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Liberia: Back to Africa
Sep 25, 2006
by Wayetu Moore / Contributing Writer
The cultural identity of "Third Culture Kids" is often times unclear.
Her eyes trail off to a place unreachable to the time, place, and people around her. The unreachable place consumes her daydreams, leaving room for only the crack of a smile as her absence from reality is realized. She visits this place when she greets her brothers and sisters once a year at reunions, hoping that their laughter will be enough to carry her all the way. She can go only in her dreams to what now lingers in her memories: home.
Henrietta Robinson, a teacher and child psychiatrist displaced in America from the Liberian war of 20 years is one of many Liberian Americans in the Washington Metro area in the capitol city of America. "This is where I call home," Robinson stated with smiles. Robinson, a home-owner in the Upper Marlboro area of Maryland, USA successfully raised two children in the affluent suburb, a son that is a recent Master's graduate from Towson University, and a daughter that attends the University of Maryland at Eastern Shore. "All of their friends are here, all of my friends are here," Robinson continued intently, "it would almost make no sense to go back now considering the uncertainty of things over there."
The recent elections in Liberia have given hopes of reconstruction and rebirth to Liberian citizens at home and abroad. Among the issues on Johnson-Sirleaf's presidential agenda is the question of successful Liberians like Henrietta Robinson that live abroad, and her plea for them to return to the country. In an interview on May 6, 2006 with The Perspective Magazine, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf stated, "Human resources may be scattered around the world, but we want to and we can create the environment to bring them back home, to participate in the rebuilding of our nation." Though a sincere and seemingly effortless mission, and one that appears to be dependent only on the will of the displaced citizens, a mass return "back to Africa" for Liberian-Americans may actually prove a difficult task, and destructive to the country in light of its current state.
"You can't just ask people to pick up and move when their foundation is already built," Robinson insists, "it's unreasonable. We love Liberia and we miss the country that she used to be, but a return would not only be dangerous, but would make no sense."
Robinson's sentiments are shared by most Liberians in America because of the history of the war-torn country. When the American Colonization Society commissioned Joseph Jenkins Roberts and the other former slaves to settle in and develop Liberia, the colonials were met with very hostile, and understandably frustrated natives. The remnants of that same frustration catalyzed many of Liberia's social and political conflicts, and even served as a subtext for the twenty year war that the country is now recovering from. Robinson and her generation are held back by the prospect of being caught in another war, and most importantly, by the possibility of being political targets in the war. Upon return, alike the former slaves, the Liberian-Americans would have more capital, experience, and technological advancement to begin businesses. Because of the monetary and technological disadvantage that most Native Liberians have due to the war, Liberian-Americans may considerably feel more comfortable hiring the Liberians that have spent a significant amount of time in America and are acclimated to Western technology and business. This would cause unrest to the Liberians that remained in the country during the war because they are the individuals that are desperate for household income, and they make up the mass that need work now.
The proposal also becomes very complex because most Liberians abroad have begun families and have children that have fully assimilated to American culture. Although Robinson's children are both adult, and they both plan on frequent visits to the country after obtaining financial independence, neither, Robinson claims, are interested in a permanent move back to the devastated country. When asked the question directly, Robinson initially laughed loudly, explaining the reality of the situation through her humor. "Sure they would visit," she said still smiling, "but people don't voluntarily move to places where they will be seen as strangers. I wouldn't ask them to." When asked if she would consider making the move without her children, Robinson sighed. "I thought about it, and I've concluded that I cannot. I want nothing more than to see my grandchildren grow." Though Liberia is home to many American and British citizens, like the Robinsons' situation, it is not home to entire families. Liberian missionary Ruth Ellen Van Reken conducted a related research with Dr. David Pollock in a book entitled "Third Culture Kid". The study explores the phenomenon of a child between cultures. The book states that:
A Third Culture Kid (TCK) is an individual who, having spent a significant part of the developmental years in a culture other than the parents'
culture, develops a sense of relationship to all of the cultures while not having full ownership in any.
Though Liberian TCKs have understanding of Liberian English, and a familiarity with the food and customs, they still, according to Van Reken's definition do not have full ownership of the Liberian culture as their parents do. The parents, therefore, in an effort to protect their children and cater to their comfort and social and academic development, will face the difficulty of deciding whether or not to return home. It is a choice then of the parents or the children, a choice that may cause separation to some families, leaving members scattered all over the globe.
Robinson's solution in light of the quandaries just listed is to simply wait.
"There's no rush," she said, "if Liberia is as hopeful as Sirleaf claims, then we can take our time in going back. It will be worth the wait if she or any of us care for the country." The good news is that Liberian-Americans, if financially capable, can still invest in the country while in America. These investments will hopefully aid in the educational and medical setbacks that the country is now facing, and can serve as a progression towards bringing Liberia back to a competent and contemporary state. In doing so, the citizens will be capable enough to compete for jobs in the event that Robinson and other former Liberians return to the country to establish businesses. I agree with Sirleaf's statement that it is up to the global community to rebuild the country. Liberia is rich not only in resources and minerals, but culture and a fervent nationalism that exists intrinsically in every citizen. The plea is for all to consider, but so are the possible effects. "None of us, no matter where we are, want to see our country suffer more of what she has," Robinson finished, "so we will do everything in our power to see her whole again. We will just be smart about our actions." Robinson's question is the logic, the map, and the certainty of the daydream. She has established a fruitful career, a home, a network, friends, and two adult children in America. So which home holds her loyalty? Who knows?
The cultural identity of "Third Culture Kids" is often times unclear. |
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About the Author:
Wayetu Moore, is a published writer of the memoir entitled "These Legs Were Made For Walking." Moore attended New York University at the age of 17, after being accepted into the Tisch School of the Arts when only 16 years old. Moore worked as a model and off-broadway actress in New York before promoting her own writing, and exploring her possibilities in the literary field. Moore has written for The Liberian Times (www.TheLiberianTimes.com), BlackPlanet.com, The Liberian Analyst, a screenplay for actor Michael Wright of "The Five Heartbeats." Most notably, Moore has recieved acclaim for her production and direction of her original off-broadway play entitled "A Girl of Faith's" at the tender age of18. The play gained her recognition by The New York Times, Time Out New York, The Maxine Thomas Show, The Daily News, Today New York, and Essence Magazine. Moore recently began a literay magazine, The Coup Magazine, whose goal is the global unification of women of color through social awareness and political consciousness.
Wayetu Moore may be contacted at wayetu@gmail.com.
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