stillmatic_01
New member
Huruma said:Why should a Yoruba from Nigeria identify with an Igbo speaking Nigerian over another Yoruba from Benin? I understand why some Africans resent being lumped into the same category, since no one lumps Germans in with Italians or criticizes them for being 'tribalistic' when they don't identify as European first/foremost
Well it doesn't matter to me as I don't belong to any of those groups mentioned. But I would say it's more logical for a Yoruba from Nigeria to identify with an Igbo from Nigeria before there fellow ethnic group in another country because they are both citizens of the same country. But everyone is not a nationalist so I can understand if someone thinks otherwise.
Huruma said:but identifying as 'Ghanaian' or 'Congolese' makes less sense than identifying with the region as a whole, in my opinion.
No it doesn't.
Here's the thing as far as racial identification I agree with you in that West Africans are genetically connected through the E1B1A paternal marker we share (common ancestor) so on a physical/biological level we are similar. BUT you have to take into consideration the independent nations histories. We are nation-states now and that is the primary identification.
I can't speak on Congo as I am not Congolese but in the case of Ghana, the various ethnic groups & tribes have had relations and intermingling with each other prior to the European coming onto the scene. Every ethnic group that is part of modern day Ghana chose to be a part of Ghana. That is why you don't see ethnic seccesionist movements or rebel groups claiming to be dissatisfied and wanting out like you see that in Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Sudan to name a few.
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