Ep. 2 - Tobore: Names and Accents as Stamps of Identity

Changing one’s name to suit the English tongue, using accent slips as comedic resilience against racism, and ditching the immigrant career stereotype: A reflection on the life of a young black woman who migrated from Nigeria in her childhood!

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Have you noticed how many immigrants end up going by British names, or perhaps nicknames that are easier on the European tongue? How does that affect one’s identity, growing up? What is it like to feel pressured to adopt a ‘British’ accent? How does it feel to experience colonial racial slurs from your own race? And how does one turn that racism on its head, using accents for comedy? 

In this episode, Thivyaa speaks to one of her best friends from childhood, Tobore Sonia Dafiaga, a young Black actress, writer and director doing a masters in Global Health and Social Justice! Tobore - known formally as Sonia - reflects on what it was like to migrate to the UK as a child from her Urhobo tribe in Nigeria. We reflect on how her identity has changed, what it was like for her to adopt Black-British culture, and reaffirm her Black identity through reclaiming her name. We also discuss the beauty of uniting the arts with the sciences, and tackling the world’s problems through an interdisciplinary approach!

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Alternatively, get in touch via the links below:

Tobore (instagram): @sonia_dafiaga 

Stories of Migration (instagram): @storiesofmigration_

Stories of Migration (twitter): @SoMigration