SE2/EP 19: Let's have that conversation: African immigrant parents & their children Pt. 2

In the second part of this ongoing conversation within our community, the speakers of this event are young men and women who volunteer to discuss growing up in America as a child of an African immigrant. There were six presenters whose parents migrated from different parts of Africa. The presenters include Gloria Mesa - Drc congo 🇨🇩, Nyemade Boiwu - Liberia 🇱🇷, Ousmane Diallo - Guinea 🇬🇳, Follyvi Dosso - Togo 🇹🇬, Anuoluwapo Ebiesuwa -Nigeria 🇳🇬 and Baaba Abaka-Yankson - Ghana 🇬🇭. The speakers were open and generous in sharing their experiences. They talked about the benefits and the challenges of growing up in an immigrant home and balancing between the two worlds or two heritage-blackness in America & African heritage. The topics for discussion were similar to those presented during the parents’ forum. Dr. Kelechi Ibe Lamberts said that up to 80 people signed up and attended the event, indicating that discussions such as this are much needed in our community. Dr. Kelechi Ibe Lamberts of My Black is Translational was the moderator of the conversation. Mr. Abdoulaye Cisse of BABA coordinated the chart conversation and other technical supports. I gave a closing statement, and I was very grateful to the young men and women who presented. I admired our speakers’ openness in sharing their stories in many areas regarding their struggles relating to identities, mental health, domestic violence, family relationship, balancing between two worlds of their African heritage and blackness in America, and many more. Vulnerability is a strength, and our young men and women of our community demonstrated this throughout the dialogue.  The focus of the second series is discussing their experience as children of an African immigrant in America, which relates to the benefits and challenges of growing up in an immigrant home. The discussion additionally focuses on the challenges our panelists see their African immigrant parents go through and how they think it impacts the value systems they instilled in their children. They talked about their individual favorable childhood experiences and what they would have liked to change in their upbringing. They further discussed their relationship with their parents and whether we feel comfortable or uncomfortable discussing our innermost feelings with their parents or adults in our lives. Please stay tuned for part 3, which is the final dialogue. All parties would come together and further our conversation as we learn from each other.