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Reflexsivity and Intersubectivity in African Glocal Visual and Auto Ethnography

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Reflexsivity and Intersubectivity in African Glocal Visual and Auto Ethnography EYE/I AND EYES/WE: REFLEXSIVITY AND INTERSUBECTIVITY IN AFRICAN GLOCAL VISUAL AND AUTO ETHNOGRAPHY A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Cornell University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Nadia Marie Sasso August 2019 © 2019 Nadia Marie Sasso EYE/I AND EYES/WE: REFLEXSIVITY AND INTERSUBECTIVITY IN AFRICAN GLOCAL VISUAL AND AUTO ETHNOGRAPHY Nadia Marie Sasso, Ph. D. Cornell University 2019 This dissertation aims to explore West African transnational experiences in order to further understand how identity markers and politics manifest anxieties for transnational migrants and their movements between America and Africa. It engages and expands contemporary understandings of transnationalism with a focus on generational migrants. Generational migrants are defined as 1.5 through second- generation offspring of African immigrants. For the purposes of this research, "1.5- generation" is defined as an individual who was born in Africa and spent most of their lives in America, while "second-generation" is used to connote an individual who was born in America to African parents. Reflexivity, intersubjectivity, as well as identity negotiation and/or “code switching” are explored to explicate the experiences of generational migrants. Influenced by the theories and arguments of Stuart Hall, John Arthur, Joanna D’Alisera, W. E. B. Dubois, Pnina Motzafi-Haller, Audre Lorde, and Chandra Mohanty, this dissertation argues for a multiplicity and fluidity of identity (i.e.: holding multiple and sometimes contrary communities while constantly moving between continents), but also I am advocating for the possibility of fluidity in the reflexivity as one moves between these identity markers to create epistemological questions, constitute authorship, and expand representation. This argument is explored in each chapter via problematizing familial structures, African Fashion, ethnographic filmmaking, and auto-ethnographic writing. These contributions will transform the conceptualizations of African diasporic identities from one that is historically limited by bicultural formation into one that asserts the complexity of diasporic consciousness, which will construct new texts. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH For Nadia Sasso, the connection to the African Diaspora has always been strong. Born in America to Sierra Leonean immigrant parents, Sasso is a leader in establishing social and entrepreneurial connections across cultures and fostering civic responsibility. Her recent film Am I: Too African to be American, Too American to be African has been featured in media platforms, such as Centric, Jet, The Huffington Post, Blavity, The ColorLines, OkayAfrica, Black Enterprise, AfroPunk and has been recognized by film festivals nationally and internationally. She is changing the conversation on what it means to be African and American in America and on the continent via the digital landscape. She has leveraged her background in diversity, marketing, communications, and new media across notable stages including The White House, The Smithsonian, and Universities all over the world. Through her entrepreneurial ventures along with her passion of making connections she has worked with Issa Rae, Luvvie Ajayi, Jose Antonio Vargas, Viacom, Nielson, UBS, Peace Corps and the United Nations. Sasso has a dual Bachelor’s degree in English and Sociology from Bucknell University where she was a Posse scholar. She has a Master’s degree in American Studies with a certification in Documentary Film from Lehigh University as well as a Master’s degree in Africana Studies from Cornell University. Sasso pursued her PhD in Africana Studies with a minor in Film Studies from Cornell University. iv To the hard work and dedication of my very first teachers, Siah and Abdul Sasso v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My Family: Mom, Dad, Juju, The Sasso family and The Samba family. Faculty: My committee members Dr. N’Dri Assie-Lumumba (Chair), Dr. Vilma Santiago- Irizarry, Dr. Van Dyk Lewis, and additional influences Dr. Carole Boyce- Davies, and Dr. Travis Gosa. Mentors/ Colleagues: Dr. Sarah Jefferis, Dr. Edward Baptist, Donette Baptist, Dr. James Peterson, Cynthia Estrema, Kanyinsola Obayan, Marsha Jean-Charles, Amanda Carreiro and Cosmas Emeziem. Friends: Korie Grayson, Jessica Couch, Brittany Stuckey, Tess and Sampson Jardin, Marcus Scales, Tori Smith, Jehireh Pereza-Williams, Nadeen Lewally, Nakea Tyson, my Royal Dynamite Family, Gloria Coicou, Emma Fofanah, The Diallo and Akinbolu Family. Institutions: Africana Studies & Research Center, the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, Office of Academic Diversity Intitatives and Cornell Graduate School. Communities: Sierra Leonean Community, The Am I: The Film crew and cast, and Shades: The DMV crew and cast. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 4 INTRODUCTION: TRANSNATIONAL ANXIETY IN AFRICAN GLOBAL POLITICS 4 Dissertation Synopsis 4 Relevance of Study 9 The Anxieties Expressed About Am I: The Film Release 11 Concept to Context 12 Migration 12 Language 13 Code Switching 13 Beauty Ideals 14 Community 14 Transnational Anxiety 14 Gender 15 Research Objectives 15 Research Questions 17 Settlement Practices 17 Social Mobility 17 Re-defining Ethnic Identity 17 The Effects of Language, Religion, and Politics 18 Transnational Identity Formation 18 Assumptions Underlying this Study 19 Contributions of the Study 21 Limitations of the Study 23 CHAPTER 2 25 LITERATURE REVIEW 25 Justifications 25 Background of Study 27 vii Inquiry Paradigms and Field Research 34 Key Concepts 37 CHAPTER 3 38 METHODS 38 Research Participants and Challenges Locating Them 38 Film Tour (see Appendix for circulation) 38 Media Outlets and Social Media (See Appendix ) 39 Freetown Sierra Leone 39 Data Collection Methods 40 Content Analysis 40 Semi-Structured Interviews 40 Participant Observations 41 The Feld in Context 41 Research Process 42 Research Timeline 43 Overall Ethos and Context Sensitivity 44 CHAPTER 4 47 LIVING IN A “POST WESTPHALIAN ERA:” COMPLEXITIES INHERENT IN IDENTITY FORMATIONS AND CITIZENSHIP OF AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS TO THE UNITED STATES 47 Introduction 47 Black Migration 51 Transnational Motivations 54 Familial Ties 55 Gender Roles 56 Intergenerational Relationships 57 Birthing and Raising Kids 59 Identity/ Racial Barriers 66 Remittances & Returnees 72 Conclusion 76 CHAPTER 5 79 AFRICAN FASHION AS A MEDIUM FOR ANALYZING THE IDENTITY NARRATIVE OF GENERATIONAL MIGRANTS 79 Introduction 79 viii Shifting the Narrative of African Fashion by Generational Migrants of African Diaspora 81 Narratives Situating Generational Migrants of African Diaspora 84 The Production of African Fashion in West Africa and the Western World 90 Cultural Appropriation and Re- Contextualization Rather Than (Re)- Appropriation in West Africa and the Western World 92 The Responsibility of Image- Makers of the African Diaspora 97 The Best Approach for the Future of African Fashion 114 Conclusion 118 CHAPTER 6 122 VISUAL AUTOETHNOGRAPHY: THE ROLE AND PRESENCE OF REFLEXIVITY AND INTERSUBJECTIVITY 122 Introduction 122 Ethnographic Methodologies and Mechanical Digital Media 123 Audience Response and Image Makers Responsibility 125 Film as Generative of Polyphonic Narratives and Texts 127 Transcending the Authorial Voice 132 Researchers Theoretical and Conceptual Perspective 133 CHAPTER 7 144 FREE OR NOT FREE IN FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE 144 Introduction 144 The Deconstruction of the Field 145 The Role of the Ethnography and Autoethnography 148 Why Sierra Leone? 150 Pluralizing and De-Territorializing “Home” 153 Locating Self in Black Feminist Theory 156 Participant Profiles 159 Blurred Lines In Freetown, Sierra Leone 166 Conclusion 177 CHAPTER 8 180 CONCLUSION 180 APPENDICES 186 Conferences/ Film Festivals 186 Public Speaking 186 ix Social Media Responses 188 REFERENCES 199 x CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION: TRANSNATIONAL ANXIETY IN AFRICAN GLOBAL POLITICS Dissertation Synopsis The dissertation title “Eye/ I and Eyes/ We: Reflexivity and Intersubjectivity in African Glocal Visual and Auto-Ethnography” threads together the themes of: Migration, Language, Code Switching, Beauty Ideals, Community, Transnational Anxiety, and Gender. The “Eye” is the point of view, as in what one looks at and how one looks inward which varies depending on the local. The “I” is both singular and plural-containing both the individual person as well as the communal consciousness. "Eyes" includes the audience, viewers, and participants when it comes to visual ethnography. "We" includes the shared authority between self and community and audience reception. At the helm of this dissertation both intersectionality and transnationality problematize and allow for the development of new theories and social fields since transnational communities are challenging entrenched notions such as culture, community, space, and society. This dissertation not only argues for a multiplicity and fluidity of identity construction (i.e., holding multiple and sometimes contrary communities while constantly moving between continents), but also advocates for the possibility of fluidity in the reflexivity as generational migrants move between these identity markers to create epistemological questions, constitute authorship, and expand representation. Audiences experience the African intersections through places and time as well as multiple concepts, disciplines and forms of written text. Additionally, as a researcher, image-maker, viewer, and a generational migrant, I offer a toolkit of research concepts—
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