PASSING DOWN IDENTITY

While growing up, every year, my parents ensured that, at Christmas, the entire family traveled down to the village to be with the larger family and to experience our way of life.

Image is mine

Culture, as they say, is simply the way of life of a people. It encompasses but is mot limited to our language, food, songs, greetings, names, dressing, dance, and tradition. It is our identity. That one piece makes us stand out from others.

Growing in the southern part of the country, living amongst people, who although have my people as a part of them, yet comprises of diverse groups from different ethnicity didn't do much good for me and my siblings to learn our roots. So, my parents made sure we traveled and socialized and learned our ways. I loved it every time.

I am Igbo, and I love it for me very much. I understand a lot of the ways of our people, and although I find myself contesting some of our ways, I still value what we have.

As a kid, I dimt exactly grow up loving our local music, but now, you don't want to see my Playlist. There's just a sense of belonging and pride that I feel towards them. It's in the way that I could easily relate. It's in the same way that I appreciate native names and would address anyone by their native, rather than English names. it's just me.

I think that from the early stages, kids should be taught and made to embrace their roots rather than that of the English people. While they're taught to embrace the good that is introduced by them, it's also imperative that they always remember, hold fast, and not lose sight of who they are and where they come from. It's all of these things that make us different and unique yet one people.

I really wished that I had learned to speak my language early enough. I feel this happiess whenever I see kids who can and always, I appreciate parents in diaspora who put in the work to make sure that their kids are taught to. Kids need to know from where they come. They need to understand their foundation and learn how far things have evolved. There are two sides(negative and positive) to cultures, and even those should be explained oto. It shapes their sense of self and hives them an identity to roll with.

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Greetings!