My name is Prince Amoateng. I am a part of the Alliance. I was born in Ontario, Canada. My parents immigrated from Kumasi, Ghana, also known as “The Golden Coast”. Kumasi is home to the Ashanti tribe which is famous for their craftsmanship and their vibrant traditional clothing Kente. In 1987, they made the choice to move on to find green pastures in Canada. Life in Canada was a better option for my parents because they believed opportunities in the West would greatly benefit their children. Many adjustments had to be made to their lives, but they persevered.
Growing up was not easy for myself or my siblings. We were first generations which meant our schooling and social interactions were “Westernized” and therefore varied from our parents. At times I felt split between two lives: my Canadian one and my Ghanaian heritage. The split between the two was a lot to deal with at a young age as I felt I was at war with myself trying to choose an identity. In Elementary school, I remember skipping lunch because my peers made me feel ashamed of the cultural foods my mom use to pack me for lunch. I now recognize these actions as micro aggressions directed at my African diaspora. Today, I continue to embrace my own identity and culture by trying to cook Ghanaian dishes such as Jollof, Fufu, and Waakye.
Although I am proud of my identity, as I entered my late teenage years, I recognized as Black person, I am still expected to perform different identities depending on the social interaction. This is known as code-switching and every black person especially as children have learned to do this action in order to seem “less threatening”. Code Switching is embedded in racial discourse and is one of the many social injustice issues that need to be brought to light.
This is one of the reasons why I joined Alliance. To support the education of others and furthering my own education on issues that affect the black community and the world. Education creates the opportunity for allyship amongst all.
To connect with Prince please email
alliance@uwaterloo.ca
