Mzungu In Braids

I have always had a strong African American identity.  While I realize that I fall into the category of “pigmentally challenged,” I have never in my life been called a white person.  So imagine my shock this evening when my five year old kaka (brother) called me “Mzungu” (European or white person).  I looked around the room and said, “Wapi? Wapi?!” (Where? Where?!) He laughed because it was obvious that he was talking to me and while I knew he was calling me “white person,” I could not seem to reconcile the term with how I see myself.  Ethnically ambiguous, mixed, Dominican, etc. are all terms that I have heard from strangers searching for an answer  to the fated question, “What are you?”  My general answer to this question is, “I am a human…what are you? (with a puzzled look on my face).” But then I usually get the follow up question that I love because it is just so ridiculous!  “I mean, where are you from?” people may ask.  I usually say that I am from Michigan, and after I see the frustration I finally cave in and tell them that I racially identify as Black.  I find that in America, people like to be politically correct and not talk about race.  However, in Tanzania this is not the case.  

My skin is toughening because Tanzanians just call you what you are.  For example, my Language and Cross Cultural facilitator was trying to explain the difference between skinny and fat.  So he went around the room pointing at American trainees and categorizing them as either “mnene” (fat) or “mwembamba” (thin). We tried to explain that in America, we do not tell people (especially women) that they are fat because it’s considered a negative thing.  Of course we know they are fat, and they probably know they are fat, but we rarely say it out loud (at least not to their face).  In Tanzania, saying someone is fat is just like saying they have brown hair.  In fact, being heavy is a sign of power and wealth.  As a result, the term “mnene” can become a compliment.  Unfortunately, light skin is also valued and calling someone Mzungu is not considered rude. It’s just a fact, like mnene. Still, I cannot imagine going around to friends or strangers saying “Hello white person” or “Hello Chinese person” in America…

So now you must be wondering what I did to hopefully prevent unnecessary, wrongful Mzungu labeling…well I did like the African women do and got my hair braided!  (Think early Alicia Keys look).  I told my Kaka that Mzungu hair can’t hold braids and so I must not be Mzungu.   He seemed to buy this logic, but he is five.  I doubt this will be the last time I am called Mzungu in Africa, and the whole idea of race just makes me laugh.  It’s so arbitrary and clearly the lack of exposure to people of different races allows Tanzanians to use Mzungu easily.  I should add that a fellow trainee who is Mexican was also called Mzungu last week.  Sometimes race just makes no sense to me.  In one part of the world we operate by a “one-drop rule,” and in other countries, anyone lighter than those who live near the equator are “Mzungu.”  In Tanzania, we call people Dada (sister) or Kaka (brother) and my hope is that one day the rest of the world can follow this model.   The next time someone asks me, “What are you?” I will just say, “Don’t you know? I am your sister.”