CANANUSA.ORG-October 23, 2013-Members of the Christian Association of Nigerian-Americans, CANAN have reached out to Senator Ted Cruz of Texas to make a formal correction, retracting his distasteful, and disparaging remarks made about Nigerians on Monday in Houston. According to Houston Chronicle while taking a political swipe at the computer problems of the Affordable Care Act rollout, Senator Cruz was reported as saying "You may have noticed that all the Nigerian email scammers have become a lot less active lately… They all have been hired to run the Obamacare website."Cruz has maligned all hardworking, decent and outstanding Nigerian-Americans who add value and bring goodwill to their different communities, especially in Texas, with the largest concentration of Nigerian-Americans in this country.
Although his office did confirm this, explaining that it was just a joke, CANAN finds it appalling and reprehensible that the good name and reputation of Nigerian-Americans is what the Senator can joke with whimsically. This is completely unacceptable.CANAN does not intend at this point to delve into the very nature of global and international scammers, except to say this condemnable practice is not limited to any one country based on available information and research.We consider it an insult that a Senator who should be representing the people of his state could turn against some of his very own constituents in what is clearly a reckless and offensive remark.There is only one decent option open to Senator Cruz: an unconditional and full apology. While we will be restrained at this point in order to allow for a respectable response from him, CANAN appeals to its teeming members drawn from over 1000 local parishes in the United States, several professional and ethnic groups, to await further developments.We want to assure our people, that we are not taking this kind of unmitigated insults lying down anymore.We are respectable, law abiding and outstanding members of the American society. By an account of the Houston Chronicle, our people are the best educated of all groups in the land.That Houston Chronicle report of May 20, 2008 was based on US government official census. The census shows that while 8 percent of the white population in the US had master’s degree and 1% held doctorates, 17% of Nigerian- Americans holds a Master’s degree and 4% doctorates.37% of Nigerians in America has first degree compared to 19% of our white American brothers!Compared to the Asians, Nigerians are still tops in this country as education goes. 12% Asians have Master’s and 3% doctorates! Compare that to 17% of Nigerian- Americans who hold a Master’s degree and 4% doctorates.There is every reason for us to challenge some of this ignorant stereotypes and the time to start has come! We shall no longer be the butt of these jaundiced and ethnic-based pejoratives!
Although his office did confirm this, explaining that it was just a joke, CANAN finds it appalling and reprehensible that the good name and reputation of Nigerian-Americans is what the Senator can joke with whimsically. This is completely unacceptable.CANAN does not intend at this point to delve into the very nature of global and international scammers, except to say this condemnable practice is not limited to any one country based on available information and research.We consider it an insult that a Senator who should be representing the people of his state could turn against some of his very own constituents in what is clearly a reckless and offensive remark.There is only one decent option open to Senator Cruz: an unconditional and full apology. While we will be restrained at this point in order to allow for a respectable response from him, CANAN appeals to its teeming members drawn from over 1000 local parishes in the United States, several professional and ethnic groups, to await further developments.We want to assure our people, that we are not taking this kind of unmitigated insults lying down anymore.We are respectable, law abiding and outstanding members of the American society. By an account of the Houston Chronicle, our people are the best educated of all groups in the land.That Houston Chronicle report of May 20, 2008 was based on US government official census. The census shows that while 8 percent of the white population in the US had master’s degree and 1% held doctorates, 17% of Nigerian- Americans holds a Master’s degree and 4% doctorates.37% of Nigerians in America has first degree compared to 19% of our white American brothers!Compared to the Asians, Nigerians are still tops in this country as education goes. 12% Asians have Master’s and 3% doctorates! Compare that to 17% of Nigerian- Americans who hold a Master’s degree and 4% doctorates.There is every reason for us to challenge some of this ignorant stereotypes and the time to start has come! We shall no longer be the butt of these jaundiced and ethnic-based pejoratives!
Signed by: Laolu Akande Executive Director, CANAN, Dr. Christy Ogbeide, Houston Chapter Coordinator & Pastor Banjo Olaniyan, Houston Chapter Secretary-
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