Family
From The Peopling of New York City
Family Life
A key aspect of African immigrant life is rooted within family. Family is their closest source to their homeland, people who they can openly interact with and keep the traditions of their past alive in their new home. Family is the main component of a community. A families close ties with one another greatly assists in the process of assimilation into their new country because it gives them a stabilizing factor of love and support while the rest of their lives are changing in an attempt to adapt to their new culture.
An African immigrant family is a very close-knit group. It usually consists of more than just their immediate family, many times consisting of their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins as well. The reason for this is to give the immigrant a larger support group. If one of the family members is having difficulty adjusting to their new surroundings, it will be the other members of the family to go out and pick up the slack of their family member. Having a larger family also provides for a greater amount of socialization. The larger their family is, the more they can interact with each other and other people in their community that are in the same situation as they are, assimilating into a new area with only their family as their main source of socialization.
Another main reason for such tight family circles among African immigrants is to help raise children. When young children are being raised in the family's new country, the family comes together to assist in the upbringing of the child. This is done for many reasons. Most importantly, it is done so that the child establishes a strong sense of family towards the people around him, but it is also done to instill the traditions of their homeland to the child, as well as helping him to socialize and assimilate into the new culture with greater ease.
Modernization and assimilation have taken tolls of the family circle. They have forced families to begin to separate and have a lack of social bonding because they are too busy working trying to make ends meet. These families usually consist of poor families who either contain only a single parent of elderly ancestors. While it is a struggle to keep their family close together, many African immigrants make family the most important section of their life, in which they attempt to dedicate the majority of their free-time to spending it with them.
Family structure is the most important aspect in the lives of these African immigrants. It gives them a strong support group and helps them to assimilate into their new home without being forced to surrender the traditions of their native land. Without these tight, close-knit families, most African immigrants would suffer tremendously in their attempt to adjust to the new country.
Interview with Olumide Akindutire
Here is an interview with a colleague of mine, Olumide Akindutire, who is of African descent and can give us an insight into the close family ties that African immigrants have. The past interviews were with successful established individuals who have experienced a adequate time back in their home countries. By interviewing Olu, we were able to recieve a more contemporary outlook on the take of being a more recent. Times are changing rapidly and and cultures are clashing, so the best way to understand and the importance and signifance of family life is to communicate with those who appreciates their culture and can shed some light on the benefits and necessities of family.
Suren: Where were you born?
Olu: I was born in Lagos, Nigeria on March 25, 1990.
Suren: At what age did you immigrate here?
Olu: I actually came here when I was 6 years old with my father. My mother, my sister, and my younger brother came here before I did. We all stayed at my cousin’s house for 5 months till we moved into our own house.
Suren: Why did your parents want to come to New York?
Olu: Well, since I already had relatives here I guess it was a reason to come here. My parents heard about the opportunities available and decided to act on it.
Suren: What were their occupations back home? What are they now?
Olu: My father was a doctor and my mother was a teacher back in Nigeria. Here, my father is a teacher and my mom is a housewife.
Suren: What do you believe was that hardest thing for you and your family to adapt here?
Olu: It sounds funny, but I think the really only thing that posed, as a problem was the food. Nothing else really stood out as a problem.
Suren: Do you think you would have been raised differently if you were still in Nigeria?
Olu: No, because things are so similar from here and back in Nigeria. Its something that a lot of people do not realize. Nigera has been developing both culturally and structurally and American customs have been increasingly accommodated in Nigerian cuture.
Suren: Explain your social life here in America compared to back home, what freedoms, responsibilities, expectations are there?
Olu: Well being in high school and all I would have had more freedom in Nigeria, seems weird but when I talk to cousins back home and listen to the stuff they tell me seems like they have more freedoms. But I loved my high school experience and miss it. Especially all the pranks you and I pulled. The responsibilities would be the same as any other guy my age. Expectations are to get a good education and become successful. Someone thought that I was supposed to get a job and provide for the family because I’m the oldest son. That was the case maybe years ago but certainly not in our day and age.
Suren: Can you give us some insight on the value of family in your life and community?
Olu: I don't know where I would be without my family. All their guidance and support has made me what I am today. She is my hero for all the sacrifces she's made for me is incredible. We could have stayed in Nigeria and lived comfortably but she wanted a better life for me and my siblings. Family is important because it helps us retain our African identity. My parents instill a sense of pride of our xulture and that is very important being far from home. In adition with church, the whole community can be seen as an extended community that is always there to lend a helping hand.
Suren: What church do you attend? What role does it have in your life, family’s life, and your community?
Olu: I attend the International Christian Center (ICC). It is a very diverse church with many different races present. The church is one of the most important aspects of my life. Our family attends church every Sunday and sometimes takes part in Friday youth activities. Church is a way to express ourselves. Letting out our fears and rejoices and just being able to pray and surround yourself with people who you can connect with is a great thing. I credit everything that happens in my life to the Lord. Religion keeps our family and community ties and strong. They become even stronger in times of despair and I think that is the sign of true community.