Stereotyping; the tribal ish

I sometimes get into this situation where I introduce myself and the person asks where I am from. Although my name should give you an idea as I bear my native name but let’s sha forgive them.  I reply Akwa Ibom State and sometimes, there are like 3 reactions.

Scenario 1.

But you don’t look like them, you don’t even speak like them. Me: *blank stare* what do they look like? Or how do they speak? Guy: *stammering* you know na, with hand gesticulations they say; “most of them are short na” Me: have you met all of them or most of them?

Scenario 2:

The person asks, Aah! So you are a Calabar girl? (Note I am Ibibio from Akwa Ibom not Efik, Calabar but as they want to slam all of us under “Calabar” no wahala let us continue. So you are a Calabar girl, Is it true what they say about Calabar girls? Me: *raised eyebrows* What? Him: That they are good in bed?

Scenario 3:

You are a Calabar girl, so you know how to cook very well. When am I coming to eat edikang ikong at your place?

Most people overlook the fact that there are lots of Calabar girls who are neither of these 3. These talk just keep flying around and now people kind of accept it as fact. I could say the good cooking and good sex stems from the popular “fattening room” As for the Akwa Ibom looks part, well I was telling my hubby about this post and he looked at me funny and I was like why the look? He says “But you don’t look like them na” Haba is it that bad? My people are not short jor!

We must have heard lots of tribal stereotypes such as the Esan man (a tribe in Edo State) is very wicked in fact if you see a snake and you see an Esan man kill the Esan man first before the snake. Kogi people are very wicked too. Benin girls are prostitutes in Italy and Spain, they are also very diabolical. Igbo girls would finish all your money, Benue girls are very good in bed or promiscuous, Urhobo men are promiscuous and marry more than one wife, Efik men are quite lazy, Yoruba people are dirty and it goes on and on.

Do you think these stereotyping is right? Which of them do you think are true and do you have any to add? As usual I would like to hear your views. Do you think we should drop these stereotyping and relate with one another on individual basis without letting tribal sentiments cloud our judgment?

Photo credit: tlkdrwum.com