So I'm wrapping up my time in India and the most common question I am asked is am I from Africa. Half the time it is assumed that I am from Africa because I don't look like a Black Indian. People then are shocked when I say USA/New York. Yes I can claim Nigeria as I do have a Nigerian Passport and both parents were born and raised in Nigeria. Everytime I meet someone new or just a curious individual about the random foreigner wandering around I am asked why am I here and where I am from. Sometimes it turns into a short convo like the time I was stopped by curious police officers which made me nervous after the last time I was stopped by police in 2012 in St Louis, MO. They were kind and had all sorts of questions that boiled down to where was I going and why was I walking in the heat.

Sometimes people ask if I am from the one African country they have heard of or have friends/relatives there. So far I have gotten: Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa (most often), Tanzania, Burundi and most recently Somalia. Sometimes my hair is also a topic for conversation. Having dread locks I noticed it is not common here. I did meet one Indian with dreads in Hyderabad and had him neaten my locks when they reached a dastardly state. In Mumbai I saw a few Indians with dreadlocks. A kid in Aparna said I look West Indian because of my dreadlocks. Other questions I've gotten are what is my currency, do I have any on hand and who is my president. When I answer USD and Obama they looked shocked. I'd say Goodluck Jonathan but I have never voted in Nigeria and as a good citizen I did vote in last 2 American presidential elections.

 

Not all Blacks are from Africa but in my case I am one step removed from the continent with strong ties. I wonder how African Americans who are generational Americans feel when it is assumed they are straight from Africa.