If Liberia is that band geek, the U.S. is homecoming queen.
No one knows they go way, way back.
A family friend made a documentary called Liberia: America's Stepchild which describes how, in the 1820s, the U.S. decided to send liberated slaves to Africa and chose Liberia as its dock (regardless of where anyone was originally from). "150 years later, Liberians were divided into two distinct groups: the often privileged American descendants, known as Americo-Liberians, and the indigenous [majority]. It was a division that would lead to political unrest and, ultimately, sow the seeds of war" (PBS).
Understandably, the U.S. feels a certain...responsibility...and has spent billions to stabilize post-war Liberia.
Liberia is one of the two African nations that was never formally colonized but the influences from abroad are palpable.
The earliest explorers gave Portuguese names to entirely too many things. French is spoken along the borders with Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea. There are two tribes (including my dad's) that are descendants of North African traders and account for Liberia's large Muslim population.
American and British English are mashed up in vocabulary and pronunciation in Liberia. My mom has a really absurd accent, which I blamed on her 30 years at the U.N. I forget she grew up listening to the BBC long before boarding school in England and college in the States; she really never stood a chance at sounding like a person.
The capitol, Monrovia, is named for the fifth president. Of America. Some indigenous Liberians -- my family included -- acquired the Anglo surnames of the local missionaries. And much of the architecture and cuisine scream Gone With the Wind.
Basically, you want to stay on Liberia's good side: it quietly remembers the phases you pretend you never went through. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salad_days).
Understandably, the U.S. feels a certain...responsibility...and has spent billions to stabilize post-war Liberia.
Liberia is one of the two African nations that was never formally colonized but the influences from abroad are palpable.
The earliest explorers gave Portuguese names to entirely too many things. French is spoken along the borders with Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea. There are two tribes (including my dad's) that are descendants of North African traders and account for Liberia's large Muslim population.
American and British English are mashed up in vocabulary and pronunciation in Liberia. My mom has a really absurd accent, which I blamed on her 30 years at the U.N. I forget she grew up listening to the BBC long before boarding school in England and college in the States; she really never stood a chance at sounding like a person.
The capitol, Monrovia, is named for the fifth president. Of America. Some indigenous Liberians -- my family included -- acquired the Anglo surnames of the local missionaries. And much of the architecture and cuisine scream Gone With the Wind.
Basically, you want to stay on Liberia's good side: it quietly remembers the phases you pretend you never went through. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salad_days).
2 comments:
Thanks for the info. Started watching the Documentary on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94j2DMWCErg
Awesome, Leah! You'll be a country expert in, like, a week.
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