Editor,I FIND the tone of this article to be especially condescending and equally hurtful. I have absolutely nothing to prove to anybody, including the writer.My child has African names because she was born in Africa to African parents. Why has it to be one’s concern what kind of hairstyle they have, what kind of decor one has in their home or the type of materials they’re wearing?We should ask what we are doing to support the work of local/Rwandan artists. Here’s what I don’t get: why some people feel the need to constantly remind others that they “don’t know their culture”? Why not embrace those you think are “disconnected” and help them to reconnect if that’s what they desire?Do you know what it’s like to grow up as an African in a foreign land and always feel like an outcast even though you probably speak the language better than the natives? Do you know what it’s like to move back home and have your own people still treat you like an outcast because you grew up abroad and since coming home have embraced your culture in daily lifestyle?Embracing my culture is not a fad or a trend, it is my birthright.Jazzy, Rwanda Reaction to the story, Back to our roots: Why more Rwandans are embracing afro-centrism (The New Times, January 17)
