by Jason-Lee from Namibia
I am a volunteer from Namibia a country situated in the continent Africa. 2024/25 I am doing my volunteers year in Germany Dortmund. In my year I have experienced a lot of questioning of me being from the continent Africa because for many people it was a great shock to hear I am from Africa.
So usually, I introduced myself mostly in English or sometimes in German and people would always ask me where are you from? Then my answer is Namibia. Some people ask where is Namibia and some say: isn’t that in Africa?.
As always, I answer with proudness, yes! I am from Africa. The reaction from people I get is spontaneously shocking and then following questions follows, I am too white for Africa, or is that my real hair and not implants and also if they can feel my hair; some say my teeth is also too beautiful and white and the usual question is does Africa or Namibia also have white people but the best part is the complements I get that I look like a Latino or someone from America.
For me this not racist because people from other continents don’t really know about Africa and its people and the whole history behind it. It is interesting having these questions and I love explaining to them about Africa.
Let me tell you about Africa in short. Africa is a continent with 54 countries, also the second biggest continent in the world. With over 3,000 different ethnic groups and more than 2,100 different languages spoken, Africa is a melting pot of diversity. Each ethnic group in Africa has its own unique culture, traditions, language, and way of life. Africa has approximately 5-6 Million white people and 980 million black people.
Namibia my birth country was colonized by Germany and that’s why we also have German as a language and German schools, buildings, streets, businesses, foods, people and cities. What is so wonderful is the language Afrikaans that sounds Dutch and a little German. But as a Namibian in Germany I was never rejected and discriminated or anyone being racist at me, they rather apologize to me for what happened in the past and I respond that’s history we forgive and forget and move on.
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