On June 2nd, 2004, I was born in the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. Does that mean you’re Kenyan? Unfortunately not. In Kenya, one can only receive citizenship by birth if one of their parents holds citizenship. And neither my Canadian mother nor my American father did, so I received citizenship for Canada and the USA, but not for Kenya.
At the time, my mother had been living in Kenya for 6 years and my father for 4. They had initially planned to raise me there, but when job opportunities were presented abroad, our family of three departed Kenya after just 6 months of my infant life.
I was raised in New York City and did not return to Nairobi until nearly 20 years later, so I don’t have any memories from there. Ever since leaving, my parents have reminisced: “we have to take you back, you have to see where you were born!”. They have decorated our home with mudcloth, maps, carvings, and photos, and raised me with children’s books like Moja Means One: Swahili Counting Book. The love my parents hold for Kenya and my natal connection to the country inspired me to pursue Swahili at Northwestern.
Having now studied it for over a year, learning Swahili has been an incredible experience, and I have become more proficient in the language than I had ever expected to. Professor Mwangi has also contributed hugely to my love of learning Swahili through his enthusiasm and support. Swahili is not only one of my favorite classes at Northwestern, but a way for me to feel more connected to my country of birth.
This past December, I had the opportunity to finally return to Kenya and travel there with my parents, as they have talked about doing for so many years. From swimming in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Watamu, to seeing lions attack a buffalo while on safari in Maasai Mara, to revisiting the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, the trip was beautiful, memorable, and eye-opening. Plus, I got to practice my Swahili! Jambo! Habari za asubuhi?
Elianna Phillips is an undergraduate at Northwestern University.