Photograph courtesy of Kevin Thom
Alicia E. Bello (born Alicia Enitan Abidemi Oluwayemisi Olayinka Oyindamola Anike Bello) is a third-year student at Spelman College. She is the daughter of Nigerian immigrants and was born and raised in Prince George's County, MD. To her, being a second-generation American is much like being a "mulatto". Growing up, she constantly felt like she was being forced to chose between two identities. While she expected to be quite at home with her peers in the Black American community, she was often teased for being an “African booty scratcher.” Not surprisingly, she began to detest her African identity as she struggled to “fit in.” However, after spending three years in Nigeria she learned to, not only accept but, flaunt her “Africanness.” Alicia believes that neither “Nigerian” nor “American” can fully encompass her identity and has jocosely chosen to identify herself as a "daughter of the diaspora." This phrase embodies her experience as a woman raised by Africans, but living in (Black) America. It also alludes to her views on Pan-African unity and co-operation. The spelling of "diaspora" as "dyaspora" is reflective of a book by Joan Hyppolite that she read as a first year student at Spelman. The protagonist's struggles with her Haitian-American identity are very similar to her own. Alicia is quite passionate about her heritage as a daughter of the African Diaspora and is an aspiring writer, African stateswoman, politician, lawyer and NGO founder.
Feel free to contact her by email at dyaspora@daughterofthedyaspora.com or via the contact form below.
Feel free to contact her by email at dyaspora@daughterofthedyaspora.com or via the contact form below.