I grew up as a third culture kid – a term that describes children who spend a significant part of their formative years in another culture that is different from that of their parents. This experience gives us a blend of culture that can be rewarding and challenging in equal parts.
My experiences growing up in multicultural settings and attending international schools with other third culture kids has influenced my life.
I grew up in countries as diverse as Australia, Turkey, Russia and Ethiopia. When I was younger, I experienced a kind of loss of identity. I couldn’t connect with my Nigerian background. I didn’t know much about my home country and, due to attending American, British and international schools, I didn’t really have an accent. People would say ‘You sound American’ or ‘ I just can’t pick up where you are from.’
In environments where I was either ‘the only Black face ‘ or the ‘only African’, I learnt to adapt. My father played a great role in developing my confidence. He told me that I didn’t have to be like anyone; I should be myself and others would adapt. That was the motivation I needed to be my own person – a unique blend of all the cultures I grew up with.
Growing up in multicultural environments has made me adaptable, with tremendous cultural awareness. I have the ability to connect quickly with people from different and diverse backgrounds. I am open to change, flexible in the face of uncertainty and make friends easily. I love tasting different culinary experiences. I have an appreciation of diverse music and dance. And I have developed a genuine love of people.
In a world that thrives on ‘othering’ and fear-mongering about how difference means ‘bad’ or ‘negative’, I would like to be one of the few voices that promote and celebrate the beauty of interculturalism and multiculturalism.
Whether we like it or not, the world is a global village. Access to technology through social media, the work of influencers, travel, work and schooling has opened up countries to others. Children in Africa or Asia are exposed to the lifestyle in the West. Aggressive marketing campaigns paint a picture of heaven on earth.
Tourism has opened up opportunities for travel and visits to places that would normally exist in history books or encyclopedias. Remote working has opened up opportunities to work and travel internationally. With international travel on the rise, the freedom to live, work, study and invest across boundaries has opened a vista of endless possibilities.
Scotland is, or has become, a multicultural society. This multiculturalism may come with some challenges in terms of integration. However, the rewards far outweigh them. When I walk through Glasgow City Centre and I see people that look like me and those that don’t – from different cultures, races and ethnicities – I feel comfortable and proud.
It gives me so much hope that amid the negative media around immigration, there is the beauty that surrounds us. In restaurants, you can find Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Italian and African cuisine. When I walk into shops, it’s exhilarating to hear Afrobeats that make me shake my hips and Arabic music that makes me wiggle my waist.
Shopping for different food at Alfa Warehouse, Grace African Shop and Ryan Turkish shop has led me to explore other cuisines by trying out stuff. My children love mac and cheese, fish and chips and school dinners while I enjoy a Scottish breakfast.
Having lived in other countries, I found my heart in Scotland. The people, the culture and the history resonated with my heart and soul. I feel at home here more than any other place. In another life, I guess I was Scottish!
My first trip to Scotland was in Edinburgh, where I was on a work placement at the British Council Edinburgh and came to supervise a team of young Nigerian volunteers under the Global Xchange programme, where 12 young British and 12 young Nigerian youth were paired up for nine months in both locations. I fell in love with Princes Street and knew I would come back. There is this vibe as you walk down the street, visit the castles and museums. The opportunity came when I was awarded a Chevening Scholarship to study at the University of Aberdeen. We had an amazing landlord in one of the places we lived who took us out and about, telling us about the history and taking us round the places he grew up in. Driving round the glens and walking in the countryside lifted my soul and my spirits. That relationship has lasted and expanded with all our families.
When I returned to Nigeria, I knew that I had left my heart behind and so I returned for further studies as a self-funded student at the University of Glasgow. Though I live in Glasgow, I go to Aberdeen often as we have friends who are now turned family there.
My love for community development has led me to my passion of working with groups and charities, promoting intercultural dialogue and understanding through volunteering with amazing groups like Kairos Women’s +, Pachedu, Sharpenher and the Scottish Ethnic Minority Women’s Network. I cannot forget the amazing people of North Lanarkshire, where I currently work, who have welcomed me and made me feel at home.
As my children grow up in this beautiful country, I pray that they do not face the same challenges we faced as first-generation immigrants. It is my heartfelt wish that they are accepted as the young Scots that they are. I hope that the rhetoric of racism, discrimination and ‘othering’ is confined to history books and that their contributions to the community are celebrated and accepted as the norm.
We need to build communities that are strong, resilient and welcoming. We need to harness the potential of everyone who calls Scotland home. We need to learn to respect our differences and promote mutual respect and understanding of our various cultures. We need to show our children the beauty that is in diversity, starting from food, music, art and fashion. We need to share that being different is not a bad thing. We need to share that you can be yourself and still be loved and accepted for who you are. Because irrespective of race, ethnicity, language or colour, we are all part of the human race.
A better world is indeed possible for all.
This article was written for The Scottish Beacon through a partnership with Pass The Mic Scotland.
