"So... you're American?" This question often arises after I explain that while I was born and raised in America, I am also Nigerian, and I have my very green passport to prove it. Despite being known as the world's most well-known melting pot, America often appears to be just that in theory.

Identity and its politics are intriguingly complex, a lesson I learned at a young age. It never occurred to me that defining who I am could be so challenging. As a non-white person in America, explaining the complexity of nationality, ethnicity, and the spaces in between can be overwhelming.

Being someone who also identifies as Nigerian, I've lost count of the times I've been questioned about my English proficiency or lack of an accent. What I came to realize, albeit painfully, was that the deliberate inability to understand concepts such as dual identity said more about the ignorant individuals than about me.

I say this because many times I felt the need to justify my identity, but as time passes, that urge diminishes. As a wise woman from the city of Atlanta once said, "I said what I said." That is my response to the confusion surrounding my identity.

Cover Photo Source: Photo by Mwabonje Ringa: https://www.pexels.com/photo/beautiful-woman-smiling-for-a-photo-1820559/