Disclaimer:
"When people assume I'm Yoruba and speak it to me, I reply in Igbo since they want to reenact scenes from the Tower of Babel."
-@PyjamasRich
"Stop behaving like Etinan people."
That's what my momma would say to keep me in check anytime I started behaving like the devil's spawn. I never really understood what she meant by that but I'd be so butt hurt every time she said it, I'd immediately revert to my default settings.
Up until now.
I've lived in Uyo for close to three months now and from my interactions, a lot of people are pleasantly surprised to learn that I'm an Ibibio woman. Then I tell them I'm from Etinan LGA and I can see the subtle change in their expression, like someone poured them a bucket of cold water.
Well imagine my bewilderment earlier today while speaking with a learned friend and I casually mentioned I was from Etinan, the first word that left his mouth was "Eh?!" (mind you this person is not from Akwa Ibom o).
So apparently, according to him, we are notorious for witchcraft and our women don't value their marriage.
Wonderful.
Ethnic resentment.
See the thing about this ethnic resentment of a thing, it's so deeply rooted yet so subtle you barely notice it's there, not until the person you've been dating for close to four years wakes up one morning to tell you that his parents won't sanction his marrying anyone but an Anambra lady. Toh
It pops up in words like "Federal Character", "Catchment area", "Biafra"....and you just wonder, why so much venom?
If you chose to form an opinion of me based on where I come from without getting to know me first, chale I've got news for you: It is not me you are doing, you are doing yourself.
P.S enough with the moon jokes already. The only other thing worse than ethnic resentment is the religious kind.
<<end of rant>>
"When people assume I'm Yoruba and speak it to me, I reply in Igbo since they want to reenact scenes from the Tower of Babel."
-@PyjamasRich
"Stop behaving like Etinan people."
That's what my momma would say to keep me in check anytime I started behaving like the devil's spawn. I never really understood what she meant by that but I'd be so butt hurt every time she said it, I'd immediately revert to my default settings.
Up until now.
I've lived in Uyo for close to three months now and from my interactions, a lot of people are pleasantly surprised to learn that I'm an Ibibio woman. Then I tell them I'm from Etinan LGA and I can see the subtle change in their expression, like someone poured them a bucket of cold water.
Well imagine my bewilderment earlier today while speaking with a learned friend and I casually mentioned I was from Etinan, the first word that left his mouth was "Eh?!" (mind you this person is not from Akwa Ibom o).
So apparently, according to him, we are notorious for witchcraft and our women don't value their marriage.
Wonderful.
Ethnic resentment.
See the thing about this ethnic resentment of a thing, it's so deeply rooted yet so subtle you barely notice it's there, not until the person you've been dating for close to four years wakes up one morning to tell you that his parents won't sanction his marrying anyone but an Anambra lady. Toh
It pops up in words like "Federal Character", "Catchment area", "Biafra"....and you just wonder, why so much venom?
If you chose to form an opinion of me based on where I come from without getting to know me first, chale I've got news for you: It is not me you are doing, you are doing yourself.
P.S enough with the moon jokes already. The only other thing worse than ethnic resentment is the religious kind.
<<end of rant>>
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