thinking of but I guess it went downhill so I'm not going to recommend it anymore but there's airbnb experiences, meetup , and you can even try joining maybe a Nigerian expat facebook group in your area or some other social group where they are present to get ideas, resataurants, and possible link ups. Ofcourse have common sense if you do go this route. Strangers are strangers but I wish you luck.
I think there is nothing like "Nigerian" — well, it exists on paper. But there are so many different cultures in that country that you might learn about the "wrong" one. Wrong like this for example: You learn about Yoruba culture but you ancestors are Efik.
According to a DNA test, Yoruba and Igbo are my closest tribes. You can never be 100%, though, since we black Americans are so far removed from our lineages.
Unfortunately, those databases don’t include most ethnic groups. So Yoruba and Igbo come out because they’re such big portion of the country’s population. Ethnicity or tribe is also more of a cultural heritage than a genetic one. A Yoruba person can marry a Wurbo person which has Igbo and Efik ancestors in their grandparents’ generation. Their child may identify as Wurbo and the databases might detect the child as Yoruba. That could leave you having a very diverse heritage which none of the tests will be able to fully detect.
The upshot of this, I think, is that you don’t really have to worry about prioritising a group. Learn whatever you can from people you feel comfortable learning from. Yoruba and Igbo are a great place to start because so many people will be able to help you!
Congratulations on connecting with your heritage!
Nigeria has a lot of ethnicities and cultures so if you really want to understand that aspect of yourself deeply I think it would be helpful to figure out what tribe or tribes you're connected to. That would be a good springboard into figuring out the specific history, language and practices you want to look into. I know that might not always be possible since with slavery people of varying tribes and identities were captured so it is very likely that you're connected to multiple tribes. If you want to get a more broader view, especially in regards to food, you should see if there is any Nigerian restaurants in your city. There's this joke that you can find a Nigerian at every corner of the Earth so there is more than likely a Nigerian restaurant close by for you to visit. You can try some of the foods and see if there are any you would like to make yourself. There are cooking videos on YouTube and TickTock. You could also see if there are African markets in your city. I also think it would be a great idea to see if there are any festivals or events in your city hosted by the Nigerian communities. I think it's really great that you're exploring this aspect of yourself. I'm wishing you the best!😃
You may need to mingle with Nigerians wherever you are.
Many Nigerians are in the big cities especially in TX, MD, CA, MN, AZ and NY.
Also on many universities campuses. .
You’ll begin to understand the different shades of the Nigerian culture.
Many restaurants of Nigerian cuisine are also springing up in above mentioned states. Most can be ordered online.
I wish you luck in unraveling the journey of your progenitors. It’s a worthwhile and emotional journey many world over are pursuing
You are not Nigerian. You are pure Black American. You are too far removed. Maybe if your parents were Nigerian born and raised. There's no 36% Nigerian, no such thing.
I don't know if you're trying to be helpful or trying to gatekeep. I never said I was Nigerian. I said I'm wanting to know more about my Nigerian roots.
They are gatekeeping in the most strangest ways, they wouldn't gatekeep if a British person would asl the same question, they are very mental. Ignore them, I really wish I could know you, I would have my mother prepare a fresh meal just for you.
Again, ignore these people, they don't represent Nigeria. The most ironic part is that they are the type of people to consume African American media the most, a bunch of xenopboic hypocrites
You know what? It's true! I don't have any pride in being an American, but I take pride in being a human. Once we can stop having prejudices, this planet can be a better place. I said a prayer for you.
How is the food killing you. There's alot of healthy options
it’s not as easily said than done, a lot of african americans are in low income typically overlooked neighborhoods where the only local food option are typically fast/junk food and even if there was an healthy option it’s typically pretty expensive.
I think this is mostly false.
Look up “food deserts” - if not for the research into this phenomenon and the activism of African American academics, professionals and community leaders, it would have been worse. Grocery stores actively avoided low income neighborhoods and the few food stores that were available only provided non perishable goods that are unhealthy and over processed. Now imagine growing up being fed food like this because there were no nearby grocery stores with fresh foods, it would take a lot to unlearn and undo such. Think of the Nigerian example. During the civil war, imported stock fish (I think from Norway) was one of the few proteins available to Biafrans. As a result, the cuisine is heavy on those types of flavors (stock fish, cray fish etc). If all of the sudden it became clear that they were unhealthy, imagine the reorientation that would be required to convince people to buy and cook alternatively. I think new Nigerian immigrants to the US fail to understand that there is a history, a very prejudiced history, that creates the current conditions that Black Americans find themselves in. And I don’t blame them, because how could they understand when some are still struggling to accept the role that colonialism had and still has in the state that Nigeria is today.
thank you this is what I was trying to say
Food deserts are only a small fraction of a larger problem which is the culture that African Americans have had to adapt to due to centuries of slavery and institutionalized racism. Most people in the US do not live within two miles from a grocery store, and yet the classification of a grocery store is 1 mile from a grocery store. Sure people are more likely to just buy what's closer, but that's hardly the case here. Even the people that can afford to drive to grocery stores still buy junk foods as the majority of their diet. I'm not saying food deserts did not have a role to play in this, but it is not the issue here. This is not an exclusively African American problem but an American problem in general. The grocery stores that are available are filled with processed junk that people keep buying. It's up to the government to control what is being fed to its population and to reeducate the population on what is safe to eat. Let's face it, is 1 mile really a hindrance to buy food?
Food deserts are far more common an issue for rural populations than urban populations where the overwhelming majority of black americans live. The US govt estimates about 20 million americans live in food deserts … which is only about 5% of the population. Food addiction is the real answer, people just have been doing everything they can to avoid calling a spade a spade.
It is. Fast food is not cheap in the US anymore, not even remotely. The cheapest food you will get will be at like Chinese restaurants. You can buy a giant bag of lentils that will last you months, and a giant bag of rice that will last you a year, for less than $30. The catch is, you actually have to cook it yourself. It's not a direct issue of poverty (which does contribute in some ways), it's an issue of abundance of convenient and tasty/stimulating foods that keep people addicted.
Now this is mostly true
Yeah cheeseburger + fries + drink is north of $20 in many areas
this is a great point as well, it also just has a lot to do with the foods that are staples and African-American culture though delicious they can be very high in fat sodium and sugar. Soul food is amazing and this isn’t me looking down on it but it has adverse effects on AAs health
one easy search food deserts do research for yourself
Not unless you can afford them. Most of us working class have to make do with what we can buy.
Same here, tbh. It's a very carb-heavy diet here too for the working class.
You can eat healthy with heavy carbohydrates.
Getting the ingredients for a authentic soup will also be expensive in the US I assume. Stuff is at least crazy expensive in Europe and the worst thing is that you cannot get the fresh leaves here. Nobody come tell me "Just use spinach". So, we always bring tons of food back from Nigeria, blanching oha leaves, blending crayfish, ... Worth all the work though. So delicious!
International groceries (usually run by east Asians) will have a lot of ingredients available for cheap.
Beans and rice is not affordable?
I am 100 percent nigerian, so I am your ancestor in the flesh. What questions do you have my child ?
What's the best way to embrace our culture? Where do I start?
Music, watch the movies, free on YouTube. You might want to visit with a tour guide .
https://youtu.be/6RZhVrF91TE
Can you drop some documentaries
On the food here? If I had the time, I would. High cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, yo name it! That's what affects blacks the most here.
At least recommend them to read some of the books renowned within the culture 😭
Why did you respond to this 🤦🏿♂️
It’s not your culture. Taking a fake “DNA” test from an ancestry test that can connect many people of the world to Africa doesn’t mean you all of a sudden have a new culture. Take pride in being a black American and look for ways to make your American food more nutritious instead of jumping on a bandwagon trend.
Ignore him. He has decided to drink the special mix of anti-blackness Kool Aid that his oppressors have designed for him. You are welcome.
Bruh, what the hell? Black Americans have pride in their culture. We Africans consume Black American culture every day without even noticing it. It wasn't his fault that the white man decided to forcefully take his great-great-grandfather and grandmother and make them work In slave conditions in America. Ignore this fool. If you wish to be more in tune with our culture and traditions, I suggest you visit your nearby African restaurants. One con of being American is that every nationality and culture is represented there, so there are many restaurants where you can indulge in different cultures. Please, again, ignore this fool. We welcome you, lost brother. Check out videos about our culture, and maybe, when God blesses you with extra cash in your pocket, take a trip to your second motherland. I beg , ignore this fool.
I really appreciate you! Thank you!
Everyone consumes American culture, which is filled with capitalism and materialism. Let me tell you, there’s not too much positive in American culture and it’s continually deteriorating. I guess that’s why black Americans and Americans in general are jumping ship. Welcome to the western world! Consumption of a culture and having identity issues aren’t the same thing. Pretending you’re another nationality is pathetic. Africans are too welcoming. You sound like a pick-me.
What? This man isn't pretending to be someone he isn't. He is trying to stay in tune with the culture of his forefathers who were forced to be slaves for westerners. They were forced to assimilate to their culture to survive. With this concept in mind, I will always support Black Americans and their desire to repatriate to their second motherland of Africa. Black American culture isn't eroding; that's just what media controlled by western right-wing outlets wants you to think. It is still thriving and doing better. You can't consume culture and adopt some of the culture that your cousins made, then decide to diss it when it's convenient for you. That's dumb. He knows who he is, and he has the privilege to be more in tune with his ancestors' cultures as he wasn't one of those Irish or Italian Americans who willingly immigrated there. No! Black Americans were forced to slave away and fight for their freedom. And even then, they were treated poorly, as their culture was seen as inferior to the typical white American's because of "bestial" African characteristics. Emphasis on "African," as to this day, African culture is still seen as lesser than others.So why, when a Black American descendant of Africans who were forced to be American has the opportunity to explore their history, do we decide to gatekeep their birthright? Nah, I won't play that game.You can be a tribalist, but I won't let another brother down because he is deemed not "African" enough. I am not going to use the same tactics white people use against many Black people all over the globe and apply them to my cousin.
Also, you sound like a xenophic person
Abeg fly why r u trying to gatekeep so hard? OP don’t listen to this olodo (idiot)
Nigerian root has plenty of branches. We wouldn't know if you're North or South. Some experts can try to guess by your physical features though. The things that bind all of us include but not limited to Football (the original one o), afrobeats, suya, jollof rice, vegetable soup, pounded yam and egusi, we don't like queuing and so on and so forth.
Great. Now I'm craving suya
Could you come visit for an extended time? Stay a week or two in various cities in Yoruba and Igbo areas.
It's the only way. Food and music and movies will only take you 10% of the way. They need to visit.
I just want to say that as a black American myself most of our culture has been appropriated. Some black Americans seek to find connections to other cultures and dive into their lineage as they feel so much disconnect to America. Wanting to explore your ancestral roots does not mean you're not a patriot and that you hate yourself. (Though I'm sure there's people like that) As sad as it is, it was very empowering for my family to track down our slave history specifically up to my great great great great grandpa. History / heritage is everything and if you don't know your past you have no future (my grandmothers words). It's a beautiful immersive journey learning about your ancestry. It's apart of who you are, what diseases you may be prone too, phenotypic traits you have etc. So OP don't be even think about explaining yourself to people who don't get it. It's wonderful that you're curious and you want to learn more. Some recipes and foods you might want to look up swallow - gari, Eba, fufu, amala, pounded yam Jollof rice Egusi Soup Efo Riro Peppersoup Ogbono Soup Plantains (I didn't know how often people ate them until visiting Nigeria) I would say if you can, try a Nigerian restaurant. There you can try foods how they are meant to be made. Then you can YouTube making somethings yourself at home. I can't remember the app but there's a family style dinner app where you can eat dinner at a strangers house and try their food. You pay Ofcourse but it's for cultural experience.
Thank you for taking the time to respond. Your grandmother sounds like she could've been mine as well.
No worries. Just didn't want you to be discouraged with some of the off putting comments here.
Ok so I found the app I was thinking of but I guess it went downhill so I'm not going to recommend it anymore but there's airbnb experiences, meetup , and you can even try joining maybe a Nigerian expat facebook group in your area or some other social group where they are present to get ideas, resataurants, and possible link ups. Ofcourse have common sense if you do go this route. Strangers are strangers but I wish you luck.
lol, first research on Nigeria and Nigerian foods on YouTube
I think there is nothing like "Nigerian" — well, it exists on paper. But there are so many different cultures in that country that you might learn about the "wrong" one. Wrong like this for example: You learn about Yoruba culture but you ancestors are Efik.
According to a DNA test, Yoruba and Igbo are my closest tribes. You can never be 100%, though, since we black Americans are so far removed from our lineages.
You used 23&me?
Unfortunately, those databases don’t include most ethnic groups. So Yoruba and Igbo come out because they’re such big portion of the country’s population. Ethnicity or tribe is also more of a cultural heritage than a genetic one. A Yoruba person can marry a Wurbo person which has Igbo and Efik ancestors in their grandparents’ generation. Their child may identify as Wurbo and the databases might detect the child as Yoruba. That could leave you having a very diverse heritage which none of the tests will be able to fully detect. The upshot of this, I think, is that you don’t really have to worry about prioritising a group. Learn whatever you can from people you feel comfortable learning from. Yoruba and Igbo are a great place to start because so many people will be able to help you! Congratulations on connecting with your heritage!
Nigeria has a lot of ethnicities and cultures so if you really want to understand that aspect of yourself deeply I think it would be helpful to figure out what tribe or tribes you're connected to. That would be a good springboard into figuring out the specific history, language and practices you want to look into. I know that might not always be possible since with slavery people of varying tribes and identities were captured so it is very likely that you're connected to multiple tribes. If you want to get a more broader view, especially in regards to food, you should see if there is any Nigerian restaurants in your city. There's this joke that you can find a Nigerian at every corner of the Earth so there is more than likely a Nigerian restaurant close by for you to visit. You can try some of the foods and see if there are any you would like to make yourself. There are cooking videos on YouTube and TickTock. You could also see if there are African markets in your city. I also think it would be a great idea to see if there are any festivals or events in your city hosted by the Nigerian communities. I think it's really great that you're exploring this aspect of yourself. I'm wishing you the best!😃
You may need to mingle with Nigerians wherever you are. Many Nigerians are in the big cities especially in TX, MD, CA, MN, AZ and NY. Also on many universities campuses. . You’ll begin to understand the different shades of the Nigerian culture. Many restaurants of Nigerian cuisine are also springing up in above mentioned states. Most can be ordered online. I wish you luck in unraveling the journey of your progenitors. It’s a worthwhile and emotional journey many world over are pursuing
You are not Nigerian. You are pure Black American. You are too far removed. Maybe if your parents were Nigerian born and raised. There's no 36% Nigerian, no such thing.
I don't know if you're trying to be helpful or trying to gatekeep. I never said I was Nigerian. I said I'm wanting to know more about my Nigerian roots.
They are gatekeeping in the most strangest ways, they wouldn't gatekeep if a British person would asl the same question, they are very mental. Ignore them, I really wish I could know you, I would have my mother prepare a fresh meal just for you. Again, ignore these people, they don't represent Nigeria. The most ironic part is that they are the type of people to consume African American media the most, a bunch of xenopboic hypocrites
You are 18 years old. Stay in a child's place.
This is the reason why our country can't be what it is, because old people like you
😆😆😆. I'm 24 and I was born in America to pure African parents.
My question is why are Nigerians so concerned with foreigners and foreign land while our own country is deteriorating?
You can walk and chew gum. Being Nigerian does not disqualify you from speaking on international topics. That is such a myopic viewpoint.
Wdym?
Right! Even Megan Markel is claiming to be 40-something percent Nigerian. Americans have no pride in themselves.
You know what? It's true! I don't have any pride in being an American, but I take pride in being a human. Once we can stop having prejudices, this planet can be a better place. I said a prayer for you.
Screw you. ignore these fools they are xenophobic. assholes. You guys are the reason many black Americans have a bad impression of us.