In the latest instalment of “ANDERSSEIN” podcast supported by SEAT, host Minh-Khai Phan-Thi and presenter Aimen Abdulaziz-Said discuss the widespread (and flawed) idea that people of colour have a duty to educate others on matters of race.
Where are you from?
I am a real hamburger. I grew up in Hamburg Alsterdorf and went to school there. That is nice in retrospective, but it has also been difficult because of the very white-bourgeois environment of the district.
Is there a difference between homeland and home for you?
Yes, there is. Eritrea is my homeland to me. Even though I’ve only been there twice. It may sound strange since I was born and raised in Germany, but I feel that inside. I am “different” here, I have longed for the place where I am not. Hamburg is home, but I still feel homesick.
What role does acceptance play for you?
I have to think twice. It makes life easier when you feel like you are accepted. It used to be more important to me than it is today. I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter what you do, you’ll stay the black one, so I don’t bother to fit anymore. I feel happy and have never been so at peace with myself since I cleared this up. I am always aware that I have to follow different rules than a white person. I’ve been pretending and adapting for so long, now I just go with the flow.
Disclaimer: At the time of release, this podcast episode is only available in German
