For a long time female from all over Africa made the life-changing ilies, and organizations to come calmly to the us, looking to family relations reunification, social versatility, job opportunities, or degree. Yongo-Okochi, twenty seven, left their unique home town within the Nigeria ten years back searching for a better education in the usa following ended up building an existence right here, searching for their particular journalism occupation, with an excellent young buck, and getting married.

Like many most other African female, new complex feminist landscape from the You.S.-as compared to Nigeria-played a critical part within the Yongo-Okochi’s solution to migrate and remain in the us.

“The usa required empowerment if you ask me. It created liberation. It intended the capacity to its become who I am at the new key,” Yongo-Okochi said. “I’m free-competitive and you will aesthetic plus it reveals in my physical appearance with my quick blond tresses and you may piercings. ‘”

Yongo-Okochi never believe otherwise behaved according to prevalent social and you may religious aspects in the Nigeria. Which produced their unique an enthusiastic outlier one of their nearest and dearest and it also are exacerbated whenever she got their youngster.

My mum would constantly say when you yourself have most of these some thing, you will seem like a good ‘loose girl

“I got pregnant prior to I experienced married which was an effective fuss home. It actually was including, ‘you’re loose and you are a slut and you are a great disgrace in order to the household,’” she said. “It was merely most exhausting personally emotionally and you will mentally as I realized whenever my male relative performed the exact same thing, the guy won’t proceed through that.”

Such social and you will spiritual points are not book so you’re able to Nigeria. (more…)