African Americans are in no way empowered to determine whether an African should get American dual citizenship in return for African countries granting dual citizenship to African Americans. On behalf of the government and people of Ghana, I congratulate you once again on resuming your identity as Ghanaians, President Nana Akufo-Addo said in a speech on Wednesday, Nov. 27. They understand that the majority of America still views us as inferior beings JUST BECAUSE of the color of our skin and the fact that we originate from OUR BELOVED AFRICA! They are the oldest African Americans to be granted citizenship in Ghana. My father is from Eritrea and he passed away last year, he said one day I would end up here,Haddish told reporters on the red carpet. Ministry of the Interior This year marks 400 years since the anchoring of an English ship in Jamestown, Virginia in the United States carrying a small group of enslaved Africans. Im scouring my house, purging it, throwing everything away, she said. The next section of the article explores existing hypotheses in the literature on dual citizenship, which has become increasingly common around the world since the 1990s. Does that mean that we all should not enjoy the benefits from generations past? But brace yourself: The process of obtaining dual citizenship can be quite tedious, fraught with red tape and byzantine rules. Africa leaders SOLD their fellow Africans to the Europeans. HNWIs are widely considering second citizenship as their suitable Plan B or planning for the future. As a British dual national you will have the same rights as any other British citizen, including the right to: A monster wildfire ravaged France last summer. It would be beneficial for African-Americans to thus understand the language so that they can better understand the culture. Currently, there are an estimated 5,000 African-Americans living in Ghana. Speaking to the BBC, he said: the biggest honor I could get from my country., Today was a powerful day. Perhaps landlocked countries that had fewer slaves feel that there is less linkage to African-Americans or perhaps there is the larger question involved as Anor, editor of Asante magazine aptly notes, Just because your genetics show you came from a place, should that mean you can lay claim to that group of people or place now?. ", Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Most came from the United States. The two survivors Viola Fletcher, 108, and her brother Hughes Van Ellis, 102 sat in golden print robes in the front row at the ceremony, where they were serenaded with drumming, dancing and a ballad: Welcome home. Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) of certain category who migrated from India and acquired citizenship of a foreign country other than Pakistan and Bangladesh, are eligible for grant of OCI. She has felt pulled toward the region for years. Fletcher told ABC News last year that she and her family never returned to Tulsa after they fled the night of May 31, 1921. Ellis and Fletcher, alongside the third survivor Lessie Benningfield Randle, sued Tulsa and the local government in 2021 for a reparations fund. Are you on Telegram? Shes eyeing a plot near Kumasi, the capital of the southern Ashanti region. If this happens, the process has to begin all over again. Beyonces mother, Tina Knowles-Lawson, Boris Kodjoe and his wife, Nicole Ari Parker, Yes, some mayfeel inclined to dispute these distant claims usingcolor lines, but does color define what it is to be African? Grammy award-winning rapper, Ludacris is kicking off the new year with dual citizenship. This includes providing citizenship to qualifying African-Americans, Afro-Latinos, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Europeans and Afro-Asians that would like to repatriate to their continent of origin. Parker had never felt so trapped in the United States. homeland. At the embassy on Tuesday, the survivors completed the citizenship process by swearing an oath of allegiance and signing certification documents. Please contact us on our website. Reese, who owns a public relations agency in Cincinnati, heard about the deal from her close friend and business partner, who is from Ghana. +(233) 302 68 44 21 Earlier it was 57. WebWhether youre seeking to reconnect with your family heritage, move overseas, or simply want a second passport at your disposal, at least 50 countries offer some version of citizenship by descent. When Oklahoma state Rep. Regina Goodwin (D-Tulsa), whose district includes Greenwood, first met Fletcher, Mrs. A SELF-ADDRESSED, STAMPED AND TRACKABLE RETURN ENVELOPE. Given Indias situation, it would be problematic forIndia to incorporate that many people of Indian origin in to their already large population as full citizens. Offspring and grandchildren of Ghanaian citizens are more readily granted citizenship. Accra-Ghana, Front Desk: Some officials are hesitant to pay monetary reparations to the victims and their families seeking restitution. LIST OF AFRICAN COUNTRIES WITH DUAL CITIZENSHIP A. TO OBTAIN THE FORM, ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE READ THE REQUIREMENTS AND ARE SURE OF YOUR ELIGIBILITY, THEN MAIL IN THE UNDERLISTED TO THE EMBASSY OF GHANA: 1. Also in attendance were Rocky Dawuni, a Grammy-nominated Ghanaian musician, and AJ Akua Johnson, a Hollywood actress who is now a Ghanaian citizen. Theyre making it very reasonable, very affordable., That she has never been to West Africa doesnt concern her. You are an African when Africa is born in you., When we talk about the diaspora, we talk about remembering folks that have been spread far and wide from their motherland, Goodwin told the crowd during the ceremony. It would also be beneficial in carrying African culture to America using American born citizens. Nigerias Tinubu wins presidential election; opposition cries foul, Finland begins building 10-foot-high razor-wire wall along Russian border. That is Africa.. Bynum, who led the effort to help find missing Tulsa victims, told ABC News last year, before adding that he is opposed to levying a tax on this generation of Tulsans who are at no fault.. How old is America? Martin Luther King Jr., one of his first guests, told his congregation that Nkrumah had urged them to come and help build the new nation. Allowing dual citizenship would provide a sense of ancestral identity for African-Americans. Do I want to have the feeling of being free and excited and curious? Polly said. The 12 South American countries are Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Uruguay and Guyana. All rights reserved. Hoping to hear from Chief X. After the country declared independence from Britain in 1957, the first prime minister, Kwame Nkrumah, received American civil rights leaders. WebPeople eligible for citizenship under this category are: Individuals that are born in the territory of Nigeria after 1 October 1960 that have at least a parent or grandparent who belongs or belonged to a community indigenous to WebGranted to a person to a person of African descent in the Diaspora. Accordingto anthropological theory,the SapirWhorf hypothesis states thatlanguage determines culture, and thought process. Recently, Ghana held a mass ceremony in which 126 African-Americans and Afro-Caribbeans took Ghanaian nationality as part of the countrys Year of Return marking 400 years since the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in North America. It willhence facilitatetrade, cultural sharing, and mutual understanding without the fear that exists in granting full citizenship rights to large groups of wealthy, and perhaps politically or culturallyinfluentialpeople (African-Americans are collectively the wealthiest population of black people). I am confused when the writer states that the person returning from America cannot be involved in those vital activities since it denotes being enslaved again. THE EMBASSY THEN FORWARDS THE CERTIFICATES AND IDENTIFICATION CARDS TO APPLICANTS UPON RECEIPT. The U.S. State Department refused to renew his passport while he was living there, so Du Bois chose to naturalize as a citizen of Ghana in 1963. So far, Ghana is the only country that legally allows for dual citizenship for African-Americans. Kimberly Reese has never visited Ghana, but she is already designing her dream home there. For children born outside Ghana, the following are also required: One (1) Month (After receipt of duly completed form). Survivor of 1921 Tulsa race massacre 100 year-old Hughes Van Ellis (2L) sit next to sister 107 year-old Viola Ford Fetcher and family members during a service at Action Chapel International church in Accra, on August 15, 2021 to mark a connection with their "motherland. Fletcher and Ellis visited Ghana in 2021, on the centennial of the massacre, one of the worst incidents of racist terror violence committed against Black Americans. My Dad and Grandpa would be proud. Ghana president Nana Akufo-Addo poses with his new fellow citizens. Fletcher and Ellis are two of three living survivors, with Fletcher being the oldest living survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre. In this brave new highly globalized world, I feel that African leaders should be able to make bold decisions that are not carbon copies of western citizenship and immigration laws. In America, they were forced to obey, forced to submit to rape, forced to endure severe punishments and finally, forced to succumb to death. Everyone says, Ghana has its problems, too, she said. On their trip, they also met Ghanas president, Nana Akufo-Addo, who approved the process for granting them Ghanaian citizenship and gave Fletcher a plot of land in the capital, Accra. Minister My ancestors werent given a choice to stay or go; they were FORCED to leave. As the United States again confronts its history of racism, as outrage again erupts over police killings, leaders in Ghana say theyre rolling out the welcome mat for black Americans who want to get away from the turmoil. Despite many calls from African Americans to have dual citizenship offered to them, many African countries have not taken any extra steps towards this other than encouraging such a move. However, the process of securing it is not always easy. Since language is a reflection of ones culture, I believe a requirement should be included thatstipulates thatperson applying for OCA status, be required to speak at least one African language at the basic level. The granting of citizenships give an added force to the countrys Right of Abode law which was passed in 2001. Mohammed proclaimed Fletcher and Ellis 100 percent Ghanaian, as the crowd stood for the Ghanaian national anthem. Updated : 27 Feb 2023, 08:34 AM The government will allow Bangladeshis to hold dual citizenship in 44 more countries, taking the total to 101. All were tortured. The ceremony was attended by royalty from Ghana, including Eze Dr. Chukwudi Ihenetu, the paramount king of the Igbo community in Ghana. We @Siakaborn2ball have made a commitment to our country of Sierra Leone, with hope of positive change as our drive. Some view the arrivals as wealthy outsiders in a country where 30 percent of the population lives on less than $3.20 per day. We have no love from America and now this writer would also allow us not to receive love from our own mother continent? In accordance with the Citizenship Act of 2002 (Act 591), Ghanaians who have acquired US Citizenship, are eligible to apply for dual citizenship. Outreach has ramped up since the killing of George Floyd in the custody of Minneapolis police, which set off protests worldwide including in Ghanas capital, Accra. So if my blood brother was kidnapped and taken to a foreign country, does that mean I totally disown him simply because the kidnapping occurred in a country other than his own? With the political climate, people are really looking to get here as soon as they can, Cheetham said. Six (6) months after report on due diligence has been submitted by the Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Police Service: 191 , there are an estimated 5,000 African-Americans living in Ghana seeking restitution to leave on less $... 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