Personal Narrative: My Identity As A Black In America

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My origins are in Togo, Africa. My family and I moved to the United States, mostly because my father was a political refugee. My dad was in exile for eight years because of his life was threatened by a dictator named Gnassingbe, Eyadema. We also moved to America to seek for better opportunities. The poverty level in Togo is one of the highest in Africa. Although my parents were not poor, the poverty within the country is something that affected everyone. Thus, we were also affected. The country lacked basic infrastructures such as universities, hospitals. Because of these conditions, after my dad gained asylum in the United States the rest of the family decided to move here with him. The United States that we pictured was the one shown on television. It was the lower west side of Manhattan. The conditions in Togo and the dreams of a better future made us to move to the United States.
“Nostalgia For the Future” by Charles Piot speaks about the conditions in Togo. Certain ideas expressed in the book explained many significant events that …show more content…
My experience was similar to the hotel workers in Deborah Thomas`s Walmart, Katrina, and other ideological tricks : Jamaican hotel workers in Michigan . When my family and I came into this country we thought that hard work was the only thing necessary for success . Thus, we believed that poor African Americans were not trying hard enough. We had no idea that we would be at the bottom of the food chain. My mother`s first job was as a cashier at a local store. She later became a nurse. My dad who was once the mayor of a city was forced to settle for a job as a translator. Even when they worked hard, they never got to the success that they had aimed for. We now know that there are factors,other than hard work, that play a part in being successful in America. Through reading the texts this semester, I formed a better understanding of my

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