God has really given me a
complete turnaround since my arrival to Kenya a month ago. Leisa may just have to drag me out of Kenya, with my nails
digging into Kenyan soil. This place has truly become a home for me.
Though my name is Casondra, it is
very common to hear Kenyans calling me Sondra. I’ve begun to introduce myself as that; it seems to be
easier for them. After standing in
front of the church week one, my teammates and I were given Kenyan names. My name is Akinye, meaning born in the
morning. And was I born in the
morning! 6:55am to be exact. 🙂
Traveling with my teammates and
Kenyans, I easily get grouped as a Kenyan, not an American. I’ve even had to convince church members and students that neither
I nor my parents are Kenyan. I often hear questions such as:
1. Are
you American Black?
2. Which
African country were you born in?
3. Are
both of your parents Black American?
4. Were
your grandparents American?
5. Are
you sure you weren’t born in Africa or your parents weren’t born in Africa?
6. Why
don’t you know which African country your family comes from?
I must admit at first it was a
bit difficult explaining to Africans that though I have the same color skin as
they, I am not African. I normally
follow up with:
America
is a melting pot. There are many
different cultures in America, people with many skin colors. I’m not sure which African country my
family comes from because accurate records weren’t kept during the transport from
Africa to America. I am a mix of
many nationalities. I have Native
American blood on both sides of my family as well as much European (due to
slavery) and I’m sure African.
That’s all they want to hear is me
acknowledging the African blood in me.
I’d be happy to tell
them my ancestors are from Kenya if I knew that to be true.
I’ve now enjoyed answering such
questions because I know that these Kenyans are a very curious people. To be honest, most of them only think
of American as having white skin.
Many have never even heard of our American Indians. They love asking questions and light up
when they learn that we have a lot of things in common.
In choir rehearsal, Mama Terry
and her friends frequently comment on how “Kenyan” I am. “Are you sure your Mama wasn’t born in
Kenya?” Mama Terry always teases me.
She especially asks me that when I tell her how I was raised. When getting in the vehicle I try to
make sure Mama Terry get’s priority seat.
“Why won’t you let me sit in back?” She asks. “You are my elder,” I explain. “You really are Kenyan,” she follows.
It’s very common to dance during
our worship service here. I never
thought of myself as a dancer and have even been mocked for my dancing by my best
friends, but the young people from church comment later, “You move like you’re
one of us.” I don’t care how I
look; I just like to have fun praising the Lord.
One morning during our primary
school visit, my teammates and I were asked, “Who are your role models?” Though I gave three different role
models, my favorite is Alex Haley.
I told them, “Alex Haley was the first Black American to trace his
ancestors to an exact country and tribe in Africa. Because of his research and movies, many African Americans
have been motivated to research their ancestry.
It’s somewhat a foreign idea to these students, me not
knowing which African country my family is from. In all reality it could be many
countries but being asked all these questions has challenged me when I return
to the States to learn more about my ancestry. I am proud to have
African blood in me and I am anxious to find out details.
