Interview with Sofiya Johnson by Farah Allibhai

Description

In a conversation recorded on July 2, 2024, Sofiya Johnson discusses her life experiences as a fourth-generation Indian in East Africa. Born in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1956, she moved to Mwanza, Tanzania, where her family thrived in a British colonial economy, benefiting from privileges due to her grandfather's significant government role. Johnson reflects on her privileged upbringing in a colonial environment marked by racial segregation but expresses a strong identification with African culture rather than Indian.

As Tanzania transitioned to independence under President Nyerere's socialist policies in the 1970s, Johnson's family experienced significant upheaval, including the nationalization of their businesses and land. Amid political tensions and persecution against Indians, she was smuggled out of Tanzania at age 13, eventually reuniting with her father in Kenya before moving to England.

In England, she faced cultural challenges, feeling neither entirely accepted by British society nor tied to her Indian heritage. Despite this, she carved out a life for herself, marrying and starting a career in the media before embracing a holistic wellness practice in Florida. Eventually, she relocated to Wales, where she found a sense of belonging and peace that she hadn't experienced elsewhere in the UK.