SE3/EP 25: Conversation with Itoro Bassey a storyteller, journalist and author of a new fiction “Faith”

Primary goal:Educational Keywords:African immigrant, identity, culture, Faith novel, Nigerian American, diaspora, intergenerational trauma, community, storytellingKey topics:Dual identity and cultural navigationImpact of upbringing in predominantly white neighborhoodsThe significance of faith and heritageIntergenerational trauma and communicationThe role of community and storytelling in identity Sound bites:"We need to listen to our children more""Failure is part of growth and success""Storytelling can bring us back home"Chapters00:00 Introduction to the African Immigrant Experience01:50 Itoro Bassi's Background and Education04:05 Growing Up in a Predominantly White Neighborhood06:51 The Role of Nigerian Culture and Food11:05 Navigating School and Peer Pressure14:50 Parenting, Communication, and Cultural Silence19:05 Living in Nigeria and the Diaspora22:47 Challenges of Identity and Belonging27:00 College Experience and Cultural Integration29:46 Reflections on Moving to Nigeria33:54 The Inspiration Behind 'Faith' and Its Themes39:07 Intergenerational Trauma and Cultural Legacy43:01 The Future of African Immigrant StoriesSummary:A few months ago, I received an email from May Davis, the marketing manager at Malarkey Books, who reached out to me about new author Itoro Bassey and her new publication Faith. Even though I was not aware of the book or read the book, she provided me with a synopsis of the book, and upon my review of the abstract, the “Faith” storyline relates to the many discussions on the Pánsá Pánsá forum. I could not resist but to invite Itoro Bassey to my platform to have a conversation about the book, her experience growing up in an immigrant home, her college life, and her decision to relocate to Nigeria.Itoro Bassey is a Nigerian-American writer, journalist, and storyteller. She was born in Houston, Texas, and raised in New England. She has received writing fellowships at the Vermont Studio Center, the San Francisco Writers Grotto, and The Edward Albee Foundation, among others. Her short story, To the Children Growing Up in the Aftermath of Their Parents’ War, won third place in the Glimmer Train Short Fiction Award. Some of her famous pieces of writing are ⁠Running⁠, ⁠Anti-Blackness and the African Immigrant⁠, and ⁠A Visitor in My Homelands. ⁠Faith is a coming-of-age tale about Arit Essien, a first-generation Nigerian-American woman born and raised in the U.S. who resettles in Nigeria. The novel reflects four generations of women riff on ideas of faith, expectation, identity, and independence. It's a heartbreaking conversation between the dead and the living, the past and the present, and a young woman struggling to find her place in it all.As we dive into conversation on “Faith” we discussed previous essays written by Bassey, including Running, Anti-blackness and the African immigrant and A visitor in my homeland. The articles emphasize trying to balance between two worlds of identity as a daughter of Nigerian immigrant on the immigrant experience and black identity in America and being seen as different or an outsider to those in Nigerian a place she calls home. She discussed how these essays inspired her to write “Faith”. We also talked about how Faith may also reflect on intergenerational trauma focusing on the mother and daughter’s relationship during the dialogue. As I said during our, when the traumatic experience of a parent is not recognized and addressed, it could be passed to the next generation. Sometimes traumatic experiences could lead to imposing rigid cultural values or religious values or implementing a toxic belief that “failure is not an option” could be rooted in the family foundation. resources Resources:Faith by Itoro Bassi - https://www.amazon.com/Faith-Itoro-Bassi/dp/XXXXXXPansa Pansa Forum - https://pansapansa.orgItoro Bassi on Twitter - https://twitter.com/etoroflowerMalarkey Books - https://malarkeybooks.com