Ian’s Background and Interview
Ian is a class of 2026 sophomore at Macalester College. Hailing from Togo, he came to the US at age 16 to further his education and get closer to his goal of working in addiction medicine. Here are some insights from our conversation:
What led you to coming to the US?
Ian grew up in Togo’s capital city of Lome, living both within the urban environment, but also in its rural outskirts in varying parts of his childhood. He attended a private high school, where he excelled academically. Consequently, he was accepted into United World Colleges, (UWC) specifically the US campus which is located in Montezuma, New Mexico, prompting his move to the States. In addition to his scholastic achievements, Ian attributes this success to his personal background. His mother’s job at the Togolese school at which he studied allowed him to enroll at a lower cost, making him a cultural outsider when compared to the more affluent and in his words “stuck up” average attendee. Unsurprisingly, UWC saw Ian’s quiet, humble brilliance as a strength, and as of now he is the only student from his school to be accepted to the program.
What expectations did you have of the US?
Ian’s biggest assumption about the US was that he would experience cultural ignorance; unfortunately, he was proven right. General lack of knowledge of countries outside the US seemed to be the norm, with him regularly having to explain basic details of his country Togo. Interestingly, Ian noted how much of this unawareness came from children — shockingly, he was even asked once by a kid if he “rode a camel to school” back home. One could suppose this points to a larger problem in the American education system; while children on average are going to be less knowledgeable, US schools’ Americentrism could be a contributing factor.
Somewhat related were Ian’s expectations of high societal tensions when coming to this country. He arrived in 2020, a year which held the murder of George Floyd, the impeachment of President Trump, and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. While in Togo, he regularly consumed American internet media, supplementing his local Togolese news. Thus, he was aware of these political issues even as a fresh immigrant.
What are the different ways you have experienced racialization in the US and Togo? How do you feel as an African in this country?
In Ian’s experience, he felt the effects of racialization in Togo to be the reverse of the US. As a person of mixed descent, with one parent Togolese and the other Ukrainian, he was often viewed as white. In their eyes, the least bit of “whiteness” made him completely so. Inversely, in the US, he is very much considered Black, with the model here being that any “Blackness” makes one Black.
Ian also felt the differences between himself and Black Americans at UWC. He perceived this divide during a racist incident at the school; in the aftermath, although he felt hurt and disgusted at the event, he didn’t experience precisely the same pain found in the hearts of Black American students at this time. The damage, although palpable, felt less as a personal attacks towards him and his personal history. A similar trend can be found in his engagement with the community through The Nu Skool of Afrikan American thought in St. Paul, an organization which houses forums and lectures hosted by Black educators, activists, and scholars. He noted that he sees the difference between his experience and that of Black Americans, feeling his identity to be adjacent, but not identical to theirs.
When asked about connecting with the Togolese community in the Twin Cities and generally, Ian’s reaction was mixed. In addition to his degree of separation due to his mixed parentage, he also spoke of the weakened national identity of Togo. Although the country is made up of a number of ethnic groups, the Ewe language is the most widely spoken of the indigenous languages, due to its being artificially instilled by German missionaries. Thus, some amount of ethnic pride has been erased, as cultural homogeneity is imposed upon Togo’s people by Western influence. Ian describes the national mood as somewhat apathetic to the idea of Togolese pride; the main goals for most it seems are to make a decent living, and that often means leaving the country and immigrating elsewhere.
What are your hopes for the future? How have they changed during your time in the US?
Coming to the US, Ian’s primary goals have always been centered around education. Ian is currently a neuroscience major premed student, and is interested in pursuing addiction medicine in the future. In the States, he finds more opportunity and resources for a sophisticated scientific research experience. This is due not only to the greater availability of certain equipment and facilities, but also to the presence of experts in various fields. From the beginning, this goal to engage deeply with science has been a primary motivator in his immigration to the Twin Cities. However, during his time here, his educational interests have expanded to include furthering his knowledge of Black liberation, through Nu Skool and courses at Macalester. Ian said that although this topic was of minimal interest to him in Togo, where they held less personal relevance to him, in the States he has had a greater interest in the study of these racial issues.
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