I am a proud African. Moving to Canada and being seen as Black was a culture shock [Video]

This First Person column is the experience of Vuyo Ginindza, who lives in Regina. For more information about CBC’s First Person stories, please see the FAQ.

It was only a couple weeks after moving to Canada from eSwatini that I realized this new society did not see me as I saw myself. I am African, but I’m seen as Black here. 

I enrolled at the University of Regina in 2019, in pursuit of an acting career. I had signed up for a stand-up comedy class offered by the university and was workshopping jokes with a group of lively people when one of my white classmates asked if he could make a joke referencing African Americans and racism. At that point, there was a loud silence as everyone in the classroom turned to me, looking for judgment on the appropriateness of the joke. 

Suddenly I — an African who had been in North America …