By Tolu Salako
Editorial Page Editor
“You are a Nigerian Tolu. Never forget that.”
That phrase has been repeated countless times since I ever stepped foot in the Lone Star State in third grade. I did not understand why I could not attend sleepovers, why I could not participate in the activities like my friends or why I always seemed like I had the overbearing and strict parents.
“We are Nigerians, Tolu. Never forget that.”
It was not until my sophomore year of high school that I fully understood why my parents were so adamant about drilling that phrase into my head.
At one point I was embarrassed of being Nigerian, I called myself a full American because I wanted to fit in and be like my friends. Being American was “cool” compared to being Nigerian. I was scared of being deemed that “weird, foreign kid” in a third grade American classroom
With the crumbling British-adopted educational system (which my parents benefited from) in Nigeria in the 1970s, they wanted their children to have a better education and never took any opportunity for granted. With an outstanding educational system and unparalleled freedom, the possibilities are endless here in America.
“Living in America is a privilege,” they said.
I was not born in Nigeria in the 1960s, but my parents’ stories motivate me to do something more with my life. Being the first generation to receive my schooling in America in my immediate family, it gives me even more motivation to strive to do my best. My parents went through so much in order for me to have a better education.
It is uncommon for a student in Nigeria to be on an amazing newspaper staff and a competitive figure skater, but my parents worked so hard for me to live the American lifestyle having the same Nigerian values.
Looking back, I remember how stupid I was for wanting to be an American so badly. No matter how I tried, or do try, I will always be a Nigerian and will never 100 percent fit into the American society and culture. I am not saying that I deem the Nigerian culture as better than the American. I am saying that I should not be ashamed of being a minority in a country of opportunities. However I am no longer jealous of those who were fortunate enough to have a long line of relatives schooling in America: I am the first generation. I am a Nigerian, and I will never forget that.
