Africa is blessed with cultural diversity. Most Africans are fluent in at least two or three languages. Unfortunately, a lot of us take this for granted. You rarely find Africans including their mother tongues or national languages in their CV’s and highlighting their bilingual abilities. We are proud of our culture but shy away when it is most important.
Western culture has inevitably infiltrated into Africa, and although it has its advantages, it also has its down side. Today, we are quick to promote western music and art, and sideline our traditions for fear of appearing primitive. Being African is no longer exotic. We want to walk, talk and act like the Americans and the British at the expense of our values and traditions. One being Nigeria’s 500-year-old dye tradition which is currently under threat.
After interacting with various Africans in Cardiff, I begun to realise the extend to which our ancestor’s traditions and tongues are becoming obsolete. The younger generation is not in touch with their cultural roots – and majority do not seem to care.
Bringing up African children in Wales must be a daunting task. Parents strive to find a balance between the Welsh and African culture so that their kids can relate with their peers, as well as get to know their roots and not forget where they have come from.
Having read Bill Bryson’s Mother tongue and the story of the English language, it became clear how language can evolve from its original form and completely change with time. How safe is African culture, its languages and tradition in this day and age? If the younger Afro-British generation does not care much about their roots, who will drive these cultural values into future generations?
To emphasise my point, I spoke to 15 different Africans around Cardiff from various age groups. They were originally from Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Congo and had lived in Cardiff for over 10 years. To get an idea of how much they were still in touch with their roots, I asked a very simple question: ‘Can you sing all the verses of your national anthem at the top of your head?’ Astonishingly, only 3/15 were confident and knew their national anthems by heart! In as much as these results do not speak for majority of Africans in Cardiff, they are an indicator of what is turning into a potentially dangerous trend.
If we forsake our language, how will our children relate with their grand parents and relatives who are not well versed in English? ‘What’s occurring‘ is definitely not an option. And considering the history behind our national anthems and the struggles our founding fathers went through just so we could recite those words, why are they beginning to lose value in our lives? We are slowly loosing touch with our mother land and should act now before it’s too late.
Bassey Ikpi, a renowned American poet talks about her divided cultures and the struggles she undergoes as an African woman living in America. My hope is that her words challenge you as they did me.
African News
AfroCarrdifians 
Watered down tongues
Africa is blessed with cultural diversity. Most Africans are fluent in at least two or three languages. Unfortunately, a lot of us take this for granted. You rarely find Africans including their mother tongues or national languages in their CV’s and highlighting their bilingual abilities. We are proud of our culture but shy away when it is most important.
Western culture has inevitably infiltrated into Africa, and although it has its advantages, it also has its down side. Today, we are quick to promote western music and art, and sideline our traditions for fear of appearing primitive. Being African is no longer exotic. We want to walk, talk and act like the Americans and the British at the expense of our values and traditions. One being Nigeria’s 500-year-old dye tradition which is currently under threat.
After interacting with various Africans in Cardiff, I begun to realise the extend to which our ancestor’s traditions and tongues are becoming obsolete. The younger generation is not in touch with their cultural roots – and majority do not seem to care.
Bringing up African children in Wales must be a daunting task. Parents strive to find a balance between the Welsh and African culture so that their kids can relate with their peers, as well as get to know their roots and not forget where they have come from.
Having read Bill Bryson’s Mother tongue and the story of the English language, it became clear how language can evolve from its original form and completely change with time. How safe is African culture, its languages and tradition in this day and age? If the younger Afro-British generation does not care much about their roots, who will drive these cultural values into future generations?
To emphasise my point, I spoke to 15 different Africans around Cardiff from various age groups. They were originally from Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Congo and had lived in Cardiff for over 10 years. To get an idea of how much they were still in touch with their roots, I asked a very simple question: ‘Can you sing all the verses of your national anthem at the top of your head?’ Astonishingly, only 3/15 were confident and knew their national anthems by heart! In as much as these results do not speak for majority of Africans in Cardiff, they are an indicator of what is turning into a potentially dangerous trend.
If we forsake our language, how will our children relate with their grand parents and relatives who are not well versed in English? ‘What’s occurring‘ is definitely not an option. And considering the history behind our national anthems and the struggles our founding fathers went through just so we could recite those words, why are they beginning to lose value in our lives? We are slowly loosing touch with our mother land and should act now before it’s too late.
Bassey Ikpi, a renowned American poet talks about her divided cultures and the struggles she undergoes as an African woman living in America. My hope is that her words challenge you as they did me.
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