"Don't address me as Mrs but Miss".-Married Chimamanda Adichie warns journalist | This Is Miss Petite Nigeria Blog

Monday, 3 March 2014

"Don't address me as Mrs but Miss".-Married Chimamanda Adichie warns journalist

So award winning writer Chimanda-Adichie has many speculating if her marriage with U.S based doctor, Dr. Ivara Esegee is intact after she told a Sunnewsonline journalist to address her as "Miss" not "Mrs".

Mrs Chimamanda Adichie, wel-come back to Nigeria…
Before we start, please, I just want to say that my name is Chimamanda Adichie. That’s how I want it; that’s how I’m ad-dressed, and it is not Mrs but Miss.  Ms: that’s how I want it. I am saying this, because I just got a mail from my manager this morning. It seems that there are people who attended the church service, and they wrote about it, addressing me as Mrs. Chimamanda (Esega). I didn’t like that at all. So my name is Chimamanda Adichie, full stop!
You mean?
This is because it is also responsible that people be called what they want to be called.
In one of your interview published in the some newspapers, (including an interview in Sunday Sun with Akubuiro in 2007), you said you’re a feminist. Can you throw more light on that?

Oooh! Is that when I said that, because that quote has followed me everywhere in the world? That’s why I don’t like granting interviews, because whatever you say, in 20 years, you’ll still be quoted. Oh I said I’m a feminist? You know, what I meant was that: you know when people hear feminism, many things come into their head. What I wanted him to understand is that feminism doesn’t mean that you want to be a man. I’m a feminist, I’m a female; a feminist meaning that I want to look like a woman, but I want the equal respect that a man has. I think that human being should be respected based on their achievements and not based on whether you’re a man or woman. But, since I said that, everywhere I go, people are asking about that. I went to Australia, and they had read that; they knew about that. I was on stage in a hall full of people. They said they had a special present for me, and they brought in purse. I just started laughing. It was hilarious. But this is why you should be careful what you say. It was so funny. All the way in Australia!
You started by telling me that you’re not “Mrs.”…
(cuts in) My name is Chimamada Adichie. If you want to put label for me, put Ms.
But people know that you’re married. As an Igbo girl, you know our culture…    

(Cuts in again) What does our culture do? Let me tell you about our culture. This thing that you are calling our culture –that when you marry somebody, you’ll start call-ing her Mrs. Somebody –is not our culture; it is Western culture. If you want to talk about our culture, you need to go to people in real Igbo land. But it is true. My grandfather’s name is David. His name is also Nwoye. They call him Nwoye Omeni. Omeni was his mother. You know why? It is to help distinguish him, because there are often many wives. So, it was his mother that they used to identify him. They know that all of these people came from the same compound, but whose child is this one. You may go and ask people who is Nwoye Omeni, and they’ll tell you it is my grandfather. So, conversation about culture is a long one. I don’t even want to have it.

But, at what point would you change your name?
Yes; because it’s all fused. You cannot then come and impose something on somebody. Nobody should come and impose something on somebody, because, if you come and tell me it is our culture, I’ll tell you it is not our culture. Where do you want to start counting? Do you want to start counting in 1920, or do you want us to start counting from 1870? 
But culture is dynamic…

Exactly my point, which is why this is new. If culture is dynamic, you cannot use it as conservative tool. We can-not then say it has to be this because it is our culture.  My point is that it is a new thing. Things are changing. We live in a world now where women have a right to bear the name they want. So, we cannot say this is how we do it. If some women want to do it that way, that’s fine! God bless them. Some women won’t do it. I am one of those women, and nobody will come to use culture to tell me that I should do what I don’t want to do.

24 comments:

  1. endtimes woman

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  2. Too much grammer

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  3. nice visit www.habasstunde.com

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  4. Because beyonce featured her in that wack song, she is feeling too big.nonsense.She better go and relax her virgin hair before her husband dumps her.I know he has a hot chick on the side

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    1. What a silly thing to say. What is wrong with her natural hair? How is something natural to her being used as an insult? it's people like you who preach culture but can't stand to be cultural. Is attachment Nigerian? I suggest you check yourself. Your comments speak more of your envy than anything wrong with her character.

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  5. na wetin too much book dey cause...d small wey i sabi don do me..

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  6. Everyone have their own life to live yu just gat to respect it but na craze dey worry her shah bcos i don loose all the respect wey i bin get for her...... Baga, talking nonsense....
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    ***CURRENTLY IN JUPITER***

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    1. Very Rude response.. Is this what gender Equality is all about?? Not having respect for your spouse or ashamed to bear his name. Rubbish. I'm a lady doesn't make me a weaker sex, bt husband cmes 1st den wife.

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  7. MAKE UNA SEE THIS BLACK MONKEY SWEGBE WHO CARES IF U ARE MARRIED OR NOt WHO CARES IF U BE MS OR MISS SEE THIS IDIOT
    so many chikala and WOAMN DEY DO NITE VIRGIL FASTING AND PRAYER MAKE BABA GOD GIVE THEM THE TITLE OF MRS YOU DEY HERE DEY PASS MAGA. See this foolish girl o wetein she dey fel like uwrite only 3 novels ur head dey swell up pride goes before a fall we go soon hear say she be lesbian na crime if u talk say u marry and people adress u properly abeg jor

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  8. @edDreamz guy i gbadu ur talk jor u make sense me too every little respect way i get for this idiot i don loose am i be think say she be correct black african sister way dey real way dey proud of her rich cultural heritage wetein be address me as ms or just chimanda shuo no b u say u don marry abi if she don divorce make she talk o make we register begin dey fire am jor

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  9. She sounds arrogant

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  10. I sooooo hate diz lady with passion.....alwayz feeling as if she knowz more dan everybody

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  11. Btw in d olden days, (culture) women answered their husband's names. Like, "nwunye Ikenna" ikenna's wife. "oriaku okeke" chopper of okeke's wealth. Etc which culture is hers?

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  12. Typical case of over know-know....if you don't take time confusion will start confusing the owner.

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  13. Yes we know Chimamanda has brain, I just think she's overrated, always talking shit about feminism, she really doesn't know what feminsm is all about...its not by force to take your husbands name but please she shouldn't make women that do feel less important than men.......abeg she should take a chill pill jor.

    Frankaakano.blogspot.com

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  14. She sounds arrogant, always cutting in b4 d end of each question!

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  15. Yeye endtime women!

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  16. She sounds pained. Ope she's okay?

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  17. Rubbish I just lost my respect for her.What arrogance mtcheww

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  18. WHAT KIND OF PRIDE IS THIS?MUMU WOMAN

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  19. You want to feel equal with a man and youre from Igboland,i pity you

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  20. Am so so disappointed in this lady. She has lost it. Is she not a gay

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  21. Don't be surprise when u heard she's a lesbian. Add this to the way she's supporting gay. I use to like her not now again.

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