Return to the Fatherland

My wife and I have shared our story with dozens of people-senior citizens, young adults, and teenagers-while my wife has read excerpts of the book to a classroom of inquisitive second graders. We combined into journals the scores of recent photos from overseas with past film and information compiled over the years. We were able to procure the family tree from my West African kin, of whom I had met online in 2002. While we had no original intentions of writing a book, once we began sharing our adventure, people encouraged us to put it in book form. The incentive for making the journey to West Africa was to find the core of my identity leading back to Africa and Brazil, and which confirmed my African and Latino roots. Our vision upon leaving Africa was not only to share the story about my family tree, but also to build a bridge to a stronger, more resilient bond among West Africans, Latinos, and Americans. I have endeavored to maintain contact with my Nigerian family, and do so monthly.