Konnected Minds Podcast

Segment: When African-Americans Return to Africa, Everything Changes

• Derrick Abaitey

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The unexpected cultural reckoning that awaits African Americans returning to Ghana challenges everything they thought they knew about identity, belonging, and cultural fluency. What appears at first to be a homecoming quickly transforms into a profound journey of self-discovery and cultural adaptation.

We delve deep into the sometimes tense dynamics between local Ghanaians and returning diasporans. When struggling locals witness others receiving citizenship or arriving with comparative wealth, understandable friction can emerge. Yet as one perspective shared reminds us, "economies have always been influenced by diverse sectors" - from Chinese to Lebanese businesses operating throughout Ghana. The key lies not in competition but in collaborative partnerships that benefit everyone.

The most striking revelation for many African Americans in Ghana is discovering just how American they truly are. In the United States, their primary identity marker has always been race, but in Ghana, their American cultural conditioning becomes glaringly apparent. Assertiveness that serves as a survival mechanism in America can appear unnecessarily confrontational in Ghana. As one returnee explains: "In Ghana, everything is okay, everything is fine, you just kind of relax... But if you have this type of mentality in the US as a Black person, you will be crushed." This cultural whiplash requires significant personal adjustment.

Perhaps the most fundamental difference between Western societies and Ghana centers around how systems function. In Ghana, relationships are the most valuable currency. Whether fixing a streetlight, navigating bureaucracy, or conducting business, personal connections matter more than systems or technology. This revelation transforms not just how returnees navigate daily life but how they understand themselves in relation to others. The journey requires patience, humility, and a willingness to unlearn assumptions - but ultimately offers a profound reconnection to communal values that many find deeply healing and transformative.

What cultural misunderstandings have you experienced when traveling or relocating to a different country? Share your story and join our conversation about navigating cultural differences with grace and openness.

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Watch the video episode of this on YouTube - https://linktr.ee/konnectedminds

Speaker 1:

that our own cultural ways are actually heavily been influenced by colonization. But we don't realize it, Do you think?

Speaker 2:

that maybe the local Ghanians are a bit threatened by the influx of African-Americans.

Speaker 1:

I think it could be, and understandably. You know, if you see If you are struggling, right and you're making the average of maybe a thousand000 or 1,500 Ghana CDs a month, right, and you go to the passport office and you got to pay a bribe just to get your passport delivered on time, and then you see a news story of 524 diasporans receiving citizenship, I can understand how that can make you upset and I think that that's why I go to. I think that sometimes we're underexposed and we don't really understand the value that exists in having a collective of people of the African diaspora coming together. But I mean, I can empathize and I understand, but I would say that it's really not a threat because the truth is, economies have always been influenced by diverse sectors coming into the economy.

Speaker 1:

Here in Ghana and all over Africa. We have Chinese, lebanese, all kind of you know what I'm saying different groups that are coming in, that are doing business in Ghana. So it's not just the African-Americans or those coming from the UK or the other parts of the Western world, but people are coming because they see opportunity and I think that instead of, I think, complaining, I think what would be great is understanding how we can build better bridges and partnerships so that we can all benefit from this economy. In other words, there's a lot, of you know, opportunities to go around.

Speaker 2:

Well, do you think, especially for you and if I throw this question to you, that you understand the average guardian well enough to be able to join forces with?

Speaker 1:

um, I, I, I don't want to complicate it, but I would say that understand in the sense where I totally 100 get it. No, because I didn't grow up here and when I moved here I didn't, I didn't come, you know, you know selling from the roadside or something. I mean, listen, I've worked, I worked really hard, by the grace of God, and, you know, utilize those resources here in Ghana. But I will say that I do empathize because I do understand that, as we say in Ghana, chale is no easy hole. It's very difficult, it's very difficult and I do empathize and I think that's why, for me, what's important is creating platforms to partner with Ghanaians who are empowering the next generation of leaders.

Speaker 2:

So the reason I ask that question is I was with, you know, someone who went to look for a product that he wanted to buy, and then this person is from the diaspora, she's African-American, and then the person that was selling the product said they don't have the exact one that you're looking for, but we have this instead. Would you be interested in that? And the first words that came out from this person's mouth was well, I told you, I'm looking for this particular one. Why are you giving me that one? Yeah, do you understand?

Speaker 2:

I understand that is not and that is not a Ghanaian culture yes, yes, I get that that response.

Speaker 1:

I get that one thousand doesn't happen in Ghana.

Speaker 2:

Yes, one thousand percent no, so that's what I meant by. Do you understand the average? Guy okay, okay, I'll get you the way we do things well enough to now sit. Okay, I understand you, derek, so now let's work together yes, so I get that.

Speaker 1:

You know, and I think that's an exchange that happens anytime somebody goes to a new place. I saw this video, right, it was on YouTube. It was on YouTube or IG or something, and it was a it's not got near but as a Nigerian and or something. And it was a it's not Ghanaian, but it was a Nigerian. And then I no, no, it was a Nigerian outside in New York and there were all these pigeons and he caught one and he was like hey, can I eat this one? I said no, no, no, masa, you can't eat this one, because here, if you eat this one, you know they may take you to jail. He food with this one.

Speaker 1:

So it's like when you're coming from a different place, you have to adjust culturally. So for that African-American, I understand where they're coming from. In terms of like, I'm looking for this particular one because sometimes a person is also may feel threatened because they don't know how to navigate. Let me give you an example. All right, years ago, when I first came to ghana, I remember uh taking tro, tro from cape uh coast to accra, wow, back when we were selling credits on the scratch cards, right. So, and I remember number one. I didn't really understand any of the language at all, even simple things like oh, please, I'm coming, oh, like I'm coming, like I'm gonna return to you. I didn't understand any of these things.

Speaker 1:

So I go to buy scratch card for, like I think, tensities or something. I give the lady 50 Ghana. I'm sitting in a tro tro. I don't know that the tro tro has to load before it moves and so all. So I'm I'm on edge because I don't know all of these things. Right, I give her 50 Ghana. She, she leaves. I don't understand what she's saying. I'm yelling at her hey, come back, where are you going, right? So everyone in the church was laughing at me and they said, ah. They say, oh, charlie, she said she's just going to get change and coming back. So I'm sitting in the church, you're like. Now I'm feeling very stupid because it's the feeling of like you don't know what's going on, right. But it's a valuable lesson that I learned because, remember, I'm from the states where, typically, even when you talk about exchanges like that, nobody has to run and get change from their cousin and bring it back to you. Change is delivered right there.

Speaker 2:

But that's why this conversation is important.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Right To let our family yeah back home. Understand that, if you don't understand something in Ghana or any part of Africa, observe for some time, yeah, and look at what is happening around you.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, but it's very difficult to observe. You can observe, but you don't know how to contextualize. Here's another. Another example when I moved to Ghana because I had been coming back and forth, I know that in Ghana nothing is free, nothing is free.

Speaker 1:

So when I moved into my first place, there was a guy who was kind of keeping after my place, you know, helping some things, small, small. And I remember asking the guy that I was working with. I said, well, I have to give him something. He said, oh no, no, no, don't worry, he's just, you know, he's just doing things like this. And the guy kept messaging me. He kept asking me how far, how far, how far? I didn't know what. How far meant how far in my mind, meant what is the distance, when are you? But he was asking how far with my money? Yes, because he was helping.

Speaker 1:

I had no idea. So even when I observed these things, I literally did not know what he was talking about. Now, after I learned right what he was meaning, I the context of even like how much to give him Like, because when I moved into my neighborhood now this is an atypical example when I moved to my neighborhood, I had to settle a bunch of some of those people were just sitting around doing nothing, because they wrote you know, these are the ones who see my house every day. Yeah, now this is a context. Well, listen, even if you observe this thing, you don't really even know how to engage this until you have some experience.

Speaker 2:

I guess what I'm basically trying to say is that if you don't observe and ask questions and you come in and react to the way you will, it makes matters worse it, does, it, does, it, does, it does a thousand percent. I agree with you and and and, but I also want you to take take a little bit of this point as well, which is it's not unique to African Americans yes, some of us who have lived abroad for so long, and we came back we didn't understand what's going on yeah, absolutely, absolutely.

Speaker 1:

You know, and I think there's sometimes Ghanaians who come are even more frustrated because you, sometimes Ghanaians leave with wahala and you come back and you realize Wahala is still there and you even maybe sometimes I don't know, but even from what I've heard from my friends is because this is home and it's almost like they look at Ghana like a brother or a sister that has so much potential. But then you see this brother or sister just wasting their life and it's like I want so much for you. But when I see you doing some of the stuff that you're doing and you've never changed, it becomes so disappointing. So, even though the disappointment becomes multiplied. And but it's true, listen, I talked to my friends and I tell them you know, listen, I had, I had it's not necessarily a friend, but I was at a meeting one day and we were talking about police interactions and all of these things.

Speaker 1:

And, listen, I've been in Ghana long enough where even sometimes I just carry Coke because I'll give the guy some Coke, the police officer some Coke. You know, even this simple, small gesture, you know, will make a difference. But anyway, one of the ladies was African-American, was saying that I noticed that the police only bother us as African-Americans, and so we have to stop and say listen, that's not true. That's not a true statement. In fact, it's worse for the local Ghanaian who can't fight for himself.

Speaker 2:

Yes, who can't afford the 200 cities?

Speaker 1:

to cool him down, exactly, exactly. So I agree with you that we have this perception oftentimes, that is, it's it's erroneous and it's not accurate of what's really happening. That's why these conversations are important and and I will say this, I will admit this right I think a lot of times as African Americans, we don't realize how American we are until we get to Ghana, because in the States you are always relegated to your race. I don't care how smart you are, any of these things. When you come to Ghana, it's actually the culture of America that exists in us. We can be entitled, we can be arrogant, and for a lot of us you have to be.

Speaker 1:

For example, for me, like in Ghana, everything is okay, everything is fine, you just kind of relax. Sometimes we don't really speak up for ourselves. In Ghana, everything is okay, everything is fine, you just kind of relax. Sometimes we don't really speak up for ourselves in Ghana. But if you have this type of mentality in the US, as a black person, you will be crushed, right. So sometimes you don't really like that, doesn't turn off like that when you come to Ghana. So you have to really have these come sometimes bad experiences where you stop and realize I overreacted. That was too much to really understand that. Okay, I'm safe, nobody's trying to come and attack me. I really have the privilege to live where I want, do what I want, as long as I have the resources and I have the relationships. But sometimes that mentality doesn't turn off immediately. It takes time.

Speaker 2:

It takes time. It takes time. It's the realization that has got to go at at some point. I think when Ghana became a little bit easier for me to stay was when I became like the locals no understood why they do what they do. Otherwise, you pay 200 cities for a bottle of water, mmm. Meanwhile it's three cities. Yeah, yeah, it's true. Because you've chosen to, you've created a huge gap between you and the system. Yeah, and it's three cities. Yeah, yeah, it's true, because you've chosen to, you've created a huge gap between you and the system.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and it's the people that make the system.

Speaker 1:

And that's the biggest difference, right when you're coming from a world where you know Ghana, the most valuable currency in Ghana is relationships, yes, but when you're coming from a world where basic things like if your streetlight is off, you call a number Maybe you have an app that tells you the technician will arrive between 2 pm and 4 pm, the technician is on the way, the technician has arrived, the technician has repaired the situation, the technician is gone and you don't necessarily need people. You don't really understand how much you need people until you come to a place like Ghana. Again, for me and I'm talking about a situation like this in the first place I lived, we had all of these issues you go outside, the, the, the, the light is literally on fire. You call the local company. They won't, they won't do anything, so you have to go and greet your neighbors. Please do you know anyone who can repair this?

Speaker 1:

But until you live in a system where you're forced to really adopt that currency of relationships, you don't really understand how valuable that is, and sometimes that only comes through time. It only comes through time and experience. So and I think that, so you know, I tell people who are coming. I don't care if you're Ghanaian, nigerian, if you're coming, if you haven't been in this culture for a while, you know you have to give grace to people and, for those who are here, you have to give grace to those individuals as well, because I think all folks are just trying to come together and live together.