“I moved to the United States from Nigeria in 1989. The most important thing I brought with me was respect, which is very important in our culture. We have respect for the elderly, we care for them, and we help the disabled, no matter what. Respect goes both ways: young to old, old to young. When my mama talks to me, I shut my mouth and listen. That was the biggest shock when I moved here: the lack of respect. I picked my daughter up from school after her first day here, and she said, ‘Mama, you would not believe how the students talk to the teachers!’ She was shocked as well. Never, as my daughter went through school, did I ever have to go speak to teachers about her behavior.
“Parents are the first teachers. We should work hard at teaching our children values and respect. When you respect yourself, you respect others, you respect the law, you respect everyone. Now you see the African come out in me: As a people we are very outspoken. We will tell you exactly what we think. We don’t invade another’s privacy, but we do call a person out if they are doing wrong.”
“Parents are the first teachers. We should work hard at teaching our children values and respect. When you respect yourself, you respect others, you respect the law, you respect everyone. Now you see the African come out in me: As a people we are very outspoken. We will tell you exactly what we think. We don’t invade another’s privacy, but we do call a person out if they are doing wrong.”
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