TED & walls - Entry #18

Don't Ask Where I'm From, Ask Where I'm a Local | Taiye Selasi 

This Nigerian woman talks about how we do not belong to a country, but to a place instead. She mentions that she had been taught to think in terms of countries as if they were eternal and natural, when actually they are not constant and were created by man. Her parents were born in countries that no longer exist, for instance. The question "where are you a local?" helps to reflect upon rituals, relationships and restrictions.

This video is very interesting because I agree with Taiye's point of view. She proposes the idea that we are locals. We have relationships with cities, neighbourhoods and experiences lived, which do not relate necessarily to the country where we reside in, rather, to the place where we find ourselves at present. The final conclusion I have reached is: we are local where we feel at home, beyond human boundaries. The words she ended her talk with, speaking about herself and how she would like to be introduced, are accurate and thought-provoking: "she's a citizen of the world".