Living the Life of a Cultural Contrarian

People harbor views of ethnic populations, casting wide nets as they perceive certain groups as ambitious, smart, hard-working, and focused. Some Americans are consistent and vociferous proponents of this perspective.

Recently, angry conservatives joined forces to put a case before the Supreme Court, one that accused Harvard University of jettisoning Asian college applicants for individuals with darker skin hues, primarily descendants of Africans.

Which is hogwash.

Because descendants of Africans can be ambitious too, this is especially true of certain Nigerian Americans, an assortment of individuals who tend to be laser-focused on career, marriage, and upward mobility. As our children grow, the importance of acquiring education, financial security, and social status is stressed until the words are painted along the insides of their brains.

I was born in Denver, Colorado, but two Nigerian immigrants raised me. My parents were emblematic of the Nigerian immigrant status quo, focused on creating a family, obtaining citizenship, and improving their prospects.

In the eighties, as new immigrants, Mom and Dad encountered significant financial headwinds because their immigration status constrained their employment opportunities. Mom found work as a cleaning lady at a hotel and…