EXTERNAL AFRICAN MIGRATION AND ITS IMPACTS ON THE YORUBA IDENTITY AND CULTURE

Abstract

Migration as an integral part of the history of mankind and identity has increasingly become an important keyword in the contemporary human society. The Yoruba as part of the African people are inseparable from their history and culture. Their history is the record of what they are, what they did, how they lived, thought and spoke. Certain elements of the origin and migration narratives of the African people such as a common ancestor, common ancestral home, common belief in the Supreme Deity provide a basis for identity formation and recognition among the African people. This paper examined how the African societies came to be, where they are, how their identities and cultures have evolved and to what extent has the internal and external influences shaped the Yoruba ethics, culture and identity. Also, this paper evaluates the elucidation of the historical link between migration and Yoruba identity. This work adopts Arwin Altmal’s Social Penetration theory and a qualitative method was use. This work therefore concludes that the Yoruba Identity has greatly been affected by migration. This paper therefore recommends that even though immigration is inevitable, Yoruba people should incorporate the positive values of other culture. Also, Yoruba people should promote their culture in diaspora.