i ‘The Dialectic between Diasporas and Homelands Elliott P. Skinner ELATIONS between people in diaspora thie ‘ances homelands age complex and fll of lscteal contradictions, Ft ere fs anger, Bt teens and remorse among the exles—and often among the people at hame—over the weaknesses that permitted the Gispersion to cecur. Second, there is conflict when the domsnan® hosts sitept fo jst the subordinate status ofthe exes, andthe ltr, fam, refuse fo acopt the status dust on them. Often the deminant {roups display contempt forthe homelands of thei victims, snd the [ater feel constrained fo defend the counties fom wich they or their sncestors cae. Tir there is often an acrimonious debate among the feces themsnves, and berween them and ther host and. ances onmunides, a6 1 whther the exes should rem f thee homelands ‘The ese area follows: Under what conditons ould ths return ak place, and what are te implicons for all concemed? Fourth, if turn does occur tore i fequerly a conflict betwoon the returnees and the resident populations, A corollary isthe issue of what effect a {eturn wil have on those exis sl inthe diaspora Last the various {roups of exiles, their hosts, and the people in the homelands face the Problem of wihst todo once the issues sing fom the dispersion have {iaen resolved This almost inevitable Beene human beings adept to slmost any conden In which they fd themselves, and they often eat change "The concept of diaspora, sometimes defined as gaiut—eile or bondage and as. gala relatively. sable commanty exe derives fom the historic experience ofthe Jewish people In many n12 THE AFRICAN DIASPORA respects, the plight ofthe poople of Alsican descent, especialy those in the New Wore i simile to that of the Jews, For analytic purpeses, and tested at length by F- Frenkin Frazer? and the "stanger” veloped by George Stamel and more recently elaborated an by ‘Wiliam Shack and Ello Slane" For a human being socal anima reqiring the ministration of ‘other human belngs™to be picked ray from te socket ito which her she was bom and sowsalived i auras It no wander the Jos {akon capive by Nebuchednersar sat down and wept by th waters of Tabylon when they remembered Zion. They ware as diconsolate as their forefathers who sere fale captive in Egypt and as thar subse ‘Teen generation eho would be taken cape Yo ASSya and, even Inter, ar those who were dispersed from Judea y the Romans. The ubylonian eles would not be comforted. They rehired to sing the lord's songs ina sange land and ssected Jeemiah’s soggestion that they adapt to conditions thee® Down through the centuries, the ows fies suffered booze their homeland was eughe up in the police and ware of major powers (Assyria, Habylon, Egypt, Persia, resce, Rome, Turley, and! Great Baia) and because of mltant ressianic movements suck a8 slam and the Crasedes that swept over the aren They were fore to work for alien tastes in distant lands ‘while their honsland was pndered and occupied "Those Aflene who were captured and shipped across either the Indian or Adantie ocean di not go que into slavery. West Aten fought valiantly against Antam Goncalves wh wished to ake hem to Portugal as cuor and slaves Subsequent captives fought against the loc oftheir freedom. The dave ships were seahng cauldrons of eval, fd eceasionaly slaves did seize ships and attempt to return to Attica. ‘When ths was imposible, many capives prefered death either by sartion or tortie, or downing The Alnicans to, ally refused f9 apt fo the new lands They had to be “bre” before they would rcpt the transalerating prooiss Known as "casoning” They 12 ‘old and ran away a5 often asthe opportunitisarosa® Tike the Jews, the Afscane were vel of powerful imperialism ‘Wester Buropean imperialism had ass major characteristic = lt ‘onguer and control foreign lands; a noed for commerce 1 fuel 8 Seveloping exptlis industrial system; and » creed that usted con- ‘ering pagan 0 Chrissaniy.”Afmexs misforsane was Oat did not ave natirrstate ructres, and although Islam provided some West ‘The Dish: Dinpore and Homelands 18 [Afscan rulers with 2 ztionale fr large-scale impedal conquests most (of Afric's pels were smal. Africa's other misfortune wat Sits ‘hanpower had achieved that level of agricultural, pastoral, and ene {ala that was nasded by the Europeans, who were ben on conquer ihe the New World and transforming i into psnttions and mane ‘Ruther, although hsiorane ae till debating how many persons di i {ac leave the continent, most parts of the Ameriasredved Alans Moraover, without the valor, kl, and ferity of these persons, it ‘would have been very dificult indeed for Europeans to subdue, ste, tnd develop the New World. African labor did much t feta the rise of industrial capitalism, nd with i European hegemony over the lobe? in marked contrast othe Alscans and Jews who were forbly taken into eal or disperse, the Indans, Chinese, and Ish expetited by ‘hoe before or during the recent clonal period becmuse of eppaling hardships at home. These people came frm soci with recognized {governments eventhough these goverment were often controlled Py Sutsider. Thus, members of thee dasporalike populations had legal in he international arena with whieh their hosts were forced to deal Moreover, they could return home when they had the money todo so or when conditions were proisous "Peoples in the diaspora devetop mye, rationalization, nd thoes to explain their plight In many ome these ides are reste to counter ‘explanations given by their enlavers or this countrymen slat home ‘The reat often a mas of aleteal eontadictons. For example, one rmojor difficulty the Jews faced in tei struggle for emancipation was the belief tha their ele and sufleing were ordained by thet god, ‘Yahwete According to ths bell, the Jews were the “chosen people of God” but having tansprssed his will they were scattered among the ans of the earth unt ther sins were expated. In the fllness of ‘Sine, a Messiah would come to crash the other ations of the eas, restore the eles to Zion, and reg forever. The problem Was hat the Jews didnot know arhen the rue Messiah sould come. Meanwhile, coven though in ele, they believed that they were cazrying out the ‘pec mission of God. Their ves Mad tp be exemplary, and they had #9 ‘rerio care when deling sith the goin, fori the end they had tobe Prepared to do God's bidding. Thy continued to extol the vistas of “lon and sing the praises of Jesus the Golden" “The dialectal twagedy for the Jevs was that the Gentiles who contoed the lands where the Jes lived and Isbore beeved that 2 Jew, Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and the san ofthe ving God. ‘The Chretans believed that they seer doing God's will by penalizing the Jove for seeing Jom the Messiah, They also believed that the14 THE AFRICAN DIASPORA “conversion of the Jows to Christianity and their return to Zion would hharald Chuets second coming, Meanwhile, the Christians considered the Jews as “erangers inthe land” ands “enemies within the gates” ‘They sngrgated them in ghettos retried their economic socal, and pelea actives; and placed them beyond the Pale This Jews and Grdtans wore locked inte a clectc in hich thy had tering views ‘of Jess the Jew eho ora ls the Carta the Creations. "Thee is no evidence thatthe early Aficane in the dispora devel coped any elaborate religious “oe thelr dispersal. Later, ‘Seon Afro-American preachers end at least one historian, theoszed that ‘he ode af some Alrcans was necessary forthe Tevenation, Chin ‘zation, and sociocultural development of Attica” Clearly these oss ‘derived ffom the Hebraic tadion. Most diaspora Aircars acknow felged a secular reason for thir helplssness—insufiient economic, ‘nity, and politcal power in Atrix. Some continental Afians, such a5 the King of Ashant, jusied slave tade a being necesary for the ‘conomic development of their countres Other monarch, such a the ‘Man-Congo, complained that military ane sconomic weakest led to the capture and eapor of their people In many. Aion wlages, the belt arose that thaw person sent Sway at slaves were to ambious, too bright to sebulious, or too wicked. Montel f thse “tere people” ad been kept a home, Aiea may not have been conquered Endcolonized by alien sacea "The white Chvstianenslavers ofthe Aftans developed biological cultural and biblical theories rationalizing their dead Asserting the Diotogial and cultural superiority of white over black, and invoking ‘and misinterpreting the bea stry ofthe sons of Noah white Chis tans insite thatthe Atcane—the sons of Ham-—seee ordained tobe servants to the whites, the sons of Jap, “Race” an “eulure” then ‘Sructally opposed backs and whites" ‘Africans inthe North American diaspora contested these bli. n 1778, one Otello who lived in Maryland, while denouncing the slave ime sn defending Aécan peoples, suggested thatthe table were tamed and African had crose the Alan seized American citizens, snd sold them as saves in Aftica, “every comme ofthe plbe would "evererate with the sound of Afican oppression Olaudah Equlano, se Affeanbor save, defending Aftcan, decared ‘he Alcan, ve tnd wen tsb Dale ake ‘sia nd sneer Notch eno elt pe ‘esr swperoty io apathy for wants and muchos of ene | | | I | | | | ‘The Dishtic Disprae and Homelands 15 wate nd ong! hem to aknowdge tht undentanding ot ‘ne Wo fue or nour ‘Afro-Americans, lke white Americans, also used the Bible = a ‘weapon inthe ideological struggle They ced Miriam's change of eslor ‘when she objected to Mosers mariage to an Edopian as proof that ‘whiteness was a mask of avine displeasure” Considering temsclves tks to the Hebrews in Egyptian captivity, some Afro-Americans sid, “Le ay people go” Charismatic lac lenders such st Denmask Vesey sand Nat Turner sought to destoy their oppreson etd 10 lead their people to freedom ‘idicled and discriminated against diagpor peoples have engaged their oppressors in » psychophysical Bote fo greater froafom. Over ene Inians, often vowel afte "morbid wane ofa wretches viza- tion” reminded ter detractors hat Indians invented important mathe Inatcl and linguistic concepts anc ul the incomparable Taj Mahal? The overseas Chinese wee often less assertive but never forgot eat their ancient vization dazzled such Wester barbarians as Maxo Polo2® Many lnsh plod the Beitsh for exusing the potso famine ‘Bat drove dha or thelr ancestors away ftom "the od od” Not mach fiven fo prising the gallantry of their old Grelie kings, the Tash fvollad Un virtues of teland and kept faith in St. Patrice alt 0 hulp defeat the Orangemen of St George Tnevitably the siglo of diaspora population to emancipate Sham. selves often et many of thet lender acocate a physical or pletua ‘turn to their ancestral Inds Uppermost in the mids of those who ‘wished to return was the sie to achieve tse human dignity to help for liberate ther home community; and By extension to aid ther ‘compatriots stil nthe Gaspora Inadvertent they also helped their foet communes id themealves of unwanted exes. The: problem, however, as Sut aot all exes wanted to rerum and father, the snczstral communities were alvays prepared t acept such = return. "Mocs alley led all the Hebreesoxt of Egyptian capsvty to @ promised land: Taking advantage of Cyrus's victory, both Shesbazzar End ara were subsequently able to indice some members ofthe Sst Sand second Babylonian captives "to relum to Jerusalem aod rebuild {he Temple of the God of Heavens”= The Jewish leaders in the Romanindvced dlaspors had greater diculty persading thet fellow fs to go up to Zion, partly bocrice Palestine remained under the heel ‘of conquerors and party because many Jews already bellved the Siaspra was due to God's judgment, and others did not know which felt proclaimed mecsah t9 trast Numerous messanie prctndr: ap- peared in the Roman, Byzantine, lame, and Turkseuled regions16 THE AFRICAN DIASPORA ‘and brought personal and financial ditastrs to those Jews who followed them. When in 1688 Sibbaat Zev of Smyrna prodlaimed himself the ‘Mesah, for example, Ne declaration as greeted with jubilation all ‘over the diasporn. People n Hamburg sola thelr pesos in prepers- ‘ion for departure to the Holy Land, and in London Jews wagered that hin fo yeaeaSabbatal would be anointed King of Jerusalem.” ‘This, however, was not # be. On 16 Septomber 166, Sbbutat was sninoned before the Turkish sullen to explain his mission. When he Ssved in the court, he immedistely abandoned his pretensions, ‘ounce his eigon, an Became 2 Molin. ‘With these of the natonate sn Europe, the dea of founding 2 Jewish ate began to compet wth the nowon at She appearance af & Messiah was necssry fr the ews to return 10 Zion. In af” eas, tttempts were even ade {9 resale the two ideae. 1862, Rab aller of Thom sought prove dat “messani redemption rast be pressed by Jewish rehabitason in Palestine.” Jevish lenders crete {he “Alliance Inraeite Universell” to protst Jewish sights allover the trorkl end to suppor attempts at peace colonization of Palestine. “Then ner the shock of My pogroms in Rosin and Eastern Europe {nd diserminaton in Wester Europe, the Jvc leaders tent planatss to the Holy Land and founded the Zionist movement. Frally, during ‘World War [when Grest Brisin was ot war with Turkey, Zionist leaders were abe to sccue a declaration from Artvr James Ballou, the Bush surety of sat, wich reac is Maj Govern ies th four he eabtent in Palatine ‘fa nator home for the Jewish peopl a wl se Ht edesvous {0 litte te uevenca of hs eye ing ely undertone ‘tng sl be done which ay psc he nd elon igh of ‘sing neeJenish communis Pusng ofthe rights sed pole ‘sar eye by Tens anor county ‘Wath the Balfour dedaration the Zionists ha taken a sgnican step in ‘eping the Jes in the diaspora anc in rehabilitating the sas oF thelr homeland. From that tne onward, he Jewish rot increased, an in 194 the tate of Israel was rested. With che promulgation ofthe "Law ofthe Return” in 1050, which granod Jews everywhere the ght Gmnship in lal, the ele was offically over, but the diaspora senuined ‘The dream of retuming to Africa was wery much inthe minds of Alscnrborn persone ho asved in the New World at ny tine ding the slave tade.® THis situation changed somewhat with later gonara i | I ' t I i t I i The Dist Diaspora and Homelands 17 tions born in the dipora, but the push to return to Affica invariably Increased when dlaspora Aftians ofganized to ameliorate their condi- fon. Tough good fortune or pluck a few ofthe extly exes drifted ‘back to Afien, but it as Captain Pal Ce who, inthe late eighteenth ‘century, set the general pater fr New Wer Adscans who attempted fan organized seta. In 1770, Cull, a free Back mar, fought and lost the bate of faation without representation with the ste of Mas- ‘sachusets. He continued the efor to improve his own position an that (of the other backs by bulling a schoo in 1797, Cue wished 0 raise hse people out of “their depraded, destitute, miserable condition.” He rmeopized fh [ee rc of price wat cpertngo powerfully gaint them a ive butte coosragemest fo hope hat toy cold evr se o rpc ‘Su cesses wer in a site of eocey whee they wold bare {Fees cen to srproversnt nd move vera separates han Nd getty be rina ten wa el opm Cute petitioned th president and Congress for alp in executing plan that he hoped might ulately prove benef to Macks in Ameri nd to “brethren ofthe Aan race within their naive climate” TDonialy his plan to sete some ofthe disnfanchisod feodmen of ‘Massachusots In Stra Leone was fustrated by the War of 1812—a War fought by America to atm the rights of is while tiers "With the support of the Bash government, hundreds of Alsicans ‘oom Nova Scots, fom Great Brin, snd from capured slave ship ‘were settled in Sera Leon from 1787 anwar Inthe T628,snder he Suepiow of the American Coloioaton Society, some two thovsand {feed Afro-Americans seed in what was fo become Liber Tit totio was “the lov of erty brought us have” Some twenty yeas later, Dr. Martin Re Delany delaed tha t was “a great principe of palteal economy that ne people can be ffee who themselves do not Conti an esentil part ofthe ruling ment ofthe country in which they live He aw no future forthe Back man in white Ameria, Realizing that he and other AfovAmecicane could enable Alice © ‘vance toward civization, he Went to Nigeria and signed eats with the Egba giving Atro-Amerca the ight fo sti in western Nigeaa ‘The wholesale emancipation of Afe-Amnerians afer the Civ War did not halt the Black exodus to Ain. Indeed, the falure of the Reconetrucion Hes appeared to have encouraged the view that Aft ‘Americans could never achieve tue aqualty in America. Bishop Henry18 THE AFRICAN DIASPORA McNeal Tumer of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church daca in December 155: “Thee tn noo fain the United Stat forthe Neg Tove {Bat woe ve lion of howd rant anda our ancestors and ‘cach or own raters, ate, la eustons ses of manufacture, teres only give tthe wold. the benefit of ou ndvdeay, at Bal ‘rsohleonngs pully oar ow an ease be grumble hense ‘Shoplanss anda ena tthe yc man's country, th cou he SEES nd is bound te dominate nigetioni, far from dead among most Afro-Americans during the ery twenseth cantar, fook the frm of messanism. On the eve of ‘World War I, Chef alfed Sam was able to raise $1000, buy a Steamship, x eanepect a mute of Afro-Americans fm the mide ‘restr United Stats 10 West Afsica® Sam's movement fae, But 8 ‘decade later, Marcus Aurelius Garvey, a Jamaican ving in New York, arin the sebum to Afren a solstion to the Afo- Americans’ plight it ‘America ae well an opportnity for Nev Wold Alscans to berate ‘le mothedand, He wae sock by the impotence of the black man and "ve the problems of Mrcan peoples im global tems. Garvey declare! etc as Negron are cncered in Areca we have the probe of iSehngpeosge end Ge-enancencne a he Wet ns South and ltl Aercs we haved prose of pens, eros ca governt ean. In Alten we hve ot oly peomage Snes tothe ve, na extn len Pala As tour handed lin en, women and cen worthy fhe exes iran w by the Dive Gor we av trance are ou own robin byron or “Motecand Aa rom he ans fen lot ah [fl fur ees govern maon ofr om ang ‘Shugh lend proeton oe ebaso ou er steed al over ‘fe and campelte tspc of intone aces oe a Wile preparing to return to Aca, Garvey waged a vigorous can pign dganst Ae Amencan shame in being bck and in being of ‘fan descent. He crested lace nobility, Black Cross nurses, and blade dos for lite girs designed an Afcan flag withthe colors ed, ‘lack, end green an painted black slmost al the symbols of Wester Christendom, The eigaon saegy of Afro-Americans did not ceslt in the casiton of am African sate powerfal ough to challenge racsin in ‘The Dials: Dispos an Homans 19 ‘Ameria. Neverteles, emigrauonia hed « profound effect on the peyehe of Afto-Amercas, Rol Otley believed that this movement seein motion what ws oboe the mst compelling fers n Negra {fe—rce and color creates which oy Eat opener ing hat ‘Eepires “race aly the basi whic Negroes ly te cin hat ‘Sus ther toe It a propel nya pet Sod movement ‘eeu rca atonal fe needs pllompy an el cara by wish mee things ee tense ad peed” Ine important to note that disporaike populations seldom. if ever, sedvocte or launched lrgescale "eture” movements. Alto the Chinese, Indians and Ish maintained an intrest in ther ancestral lands and while few important persone returned and cased sign cant changes there, te bulk ofthese people temlned where they had emigrate The fale ofthe vatt majority of poople in the dlaspors to return to ‘heir homelands when are was posable represents a msjr dale tal contradiction. This facts more socoeltraliy intriguing wien one ‘ote that many ofthe ideologues who worked hard o rehab thelr ‘neestal lands never thought of tturlng there. The racon wos that the later generation of exiles had adapted to their evisonenent, Troe, they continued to be persecuted and even kllad, but they had bocome members of the societies in which they lived they ad riche im their conomies; and they often symbolclly served as contrast figures ‘which enabled thes hows to detne the insiders and the outsiders "The Hebrews were allegedly eager to leave Egypt but Mons had rect iffcuty preventing may om reaming to stbat they cnekie fred, n rewonpet ab tha “"eshpots” of Egypt, ther than risk death in the wildemes. Ether symbolically or Merl the generation of the exodus was not peychologiealy prepazed to enter the promised Ld ‘Even Moses wat not permite to loo, Later i Jew hstory, “en tribes of larael” were lost during ther ale in Syria. The simplest explanation, however, that these people found conditions propiions ‘cought to assilate father thant four to thelr Homelan. “Although many Jews who were deported t0 Babylon returned to Judes with Spesibazzar and Ezra, respectively, many did not. Most of the als adzpted 1 Babylonian socety. They had scquted 80 ch Inuonce and ices that sei elders sought permission rom the Pope Enolel to eect a temple in Babylon. He objected, propesaed thet the “ry bones” in Palestine would ne day take on ie, and decated tht when th tine came, “the cspersed were tobe gathered tack” age thal Wil the nec arose Enskil asered that unless they ee2) THE AFRICAN DIASPORA careful, dhe reluctant returnees would dl en route, a5 inthe days of ‘Mooes leaving only tei uldren to return" Neverdless, by Roman tine lone of avs il lived in Babylon, nd thse escaped expulsion ‘om hei adopted land. With the Maslin conquest of Palestine (A.D. £36"), many Joes mere fre to return t the "land of thle fathers” ‘but few did so Instead nthe wake of the Muslim conquest, now Jeni sotlements aprang sp in mortem Aiea and Egypt. Late, ‘Ging the period of Turinh rule in Palestine, afew of the persecuted land expelled Maranos from Spain sought refuge there. Ths colony di ‘ho atzactraany Jews from ther the western oe easter Ei ‘iagpors despite persecutions and expulsions fom Spa, Portugal the ‘Netherlands, England, Germany, and Lithuania. Tt was only withthe rise of moder Zionism, occasioned by vilent ants Semitiem in France anid meme in Eastern Europe, hat ‘more than a hana of jews fit back fo Palestine, Even 9, Se fst {roup, known as he Bu, who left Russia to found an agricultural cin in Palin, “could not ecustom themetvest the climate and the hardships of tiling the long-negleted soi the majority departed, ‘making stn for le ected but more hardy colonise” Most Ras. ‘San Jews who fled the Fale seen to the United States, These included ‘onists wh fervently believed hat the solution to the Jewish problem lay inthe liberation oF Palestine, and the Buncst Sodas, who be Teved that hong the Jews sould etain thal culsral identity, hare wan "no reason at all for lnging to the obsoote iden of Jewish Fationood Some ofthe chldren ofthese exes, suchas Goda Meir, ‘would later goto Palestine, ut mor zemained inte Unite Stats "The coals between the retumnes and those who remained i the gale often quit Biter, despite the fact tat they bo agreed ce the major objective: the Hberation of the Jerish peop: Persons such a> Rabbi Ahad Ha-am (1856°1927 belived that the Jewish prob Was bt solved through “cultural revival and modernization,” nota mass fends to Palestine Neverteess, he worked closely with Chaim ‘Weizmann and others to socure Se Blfour declaration ana Tater dia in Paleine. On the oer hand, Dad Benson had no patience with the fervent Zionists in Ameria even though he knev that he could fount on them for economle,politeal, and even military support. He rae eel of those who want to large! “to spend a few ds, oF Semetines weeks, in te country looking for tadion ts and a Spnt ‘om which mast of them have become estranged.” Bee-Gusion tld the leaders ofthe Zionist Organization of America im Tel Aviv cn Jay 1985 that "Zioniam on be taught x Amari, but it ean be learned nly im Intel" For him, the huge Amescan community, vo and 8 ‘i mes bigger han the commu in eae, Was shocking anomaly The Dialects Daporas and Homalends. 21 “This feoing accounts for a great many ofthe continual misunderstand- ing that aie Between the ltels and the American Jews. "The vast majority of Afians abrosd never seriously considered returning to Altea. Yet, they made up a sizable group of people of ‘Scan eign wo considered themselves fiom and who iened thermealven with the ene continent rather than wth specie repons, thereby becoming Par-Ateaniss Moreover, they saw thoi future ‘cultural, esmomie politcal and sodal postr as bing linked that Of Afi, and they sought the redom Gf Aca and of Aircan peoples “wherever they ented. “The ent! problem for Africans in the North American diaspora ‘was the fate ofthe fellows still n bondage if the feedmen and Shir Teaders departed. Richard Allen, James Forten, and others acused the ‘Amencan Colonization Socety of planing to ship sway only the freadinen, leaving the slaves st the mercy of theit masters. Some, ‘because they were so concered that any association with Ain would jeopardize thelr chances of emancipation in Amerie, advected drop- ping the word pier or Arca fom the tides oftheir orgaizations {nd suggested dhat thee words be chiseled off the marble oftheir ‘Shurches’ Alarmed by Culfe's project and that of the American Color ization Society, members ofthe fee Afto-American commit in Phiadelphinsoatly refed to leave Amertca an Sed the owing (clr in Janay 1817 FOREIGNERS Nos fw of our ther fered and led parca te Independence we ak cl tobe ened as wll a those who fost agaist fee tae ded to calvate and Wo rae to preset prosperous Condos we ask ony to share eq piviges wth hse who come fom | Seen, ey th rato ur abou Lin hse moderate aust te raat and we wil ot go to Asmar rhe el ob nproved Sd harp" We comet dou he ry ef he mutes of ae pesos a> Sanyo thaw run ap ho woud end us 5 Aaa o gam what Dey ‘ght deny wes home| Underscoring. their attachment to America, these fee Aft Amerians even denigrated the land from which thei forefathers came ‘Thetzspokasmen declared that [without ars, without scene, without 2 proper knowledge of Goverment, to cat into the savage wilds of ‘Aca the fe people of cole seams fo use the gzcitous route tough ‘which they must return fo perpetual bondage ‘When several doves Inter Marin Delany started to preach emigs- Sonim, Frederick Douglas denoureea the budktorAlsa MOVER2 THE APRICAN DIASPORA He declare ‘Weave grown up eth his Republic an Tae noting in het arate | ‘nt nothin te charac of fe Arc ppl as et which cmos {buble tt we mia ave he Unie Snae™ Douglas Delived that the less said about the slatonship of the ‘Air: American to Afric the better of black persons would be [None det hs gien rio more pres ad perscaon toward the ‘Sloe people of ie couty tan a whch makes Ae, nt Auer Aarne eth wo tht ow be se and dons (the ight of eoehp™ Frederick Douglass was Inter to concede dat Aca was las the cus of his undoing than the ateude ofthe whe in America, He sae “we nove or Amr asc ve no pate havea county tat uy he en of yo eto ‘ot reas nae man ano hough of pono x ay Secon, ‘tot te anlar rank, as man am act Suh espn ‘Shop sa pes of property telongng to sone Chto ave helo ae Se rg ancl sis os ot abe eno [Nevertheles, Frederick Douglass could not wholly embrace emigra: Fonisn. He id not believe that tase Afro-Americans who were free should akandon those who were sil captives. Nor dd he believe that [ne contemporaries should retam emp handed to Afi or ignore the ontbutlone that ealer generations of Afro-Amercans had made in Dulling Ameria. “Another reson why many Africans inthe diaspora didnot wish to rstum physioly # Afra was thir growing projdice toward that Continent and it inhabitants. Despised i part beause of thar Aion escent, they Temained ambivalent about Africa. In contrast t0 the Jesssh station, which even an-Semie Chetan sang of "Jers lem my happy home/Name ever blesed to me," most Europeans and their desendants wsewed Afsca a6 a savage and “dark continent.” Blacks felt compelled to rhabiate Aen and Afican peoples in their town eyes and in the eye ofthe word eo that by extension both they Sd that continent would be saved. Thay would Jewn about Aft, help tt become tee, but not necessary ruin there Trom the 1840s to the present, innumerable Afro-Americans wrote teats ana stories extn thes Aftian Reagan rging say. The Distt: Diasporas nd Homlande Hleny Highland Gamett believed that the non-Africans of his day sought o subvert the authentic of he Afiane yan amet common conan he adem eo snes determina oper ‘Ao of ergy. yas not enough that her cle have been ct fe the gbe, doth in te gues of aed and op rssdbut her meas foes weary tharos in pundenng De nbs ‘tour renownod ses and in eberting thee Werhy dees, whi wee incre by fame upon ts page of nent Hs Garett hlleved that Afo-Americns should spearhead the change in the word's notions about Arica, This sentiment was undoubedly shared by the young W. E. B. Du Bole who, ln 1895, decaved that if ‘becuse af histrial reasons the Backs in America were spe van of een hen te any pin We ‘moder word at not ory ae Negroes cope of evlvng individual men lke Toss he Sioa but res nab toed wonder pose ts of ele, han te dati io ata save smaton of AngoSaxon ur, buts alr cgay which shal serving fallow Negro These sentiments led Du Bois to elaborate on is concept of the ‘Afr American's double conscetsness ofboth Afin and America He Delve Sut histoalcreumstaners had presented the Ato Americn with a casi dale dilerens A loging to stn stones mano, omege Ne dvb i ino eter and tus ai Inthe nerging he rater tar of he ls sas 8 ‘low He would at Aicanise Amer, fo Amer has fo ch | ‘ach the word and Alen He would aa hn Nor so in od of ise Anarchs Enos hs Negro boo har» merger he ‘rel Hesimpy wisest rae # po fora mano bebo Naprosnd [iepan wit ig dt oppor dnd py whe ‘Tose Afto-Amerian missionaries serving in Afica could not keep silent about the jstes meted Out fo Africans by ether cach orate fand sought belp tom tee fellows in the United Sates Bishop Coppin, ‘wong about his experiences in South Alc, declared: When we ae fold eta man Arc i dena cand pial sighs (ns! of Seng sdendant of Alc, We are cote cal tart “goal, but wien we ae tad haan Asean im Alsen edie ciPy THE AFRICAN DIASPORA regs bee he tan Alta, a esis eng nigh, [ir locdy of eurGhauian cieaen ts deans neon In 1897, the Reverend William H. Sheppard, who served in the ‘Congo Fest Sate was even ed for Sedition When he reported that the Zappo-Zap (songs) soldiers supposedly collecting tats were in fact ‘averaiding forthe government ad in th process were committing ‘roils, The misdonaries demanded an inquiry, but the Europeans Feld responsible were not pushed: When Inter the Belgan state Took ver the Congo, Sheppard, pathape out of complete denttcation with the Bal, declaced that he wns "no longes of England or America, bat bt the Kasi” He was acted, and in one of Mis last letter from the eld he pleaded: "So we bog of you that you Ift up your ejes and se tho fast apening harvest Hel, and hear ou soul's pleading cry, ‘Come fver iio Macedonia and hep un” z ‘Nineeenvcentury Affo-American diplomats sw no contradiction in serving the United States and in using thelr prestige and influence to Sclorate the plight of the Alscans John Flemy Smyth, minister nid and consul genera o Liberia ducing the Hayes regine, thought tbat itwae (ns) ty aan Amero cen and a Negron nian of the men and trom oie denen wth nel ate some aco explana ot (Pn schutt of ch ht aw oon gory ely ad ‘reympsbcacly he detent ftir ng ae ol (poeonient in Ube West Ase Smyth nected eatgorclly the notion that he ould not be loyal to oth ‘Arica and to America Race allegiance comple with paoen. wt veo he and tha ae Sebith © Though we ae pt be pet ioral whole ae 2 ‘Eutnct and opus pe allen pt lly and destin eo bes y the Inmuil looc pie, fle e pons by our white fll ‘Stzens i novy se sense te something evonge an sett rch mals an Engl Amer proud of icon wth Beta French Amorianproad of fas iene va La ole rane and» [aT Eopean ag of he Anya dent, ha someting at pares fe ‘onl sine In a dispatch set tothe State Department on 2 October 1852 Smyth encouraged the United Stes to intervene on Liber’s behalf against The Dil: Dispos an Hoods 25. Britain's desir to size Liberian tentory andl atach tt Seca Leone. ‘He suggested to one Frelinghuysen: 2 at incompatible with the ration of foreign tun end of Eran a Libera, you make sch sgenons favre othe Negro atan's Fights av may end oa inal an speedy scent of the ma jae [Solely tt tn shold you fe led pon to espe ant ose ens hac Tam aden he re erie eran) President Then in a reventing postscript Sayth added: ‘he dian Negro in An under fri domino, a he ced [Nepoout of Afscs under ie conto rf ne bey, bse hs othe clement of impeim."inpertam ert” tt be esi ek the proce ofthe Negra tbe to have sl espace he st wert he respec of oem. hope it may be oan Inco with hee oly of our Goverment sid Livers ins ein fers spect Unpaid ber conta fr roy, Rv prestige which fe Se: ‘gant of hereon Despite their commitment to remain in America, tetith century ‘Atr-Americans used many of the stategie of Hit predecessors tempt to change ther lowly str and thal of Alfica. Prominent mong those was Du Boi, who had written in 1899. "The problems of ‘he twentieth century is the problem af the eolor lin, the elation of the slacker othe lighter aces of men in Asa and Alsen in America a he islands ofthe sea" Thus, 1000 De Bois agreed t join the Back delegates in London attending the Pan-Atican conference called by Hleny Syvestr Wiliams "to protect Africans from the deprdalion of the Eile builders” Du Bois tansformed sylvester Wilsme's modest ‘anfetence into a major movement for black Ubersion and paced the DBlght of Alsica’s children in world perspective He urged the Bish to [Be "as soon as practicable the right of responsible government fo the back colonies of Afca andthe West Indies; he propowed that the Congo Free Slate become “tgrent central Negro ite Of the word and be eppeald to the imperialist powers to respect the terial infegesy tnd independence of Halt and Ethiopia. The delegates hopes tha the Backs in South Africa would receive more consideration from Brin lle the Boer War nd they voleed thelr concern over the plight of the ‘Aor Americans who had the "misfortune to lve among s people whose laws, tadians and peeaioes had been against tern for cena” “The delegaog resolve that back mien everyshere should have justice and equality.”26 THE AFRICAN DIASPORA ‘Du Bois was convinced thatthe rats of World War I layin the compestion among the “ivlized nations” for the right to own and ‘poi’ the darker propls. He favored black participation in World ‘War becrase he seein the wae the eds ofMbeation fora te darker peoples ‘Tie war ean End anes aging. Neve ag wl dai people of the wor cry at he lace ey hve before Ost of ths war wl ox, ‘ner neon nape China s-govering nds tn Egypt with Seprentne incurs an Ales forth Aan at not merely or ‘liner eon ut of is war wl ian Armes Negro with Besghoraemnd et rok ip rer ‘Pes things tap nd wl not come ore, et hy ze wan th Sass and he htop toward em vcr athe aso he lin i Bis, as well ag William Trot, an Alvo-Amerian journal in Boston, tough to internationale the pt of Aiea and Afican ‘peoples atthe end ofthe war, Asis well known, the 1919 Pan Afi ‘Congress passed a umber of eslutions, including one demanding the [Sight for edad lack in all onmtres to play an important role st ‘Mars conceming them. Tho 192 conference held in London, Brussel, {nd Paris crested concern among she Belgian capital elte that the ‘Pan-Afian Congress was organize by the Natonal Association forthe ‘Adeancerent of Colored People (NAACP) and that ts principal partic pants were pid by the Bolshevik The Belgian newspaper, Neuse, ‘immed Bat the anode, ar aeony eran propaganda the lane Congo, an we st ot ‘rani ane day cuts rave difls inte Negra wlage of Rohs composed oil the eros ft oor eso te ‘cian sue om some anes of abowes™ Many members ofthe Afto American elite especially the members ofthe govemting board ofthe NAACP, were impatient with Du Bois land the PamvAfrican congress that subsequently took place They Insist thatthe Tel tack war & improve te stan ofthe blacks int ‘Amneria, Always the dni, Dw Bo retorted hat hase mon were patochil—that they cic not understand the importance of "inter ‘tlonaiam in ace problems, and to many of them, sem Guile to “undertake anything of the sort" Hie charged that they hastated 10 Show an interest im Aca, for fear of resurecting the bogey of the forced repatriation of blacks to Aca, Du Bois was corvinced that ‘Ato Ameviane could never salve problem by working only wtin ‘he contest of America He beloved thatthe source of thar ict ay ‘The Dist: Dagpra and Homans 27 Jn the weakness of Afi and could not be solved apart Som the beration of Aico In 136, Afro-Americans esccd strongly to Waly’ atc on shina Roi Oty reported ‘rom the bagining the tipi rss became a ndemantl question Sa Neg lile as al betinpease for Neo lear frm el et {he pation they sok toward the conf! besne «Haase ts Tae "vival ofthe lack nation bene he topic atgry Seat poolooms, sterhop and ers ‘White Amascans wondered thet blacks could Bacome 20 dersly sted up by fregn affair Blacks in Eset Harlem fought again thet Haan neighbors an saw in Joe Louls's victory over Primo Came 3 vndics fon for thiopla’s cause. They to recat woinfeers forthe ‘war, organize the United Aid for Ethiopia an ld» mass meeting at ‘Maison Square Garden attended by more than twenty thoustnd people to raise funds foran Independent ed Cros group foe Euopin Weng in Foreign Affirs about the iterraial implications of the Ethiopian ‘isis, Du Beis woe the "Tos fit” of blacks "in an appeel for justice from the United State in ts war o n any afr that concer Mack people Dr. Wills N. Huggins, in a petition othe League of Nasons fn Ethiopia behalf, declared thal te Fascist destracton of Ehioa would imperil world peace, would increase the spresd of subversive Plt theories and Would increase the guilt of hypoctcal Cs ations “who yesterday raped Ace and cared sulions of her chile ‘hen oe enslaved in the Americas" ‘Coming as soon as i did after the Ethiopian criss, many Alto ‘Americans saw World War TL, including the Japanese atck on Post arbor, a¢retrbuton forthe rape of Ethiopia. Nevertheless, conscious of being American citizen, dey elited im the war effort ARO ‘American leaders attempted to place the rle of Afro Amerlain troop in perspective, and pointed out thatthe interest of Alsen peoples should be considered aftr the war. Di Bois accused Prsilent Roosevelt of ignoring Afri during his "Tour fesdoms” speech in Janaary 1941, and eaggested tha the ate Chae ell pertsined Europe and North Amara. He warned of disster unless Aficawte ‘seen as an end in self and not as confining means to Europes end ‘Du Bole was scandalizad bythe contacts he found atthe United [Nations sessions in San Francisco in 1945 Briain wanted & world of ‘hoe states and democracy while holding In alleen nilioe of colo ‘lls who had nether rendom nor democracy Jan Sts waxed sete28 THE AFRICAN DIASPORA ‘mela abu! hot an aman yt onside anyone wo vewed the Suh Ata Bsa ano wh oe ad gue ‘Seey of St bef Bynes ese se fr aing dea Sipe ee Suh Cnet Dac maj on ave on ee ‘Bois was, therefore, psychologically prepared to heed a call to exqize + Peet cn Mes nSepeneober {BE dang wie conta Atrs sme he soap ot Ford novenct Ba Bl afonga en ery Sa ss seas y no meant ep atthe Fifth Fan Aan Congres. He Gree into a the dacs and brought tthe daerstone 3 eines {Toutook tat great indeed the fel css, de inplementaton of Shieh ateay sapng the ae of he Al ten ‘Moreover, when e returned to America he again tried! to persuade the back elie ofthe NAACP fo work wth the Aca in the interes fall black peoples, Revognicng the dace ofthe situation, he declared “We Ames Ngo hold noth -anl Aen em te desc tas of Ait he wrt over cot exape tr ane The NAACP ‘Sou therefore putin the freon progr he feo of A in tor nd ge esiton and et and the copie solo of the ‘nil syste Despite incredible hardships, many diagporalike populations il not taunch movements to retum fo thet ancestral lands, perhape becuse they let their countries voluntarily and in seach of 4 better ie. The Inngescale masocres of overseas Chinese in the Philippines in 1613, 1608, and 1778 did not lad these people to depart. Those who were ‘expelled retmed a soon ar the climate changed Likewise, during {he Ieee wien the Indonesians bushered thousands of Chinese, hare ‘was no major exodus. Today, many ofthe boat people from Vietnam are ttc Chinese ho are gectant to goto Chin, Siar, the Indians ‘who were astested in South Aca and in the Caribbean protested but {id not develop retam movements Recently, when Indians were ex- pled from East Alea, they prcfered to go to Britain rather than ern fo their ania land. Te ksh in Americ intally encountered 2 greta of isrimintion but never ated fo retum en masse to ‘BEE homeland. They preferred to remain in the New World ‘The common aspor of the Chine, Indian, and Tesh populations swith the Aiscaneinopore therefor 1© ameliorate the condion of ‘The Dist: Dispos and Homelands 23 ‘heir ancestral lands For example: “Te ft act of he Chinese Revoationtry maveent was conned ‘vith overseas Chase Dr San Yat en, ka Son Deca i ede, Wat ims migrant to Hori who eure is eduction n Hong Kong Frm mrp, te revelry tz elit appt smon the (reas Chine They sponded th cae Eugene Chen, who once served as foreign minister fr Chang Kai-shek, repute he test brn the Kounintang.. Sl lever venoms, ‘Wes ndan bom of part ego parentage sed Western, nl ised spaces nd ite spt, Chem ho al ov ie Chinese nt Sac speak wa fans fre encoguet fag and cones Rivet oe eragner™ Later, both the Chinese Nationalists and the Communists sought, a ‘ecalved, suppor from the overseas Chinese in their bale 4 represent fll of chins inthe intemational rena Indians oversees played an important role inthe plc process that feed Weir homeland from imperial rule: Dalle Hick, and Parkin decane 1 sigan orca hat i war in lation othe probions ofan in South ss hat Gan (rh mth sly Yur Fh cea ae 8 Som pacing wy nt epee case of Insist twat in Sth As stat Gan, i for | India nag it developed with cnseae sce he eae ta prio "stegra—evddabedinee— whch ha ato layed importa pst in eat an pola sty” ‘As soon a they socured the ght to vote, te ech in America used theis ballots to aes Batsh rule in Ueland. Then, when dey took poltal contol in America’s whan corer, the Ish made Ife misr~ able for visting Dritsh dignitaries. The American 1sh hailed the ‘belli thst Soe ot n Dublin on Eseer Sunday 1916 and wgorosly ‘rotted the execution of ts dent lenders. The American nh ere So angry with Woodrow Wilson's atiice foward their ancestral land {hat they vote aginst him i 1916 ap wel a in 1920. When in ansary 919 the newly elected lich nasonaiss proce srepabic Eamon De Valea survivor of he Ete Reelin, wat acd present {int prompiy soto the Uned Saco pnd for pve and aca» THE AFRICAN DIASPORA support etish pty was masked by cnkson a seed fe of ‘lain the Une Sots where telah ene hod red song lity toes cated one newt “Today, many Irish Americans are exercised by the confit between Northen Ind and the Republic of ieland ara are atemping 0 we thei inluenc to msclve it “An isportant aspect ofthe dale between peoples in daspocts and ther homelands was the dilficultyarsing whenever a sizable group fof the exes returned home, Although the Hebrews who want (© Canaan were not returnees, they conquered and disrupted fife in the land thelr God had promised them Smilsry, no sooner had the Babe ‘lan els retuned t Palestine than they came into coc wth both ‘De Jewish remnants thee nd the Samarans. The problem ws thatthe ‘eturmees wed fo tintin the physical and sol inert of thet community. They buit a wall auad the seement ad repudinted marriages made wit outsiders” Last, "he Zonisenepired ‘tum was peace initally, cone broke out with the ioc Arabe. The fbeequent.Areberaell ware resulted inthe exodus of millon of Palestinians and eth bai forthe coment conic betwen the sate of lege aed he Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) The changes inthe ideologies that acitated the ream to Ireland the eccebations of the ravages that had doveloped than the Jews vere ill nthe diaspora have bon terious prblams for the zernees ‘The Laraelis sill have not eaolved the problem of the nature of thle stat. Some Isai consinae 1 reject the iden of seca stte and {wal the Meslay dhe rsule confit within the ste Bereen Fel (fous and secular Jews, Ze s also plagued with tension between the Nike astem Jews and the Achkenacin over the problem of "sacl tnd. “oltwa!” discrimination. The darker skied and often Arabic Speaking Isls charge that despite their demographic majo, hey Roldan inferior poston in tal socio” Continental Alfcans Rave not always buen happy with returmees fom the diaspora. Those sizable groups who retumed frm the New World daring the save period often eatbliehed pelle hegesony cover the local people. This orsrred prinepally in the Gambia, Sera ‘Laone, and Lier In fat, some of the rerumed slaves engaged in slavery mach 1 the chagrin of continental Afsicns and of those in the ‘aspora" With thee European ways, repatriated Arca in these ‘counties, a5 well ab in Togoland, Dahomey, and Nigeria, flt them Selves sodlly and culturally superior tothe loa! Afeans Instead of ‘enssiulating themselves fo Ac, the zetumees kept apart and consis ‘he Dini Dison and Homelands 31 ~ Americo-Libeans"“Atro Brasians”" and {he like This atstude and behavior led Alcan contnentals such as ICE. Cosly Hayford of the Gold Coast to say about thse blacks in ‘America who wished to Tetum % Aros: “IN ie not so much Alro- ‘Americans we want a8 Afticane””> Hayford belived that diaspora ‘Abseans should forego thai ben ways an readap! to theis homeland, “Although many individual repatrtes, especially women, ci accept Ife apt was and simply disppeaced into the general continent populations, otters adieu yselding leader fo the conten: Fis Thee was conf between Asean Methodist Episcopal Church ‘nists from America an the sping lender of hat urchin Sout ‘Aiea Blacks from the French Antilles initally did an excellen job Fepresentng the Altice of Fench Afni the mtonal Assembly, but they eventually came into conc with continental wh wished tran ‘he own afaa?™ Teonase few peront from the overseas Chinese, Indian or Ish popiations actualy returned to ther homelands, there was less cadet In ese cass. One suspects, however, that while appreciating the ole ‘hat forelgn boen or forelgn wained brethren played in their Eberaton struggles, the people at home also resented ther Populations In dlarporas have aways been alee by the changes they were able fo elect in ie ancestal lands. The dena is that the ces offen cid not nov how t deal with these changes. The ial "Usgedy forthe ows was that for centres there wes no Jesh politcal teny in Jerusalem to protest when Jews were perescted in the das- ‘ora, Ths whenever a peecomessish sich as Sabbetai Zvi arose and spre to become “King ofthe Jews” the exes rejoiced and were telling to give him tor alliance, Te result was that leaders such a, [Napoleon , who wished to emancipate the Jews in French textris, ‘wate never sue oftheir loyalty. Would the Jews aways be stanges, Ines today end gone tomorrow, with no loyalty to thle hosts but aly {hel fellows and ances land?” “To compensate for ther lack of nation-state and to protect thelr interes, dispora Jews crested cil rights organizations. These ranged ‘om the Allance Iralite Universe in Pars tothe Amecian Jewish CComauitce inthe United Stes and thir analogues in oter counties ‘Besuuse thse organizations did not have an intematinal politcal personaly, they ould not deal with ant-Senitam and It ress: the pogroms snd the Holoceast. The best they could do was appeal the hhc of the countries to sve Jews in other courries or provide fads for their aid. When these efforts filed, “interatonal Jewry” wa helpless32. THE AFRICAN DIASPORA ‘The cretion of the state of eral dd much forthe salimage of Jews in the sinsporss and helped f0 protot and enhance thei cv and Doliteal rights. or the fiat ave in contusies, Jews hod an ntenaton- iy recognized plieal structure to defend them even i they lived {ule the Jewish tate. One rst i that the Jews are losing tei ear ‘of ans-Semitam by poll state, making assmaton# real posi Sty. On the other hand, Jes in the cagpors although insistent on the prerogatives ofthe sat of Trae igore the rights of other nation-states {Bcontol ther citizens when thee persons happen oe Jews. “Today, both inthe Uruted States and in lack, Jaws are working throvgh their governments to presoure the Soviet Union to amirate ‘he condo of Jevishcilzens. I so happens thatthe intrest ofthe jews in bot eae and the United Sits coincide. Wht would happen 1 duos inet not coined? Alrecy thee isa problem vith te Rucci ows, Fora variety of rezone, many Soviet Jes else oo to Inrael when they lone Rusia. Obviously, dey are altreted t other ‘unt for reasons thet have very ite todo with their beng ewish, the oatenible reson forthe American Jews’ interest in them. Teas! ‘raat these persons to Incrace ite poplin and is puting presse tn ews in the Urited Sines induce America not 19 grant anigeant Sts tothe repaints, The interests ofthe United Stes inthe broad spectrum of human righ, rather than species in Jevish right, may ‘at the American Jews in a bad Uight i they attempt to side with the ‘Sate of lose "ets in th laspora are facing what Georges Friedmann has called ‘he “end of the Jewish people" In other words, itis becoming more ficult for persons to be Jeos and remain inthe diaspora, snc Ieee {sist and chime sl Jes a potential izes. Like Soe Je, Aree fe and other Jews may have to choos eter Israel ilzencip othe ‘Gtbenchip ofthe state in which they wees bom or lve ‘Thee is now sedespresd consensus that Du. Bois was basically out when he suggested to the NAACP that an improvement the future att of the Afro-American would be conditioned by develop sents in Aca. I is interesting that although never an emigrations, ‘Di Bos grew ted of being harseed by a hostile American rime and ‘cepted eanciary and citizenship in Ghana, where he died and was Dried Meanie the political evolution of Aca greatly fluenced the condition ofthe African people in Amecca. Jo Hope Franklin iggested tat interational factor, rather dhan ether prsidnal urge ing or pressure frm civil ights advocates, induced the US, Congress 1 pats the ving rights act [rie megane independency ofthe Sub Saharan notions enormously Uitgad wesl-wile uence ofthe Ameen ce pon at po ‘he Dist: Dips and Homelands 33 ids conidia simula the movement fo al qui in he United Sates Ae Congres gan det the pope el sigh ln the summer of 107, the dplomae represses fom Ghana had an Up reader at he Uned Nate ann Washington Ths porta ft ‘bald not be igor by sponse members of Congres It soared ut ‘ie men om he OL Word ad eed ut inane to ep redress the “The independence of Ghana did revolutionize the thinking of the ‘Ags Amerie about themeelves and about tex pace in Amery. Crdinacy Alto Americans, seeing tognclad Ghanaians speeking bore the United Nations and being rceveda the White Hos, srt! ‘ecvalasi thei eletonhipe fo Aft and tok geet pe in i ew Status. Then, more and more African state gained independence, ‘Air Amercane simultansously increased Se terest Sn Absea and ought harder fr fll equally In America ‘A numberof Ato-Amerians recognized the potential contradictions in the new sation. At meetings and conferences, Black scholars and ‘en of sfsistook hard looks the relts facng both Ais and ‘Abo Americana. tas barkground poper for coe such condeence, Se (lai Drake point tothe dialectal factors when fhe eautoned that both the Aeans and the Afro-Americans were sil eativly power lees. But whereas the Aans were sving to overcome thelr weakness Dy working within the cnlew of naw nation-states, end could form allies with Asians and the Soviet bloc, the Afro-Americans were trying to overcome their poweresaness by acquting pola and eco rome power within white” natontate and by participating in the ial decision making processes offs economic, politcal, and edu ons) inteaions, Nevenheles, Drake beloved thatthe 00 groups ‘could sill cooperate for their mutual benest. The Alscans had 0 recognize the sll pecila aca station ofthe Afro-Americans, and ‘Air: American Roto resize that the Pan-African sentiments tat vere ‘eal nthe post wore now of necessity taking escond place the wellaze ofthe Alcan states ™ ‘The Afro-Americans were often pleased by the African display of racial solidarity. They applauds Joe Wack of Nigeria who, before the cent General Asstnbly on 15 December 196, dslared Anybody who i na propane peat hat unto hatha boon ‘moet ot oe gn Get cept otc so cok ‘ArorAmerians also cheered when American whites were rebuffed by ‘Alscans becuse of recom ia Araica In May 1965, Gordon Cooper,34 THE AFRICAN DIASPORA unaware that Afcans were not as concemed abot his dramatic pace fight ae they overe about the Birmingham rots, beurmed a message of pode tothe African heads of state meeting at Addis Ababa a he foared over Aca. Not only was the gracing ignoced, but the final fmmanique of the conference included an open ler 40 the late President Jala F. Kennedy, hich sendin part ‘he Negroes wh, even while te Conference wa in sean, have ben ‘bjs the mos ina tent who Rave Ban sce wih oe Ices cranked to sch presare hat the woke wold sp ark ees "om the pc ave debs et ating Soe ae oa mth and Tine "ahe ely eres whch thce people ie ome se tat ty [bio and that they Rave demanded fight be ee sd eld he ‘Bade up sr opal den fhe Ue See ‘White Americans tried to frustrate any solidarity between Africans sn the diaspora and those on the continent for a radial improvement of stats of Aft Americans. A number of self proclaimed white specialists fon Africans and “Aor Americans tet reassure thelr fellows that thre was no ral relationship between Afro Amenrane and Afrcn. One published an arte in which he wondered whether, in view of the “ultra eonflit that fen aces beeen Aire Americans and Alans, the two groups could be sld to have anything in common, He conve: nienly forgot Gut other American ethnic groups oflen had sindlar problems with people in the lands of thelr origin. Another writer ‘rutioned Americans in general against aking to seriously a linkage or lance between Afans and Ato-Americins He aseerted that the relations between Afrnns and Amesicans had aways been poor and that an atempt fo see a relationship between the two groups cout be dangerous fer “all concened =the tsualy discontented or dite: ‘Snted Negro, Be ates sc] and the United Sate" Tonal, the very success of the AftorAmericans’ relations with Aca Ind to tension between them and a new generation of Acs, ‘Many of the Afscans who came to the United sates in the 190s expected to encounter violence and ostlty in the stele of most ‘American cities. They were also prepared 10 assert their new national density to combat the expected prejucee. Instead, they found many ‘Amarzan wiutes eager fo moet them. African sudets and diplomats ‘were rcsved in homes aseocations, and neighborhood that hed boen ‘oved to Afro-Americans Somesmes the Affcan were encouraged 1 trent thes tational clothes ae fo speck their native Languages, and ‘Bey allegedly saw no reason to baive that thse requests were not rade with the best intentions. Some Altcane dated white Amenean "he Dilectic: Diapors and Homans 38. women and vw th sae they received as simple cus. Man {apparently did noose the snes Pedy, Afteans dd the presence tvecomed by white Antrcane who ew oly a black man Ider the exose rte an'many polls fond ox oo ate that he back man head beaten up apd taken tote pce ston for bing “heck” was carrying» dplomate passport Enbasred "cy fe thes” fen ted make amends, but Atdcans meopaseé the sel source of ht dcomort the conning conept of wate Anwrions for Ao Ameren Our of snes of fustation, a mumber of Aca grew to resent ‘Ato Americane—the fmocnt case of fhett dilemma A few whe feseaicherseeported that's natonise survey showed that “almost frosts of all Afcan Gtiden) visio indicted ihr fon ct cclnes heen themselves and American Negroes” and that "Alcan Students in the United States fd it harder fake fens Ameccan Negroes than among whites’ The fuged Hat Use ‘wteresxzhor lke mnt American whites who deal wot Aisa, ‘er to gre (or prefer not tudo) how wie behavior afte ‘eatin between Alcan and Atv American Interestingly, he ope Sted above aoded parently ‘hat the Afcan said they ewe treated much beter by Americal whibs “afer they had ldcaled themselves av Altice ater than American Negroes” ut the Afo-Americane were passed by te ato between the new Aca and white Amercis, the Altar at home became pious ofthe new Afro-Americans who cared fo vst Asc Tis Suspicion was bom of far that the Ao Arson might ake advan. tage of har "atral Ses wit Aft wore im thereat of whe ‘Ameres and tothe dstinrt of Afca The Chau Toms 4 hems: paper noted fort pungent copy, etodalized. We in Ghan with open hans and warm hess welcome ink cr homes {nd instars peop of Ain ascent who have coe eo ray, {nd has ast ork lesn sles vs Our howe thas fr packing . . Bat tere apps be enersng fm the Negro (Ameria) com suit in Ghassan poy ther parts Aft, dangerous Ad ‘ner elements who appa fo have agape telcos ‘ooclais daar an vor in th seve ellie pa ‘Sm Deon ofthe brow ebony eink an, thse noone Negro ge of ners are sly seeped cut ess sca sso ‘tr owm bers and sis eorex af yur rey, he Ng det i cit wer ohn aly dogs we eg ge ‘ose Cope mld ooh Cait ony slg36 THE AFRICAN DIASPORA ‘The Ghanaian editor was unduly harsh, buthe did clealy spell outa ‘widespread concer among, Aicans that the Afto-Ametican might [emp to betray the Afican for the sake of fistlase citizenship in ‘Americ, ‘On the other and, the Afro-American semained concerned thatthe contnertas, by refusing to acknowledge the persistence of Tocsm in ‘Ameri, might betay im onge again. They becrmealarmediby Africans ‘eho soe AifovAmenitane as finly embedded inthe epitalisesjstam {hu hence ae dangerous to Alsen as are the whites. Thi ie eooe at the Pan-African Conference in Dates Salaam when continental with 3 “sion of = esvenly uf social eruslem argued that the major sue Thcing. Afican peoples the world over was cle and not race. They scomad what they considered #9 be the Afo-Americans asic and esctonary concer wth "pigmentation" Many Alro-Americans concede thatthe decline of Europe or Jesse ing of white ponror might e the anthesis tothe thesis of racism and Clara chauvinism that attended Esrope's conta ofthe globe. Cer tainly, the rexeat of the Captains and the Kings and the political independence of Alta and tnost of the colonial world have changed frlaton amoag the bck brown, white, and yellow peoples in Afric, ‘Ameria, Ava, Europe, and the Lands of the seis Atr-Arericans ‘hope tat in ime they wil beable to relate tooth Afi and America ss suthentc human beingr and not asthe victim of that cru] double ‘Sonsclouaness. Thee only cnveat here i based onthe warlng of a rest ects who dclzed at Ino sol oder eer prt before te proactive fore fo wich thee oun int uve devlope) and nee, ghee latos of prion eve spp: ble he ner conion fh oxstne ave mare itm womb of the ald so In another contest, he sagested that the “superstructure” such a5 race tnlallons, “exercises an infuene on production relatons and can either ‘delay oe accelerate Hex replacement™ “There isan exierging consenzns that those diaspora populations show homeldehave ached international soverelanty oF equally ia ‘the world arena wil now be assed by their hors or expelled 4 Ssoceties where thi process will take place. The Yeasot io that the fossa omlands ofthese populations can now inset tat they be treed fniy or that their hows ace international sanctions including tllary free As far ae the overeas Chinese im Southeast Asia are foncered, Wiliams concise: ‘he Dine: Dispres nd Homelands 37 Although tical animoies nis he omer ail ses fase ‘ee do not nan to be prot any longer Rg asa xan, ‘thors an ingly atone, was brought Asay Westen: ‘Sow tat fe bets the wens burden ae bed Nghy one tht «more rented mepere wl evereeon™ “Te occupational limitations that Chines in sich counties ot he ‘sed Sie ee are ecng an he yo nea ‘nyo bt hoe cups Sat ccc of many oder ebc ups "The Indians oveses ae noe inert in finding economic and scopic! equality in heir hos sosesen The goverment of In ‘wile concmed about tr fat, has ane the emigre 28 19 Iie nthe eispor cadng the post of satan or earn hte and ince pekape mone ct creamosaneee “The ah cute eroded for example have aso People scary a thout the sharp socal dierent between he “catty Tesh” and thar “lececurtain” courejmen. Some ofthese dees Il pert but both poups are seating more and tore to other ‘Anetcane inthe sure socoeconomse poston and each ot. The Siiy ofthe arvana Kenney fo aeeve hgh poles inthe Unted Sir, inccing he preadeny, ests that fe es fave been strated by the het oo _ Eterna ya ston an Seek eed seen rece eee eae ee ow wr cam oan “Urivety of Cafes Pry 325 EEE a eer carne one Poin Ce En a unaan onvton teeta oer 10 NE Dale A Ren Pai in Toy Te sgn a ‘atmo Bw Ye ey Co tb) 5-5 ge Te Ce Seed tpman Cnc Anis New Yo as Hse 70 St Ch Suir a ALE rr Boas Cnn Sa Uti Pr 2