RE: Fact of Life Abroad!/ Fresh Air!

Dear Mr. Gekara,

I recognize that your intent (at least in part) is to be humorous but I have always felt that the best jokes are those which are not told at anyone's expense or to anyone's detriment.

I am a Luo woman who would like to lend support to my Kisii sisters.

Let me begin by saying that I do not even understand why there is a need for comparison. We women are too often subjected to public scrutiny. Too often men objectify women of all races and ethnicities. They label, rank, and judge us as though we were cattle at a market. Yet these same standards are rarely applied to men (who I daresay merit greater scrutiny since they have been responsible for many of the ills common to developing countries like Kenya).

Lest you forget or should you be unaware of this, the reality is that every single woman you meet anywhere is a unique and complex human being. You cannot label one Luo and one Kisii and seriously believe that you have thus understood either. That would be absurd. Blanket judgements are, therefore, unnecessary, useless, and even counterproductive. Should you marry a woman simply on the basis of her "Luoness," I suspect that you will be in for many other surprises (which may not be altogether pleasant).

Within the Luo tribe I suspect that you will find as many gossipers as you would within the Kisii tribe. I also suspect that you will find just as many good-natured men and women, as many stellar chefs, hardworkers, scholars, etc.

The eugenics movement should have taught us the dangers of ascribing certain traits such as intelligence and kindness to race or ethnicity. Such practices have been and will continue to be used by those who harbor malice as justification for slavery and genocide (be it cultural or physical).

STEREOTYPES, HOWEVER FRIENDLY, ARE DANGEROUS. Consider the following stereotypes:

All Kenyans can run.
All Brazilian men are good at football/soccer.
All Asians are hardworking.
All African American women can sing.
All African American men are good at basketball.

On the surface, these statements seem complimentary. Note, however, that there are no Caucasian (white) groups on the list. This is because Caucasians are seen as the well-rounded standard. Secondly, in an age of capitalism with its emphasis on specialization, some (particularly those who benefit from that economic system) will assume that races and ethnicities can be broken down into neat, compartmentalized lists like the one above. Inevitably, this leads to the assumption that other races or ethnicities cannot also excel in these areas (barriers to entry). The predictable, self-fulfilling tragedy is that (a) many people from other races will thus avoid entering these fields or (b) are discouraged from entering these fields through institutionalized racism and other forms of prejudice. (This is why rock music, golf, and tennis are dominated by whites. Only recently has there been a push to get more blacks involved in engineering and other lucrative fields. Also, there are many more young blacks reclaiming rock music in the U.S.)

And what to say of the Kenyan who is not a very good runner, the Brazilian man who detests football, or the African American man who is terrible at basketball? What of the Luo woman who is a bad cook? Does this reflect badly on her or his “Kenyanness,” “Brazilianness,” “African Americanness,” or “Luoness?”

Of course not.

Therefore, please do not ascribe behaviors and character traits to race or ethnicity. It is, quite simply, unnecessary.

At the risk of sounding too much like one of those feminine advice columns we have here in the U.S. (and they really are almost always fronted by a nice, white woman), do cherish your wife or girlfriend. She sounds like a wonderful person. Only do not let your joy be the misery of others.

Peace,
Annah Sidigu