With Mother's Day being celebrated earlier in many parts of the world before the United States, I couldn't resist sharing one of my dream episodes - a recording with my incredible mother, Emelia Harry Akponwei. In this heartwarming episode, she opens up about her passion for dancing, her health challenges, love for Ijaw musicians, her favorite American food, and so much more. We dive into topics like humility, forgiveness, respect, trauma, history in Ghana, Nigerian-Ghanaian relations, blended families, remarriage, and even her experience with a car accident in Nigeria and subsequent medical treatment in the U.S. We also touch on her educational journey, memories from Benin City, her relationships with siblings, family reunions, career struggles, and the beautiful legacy she's building. Emelia also shares powerful immigrant stories, her advocacy for women in Nigeria, the meanings behind her name, and her experiences with Catholic education.
And of course, no conversation with my mother would be complete without unraveling some fascinating Ijaw history.
Stay tuned for part 2 once we lock in the logistics! This is a conversation you won't want to miss.
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📚 Timestamped overview
00:00 "White Label American podcast empowers immigrant stories, featuring in-depth interviews."
10:34 Papa's job and struggles with finding a Catholic school vacancy.
17:37 Family traveled, locked up in Lagos due to travel regulations.
21:48 Agatha went with Harrison; Albert and Akwesi went with their mothers.
27:19 Interest in migrating to America post-retirement from civil service.
29:37 Near town, the driver speeds, the warning is ignored, and an accident occurs.
34:31 Nominated for a course, needed medical treatment in the US.
38:38 Reluctant to go to America, suspicious of marriage intentions.
47:23 The speaker had a meaningful conversation with someone about a family reunion before leaving for the United States.
48:58 Before leaving for Ghana, the speaker had directions from a relative.
57:06 Encounter with the director at the village, writer's works mentioned.
01:01:14 Woman talks to son about her health and gives resume to son's colleague, concerned for mother's health.
01:05:56 Difficulty connecting to Agua. Concerns for improved service in Agbere. Inquiring about plans.
01:10:35 Inquiring about nicknames and artists for dancing.
01:18:22 Encouraging words to listeners to support and share content for future episodes.
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