In the article Decolonization of the Mind the writer speaks of the injustice that is not only colonization of Africa, but also the natives own minds. The people of Africa are facing injustice, they are being forced to learn European languages, and having to learn how to express themselves in this foreign language. The idea of African people speaking in a foreign lanugauge can be expressed as betraying the "mother tongue" as the writer says.
I find it to be a sad fact of life that the African people have to learn the languages of Europe and have to adopt their own language such as African English. Sadly, this is what has happened, and this will continue to happen throughout the world. Nations of greater influence force others to adapt to their desires. I am being wishful in thinking when I say that maybe the African people will not lose parts of their history during this, but most likely they will to a certain degree just as the American Indian population have lost some of their rich history.
To an extent this bares a resemblance to the the American people of the times of great migrations. During these times the people would worry about being over run by immigrants and the language they spoke. The people of Africa appear to think in a similar manner that the outsiders will overrun them, and mask their heritage. Obviously, there is solid grounds for the people to worry, but how are the people who are immigrating to Africa actually acting towards the African natives? Are all of the immigrants disrespectful, or are some of them more respectful then the ones who are giving the other immigrants a bad reputation? Lastly, what can we really even do to help the African people?
You ask some very interesting questions here that many people are concerned about. I never really though about making a parallel between the immigration issues in the US and thinking of the colonial presence in Africa as such an immigration issue. Certainly, these days it is much more complicated, but it is more similar now than, perhaps, it was in the early 20th century. Back then the power distributions were a little different. Your final question is one that is hotly debated in Africa: how much foreign aid is really helpful? Is foreign aid actually destructive? What is the role of foreign corporations in the problems of Africa?
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