Implications
From Gustav Mahler by Bruno Walter (New York: The Greystone press, 1973), pp. 157:
Many peculiar traits in Gustav Mahler’s life and work become clear and understandable once one realises that he was Austrian. The full implication of this simple fact hardly occurs to the minds of most commentators on Mahler. Because the concept of what “Austrianity” means is almost forgotten
Today’s post is more about posing questions than attempting to answer them. As if that’s any different from my previous posts — disclaimers is a post for another day. What caught my attention in the quoted passage above is the idea that to understand Mahler’s life and music, you need to delve into his background. His biographer, a friend and fellow composer, emphasised that the essential key was knowing that he was Austrian. This seemingly trivial detail held the secret to understanding Mahler’s life and work. This made me pause to think about how being Nigerian has shaped my values, interests, opinions, concerns, and mostly how I show up in the world. The pondering didn’t stop there; it made me wonder what does it actually mean to be Nigerian and what are the implications of being Nigerian? Being Austrian or Nigerian is an identity. Although we are mostly the same under the scalpel of a surgeon, there are traits or qualities that make us different from one another. Countries have their own set of values, cultures, aspirations, and temperament. Expose citizens of two different countries to the same scenario, and they would respond differently. One might take offence, while the other might not find the scenario offensive at all. In some cultures, the nipples are considered sexual, while in others, it's the ankles. These subtle difference can’t be swept under the rug in the name of standardisation. Don’t get me wrong, standardisation has its merits because of the efficiencies it generates. Identities in themselves can be empowering or disempowering. Take Mahler's life, for instance. Not only was Mahler Austrian, but he was also Jewish. In the 19th century, anti-Semitism was prevalent in Europe. Being Jewish often meant being barred from certain careers or the possibility of advancement in others. This meant that Mahler, a brilliant composer, couldn't receive the recognition or rewards his talent deserved. In 1897, Mahler made the difficult choice of converting to Catholicism. While there are other explanations for his conversion, such as evolving religious beliefs, we can't dismiss the idea that the former explanation holds some merit. Why did I use this example? Because it illustrates what identity implications mean. Your identity isn't just a label; it comes with certain consequences. Interestingly, identity implications can change over decades or centuries 🧊
What are the implications of being Nigerian or African? First, these are two separate questions with different answers, although there might be some overlap. Second, what it meant to be Nigerian in 1960 doesn't mean the same thing now. Meanings can transform, be negotiated, enforced, deformed, or even relinquished. Being Nigerian isn't just about geography, passports, or ethnicity. It's also about experiencing the 'wins' and enduring the sobs of being a citizen of a country. Some people choose to diversify their mental well-being (wins and sobs) by holding dual or multiple citizenships. Because if one particular country brings you more sobs than wins, why bother identifying as a citizen? The interesting thing about identity is that some identities allow you the possibility of muting and unmuting. You can't mute or unmute black skin, but you can mute and unmute nationality based on which one grants you greater access to opportunities. As usual, I'll use a Bible story as an example. In Matthew 26, a girl pointed out to others that Peter was a follower of Christ, a potentially dangerous association that could have led to his death, similar to what happened to Jesus. In response, Peter denied being a disciple of Christ. What Peter did there was mute his identity. He was happy being called a disciple of Christ when the going was smooth (miracles) but distanced himself from that association when Jesus was persecuted and eventually killed. You can’t fault Peter, not everyone is interested in drinking hemlock like Socrates. Socrates had the opportunity to run but he decided not to. I suppose our self-preservation instincts are different. Makes you wonder what would make you grudgingly accept to die. Who or what are you willing to die for? Honestly, at this point in my life, I can't think of anything I'd willingly sacrifice my life for. Does that make me purposeless? Who knows. Do I value life that much? I, like Mahler, “am thirsting for life more than ever and find the ‘habit of existence’ sweeter than ever” I know people say that changes when you have kids. I am actually looking forward to that. Now, back to my meanderings. Nigerians are sometimes known for being loud and obnoxious. We are also incredibly hospitable and exceptionally kind to strangers. We can be community-centric when we want to. We often refer to fellow Nigerians abroad as ‘my brother’ or ‘my sister,’ even when we're not biologically related. We are upbeat and tenacious. We are great at things we apply ourselves to and that also includes nefarious activities. We have our hands in different pies, so if something usually negative, is happening, people often assume that a Nigerian has something to do with it. 🥗
When citizens of other countries commit crimes, they often falsely claim to be Nigerians. I once watched a porn clip in which the performers claimed to be Nigerians, and I couldn't help but laugh because they clearly weren't. Their attempts at mimicking the accent only made it funnier. I found myself thinking, ‘When did sex become such a bad thing?’ Instead of enjoying what I had set out to do, the clip turned into something equivalent to a joke. What fills me with pride about being Nigerian is our tenacity which often makes us come off as being offensively self-assured. A belief that we will not be bullied and we will not back down. What doesn’t give me as much pride is our image around the globe. Which sometimes results in Nigerians being treated a certain way. Our reputation has been partially earned by some of our actions. But I bask in the knowledge that reputation is a malleable thing and it is currently being negotiated and revised as the years go by. Nigeria's entertainment industry, despite lack of government support, is playing a key role in reshaping that image. Please! Please! understand that I am not underrating the valuable contributions of highly competent Nigerian professionals in other industries around the globe. This isn’t dissimilar to what happened in the U.S when black people had limited access to opportunities. Entertainment served as the Trojan horse. There were and still are black-owned media businesses, sports enterprises, record labels, fashion companies, and more. From these base, many black business execs who made money from those spaces were able to diversify into other industries. Anyway, since I was little, I made a promise to myself that I would never hold citizenship in another country. Well, that younger version of me was a bit naive because it had no idea how difficult it would be to obtain visas for the places I wanted to visit. I still haven't acquired another citizenship, although many people have advised me to do so. Let me state this unequivocally: that will NEVER happen. Trust me, there have been many times in my life when I was tempted to reconsider that stance, but something in my mind always tells me not to. When were these times, you might ask? Well, they occurred when I was going through customs, applying for visas, facing prejudices in my interactions with others, being condescended to, and the list goes on. I forgot to mention that Nigerians are also wary of one another. Why? I have no idea. Have there been times when I muted my nationality? Of course. Did I regret it? Well, like Peter, I felt intense sorrow and remorse afterward. Will I mute it in the future? Well, that possibility is declining by the minute as I continue to accept the wins and sobs of my motherland. 🌶️
Thanks for reading. If there's anything you'd like to chat about, or if you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email. I'd love to hear from you. :)