Kofi's Wandering Journey Towards Home

by Nicholas Springer

“I decided on moving to Portland before I had a job lined up. So it was the place before the job.” Kofi Obeng is Catlin’s Coordinator of Multicultural Programs and Youth Partnerships.

He moved to Portland a few years ago, and has since been working with Portland youth through Catlin and the CENTER.

“For me, that’s typically how it's been. I've had an area or geographical location in mind and then just been looking for a job or opportunities within that area. If I'm being really stubbornly set on it, then I'll say, okay, I'm moving to this area regardless, and hopefully within the next couple of months something lines up.”

Kofi doesn’t feel content living life out in just one location, and has been on the move since graduating high school. He moved away from his childhood home to go college in a different state, traveled to Europe during college, moved to Portland to get a change of scenery, and is soon moving on to Los Angeles to pursue a new job opportunity.

Although the move is related to the progression and development of Kofi’s career, he also characterized it as an opportunity to see more of the world and learn more about himself.

“I believe the city has so many different aspects of different cultures, a fascinating history, and a fascinating future. It’s a place that I can really learn and grow and just learn more about myself.”

Just as Kofi felt the draw to move to Portland years ago, Los Angeles now seems to be the next step in his life, and maybe even in his destiny.

“I believe that you can manifest certain things, and this opportunity was manifested in the city of Los Angeles.”

Kofi grew up in Wellesley, a suburb of Boston, with two Ghanaian parents. Due to his unique skin color and ethnicity, Kofi did not feel that his hometown was truly his home.

“The place I grew up wasn't my ethnic home, so I was somewhat in a place of being dislocated from my ethnic, actual home.”

Kofi rarely encountered Blacks in his suburb, and certainly did not encounter many African families. As a result, he felt a disconnection from the community, but found his place at home with his family.

“I think It's 97% white. So growing up there, you know, being an ethnic and racial minority meant that I didn't feel at home within the town. My physical house, however, felt like home.”

On the other side of Kofi’s identity from his African roots, he is also a Black American. Since his parents grew up in Africa, Kofi did not see much of the Black American experience at home, but he was able to interact with Black Americans from the Boston area that went to his school. However, he also felt some friction between his Black American identity and his African identity.

“Being around them was a lot of fun, and I felt like them culturally. However,  I was ‘the outsider within,’ even though I was at times fitting in.”

Two distinct parts of Kofi’s identity clash with each other: his African heritage, which he did not fully experience because he grew up in the US, and his status as a Black American, which he does not fully conform to due to his ethnic background. As a result, Kofi does not feel that his home is represented by an actual physical location.

“Soon I realized that for me, home isn't tied to a physical environment. It’s more tied to this certain people I was around that made me feel like I belonged with that group.”

However, Kofi does feel a deep connection with Ghana, even though he wasn’t physically present there for his childhood.

“I'm sure like my deepest core spiritual concept of home is actually located in Ghana.” Kofi has visited Ghana multiple times during his life, and he described the trips with childlike joy: “It felt amazing to see people that looked like me, and to be around family that I hadn’t seen in years. I was finally able to talk to them and to have those connections with them.”

Part of Kofi’s desire to move and venture into the unknown stems from the history of his ancestors.

“I believe that I'm from a nomadic people, people of travel and journey. Therefore, I can't, imagine what my life would have been like if I just stayed in one place.”

However, Kofi imagines that if he grew up in Ghana he probably would have stayed there. In reality, he grew up in the US, physically disconnected from his true spiritual home. It seems that this physical dislocation is what allows Kofi to travel. He is not tied down anywhere, leaving him free to see the world.

Another important aspect of Kofi’s journey is his conception of the American Dream, which is closely related to his father’s journey coming to the US.

“My Dad left Ghana to go to different schools, and landed in the USA, with the goal of being able to provide a platform for his children to have a better life. That, to me, is the crux of what the American dream is. I am a product of that.”

Kofi wants to take advantage of the opportunities his father’s hard work has afforded him, to be able to experience what he considers the American Dream.

“LA is up there only with cities like New York in terms of cities that are vibrant, global cities with a very distinct history, and these cities are the ones that bring people that are chasing their notion of the American dream.”

Just like all of his previous homes, Kofi anticipates eventually moving on from LA. At some point, he says, he wants to move to the East coast, where he will settle for some time to raise a family. It seems Kofi wants to offer his future children a similar childhood to his own, making sure to pass on the Ghanaian culture that he holds so dearly.

“I would love to raise a family and have kids back east, and then make sure that they have a strong connection to Ghana.”

After raising his children and seeing enough of the world, Kofi plans to move back to Ghana.

“My dream is to retire in Ghana. That's where I feel my spirit belongs.”

After living his entire life separated from his home, Kofi’s physical self will unite with his spirit, and he will finally live in the place he calls home.