In Bassey Ikpi’s piece, Homeward which was presented on Def Jam poetry, she eloquently and powerfully gives a presentation of her past and the ways growing up in American can sometimes blur ones connection with their culture. While she speaks of her personal experience with her Nigerian roots, but she speaks of a far more global experience as well. Her work connects with anyone who has experienced what it is like to grow up with two different cultures that most likely conflict.

This particular fragment, “it breaks my heart to realize that, I can only love her clearly in English” best captures the essence of the piece as a whole. Language is one of the strongest connections one can have to others and their heritage. It is also more difficult to maintain than others may assume. Language can slip away so easily.

In my personal experience as a first generation individual trying to balance American culture with that of my parents. I am bilingual, and was lucky enough to learn the language of my ancestors which has helped my cultural link, but that is not always the case. Many of my first generation friends of other ethnicity’s often say how the fact that they did not learn their “mother tongues” created a barrier between them and their cultures. Even with the advantage of knowing the language which connects me to my culture, I have still found it extremely difficult at times to balance it with the American society I grew up in. Each has it’s own positive and negative aspects to be sure, and some of the positives are so far opposites they are nearly impossible to meld. Thus, it makes maintaining true cultural connection to both feel like an impossible task at times. Her vocalization of the new generation’s struggle to maintain connections with their families past is eye opening and pensive.

The link to the piece is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRzQ0kWaSOY