M'sian City Life #16: How I Deal With Racial Prejudice As A Nigerian In KL

Emmanuel came to Malaysia three years ago after dropping out of school in Nigeria to study Information Technology (IT) at a local university in Kuala Lumpur.

Over the past three years he's spent here, Emmanuel also had the opportunity to visit two other states in Malaysia, namely, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan.

"I've been to Melaka. It's a lovely place because of the historical significance. It's also because I like history. I've also been to Port Dickson, which was pretty nice as well. Morning jogs there are definitely better than here in KL," Emmanuel said.

"A long time ago when I had the original Xbox gaming console, I liked to take things apart. So when I flipped the console one day, I saw the words: 'Made in Malaysia'."

"Since then, Malaysia kind of stuck in my head. So when I was considering which countries to go to, I remembered that experience then, and so I chose Malaysia," Emmanuel recalled.

"The people here are not so welcoming of outsiders even though we, the outsiders, were led to believe Malaysians as very open through the 'Malaysia truly Asia' jingle," Emmanuel explained.

"From downright racist remarks and gestures, to subtle hints of racism in conversations and people refusing to sit down beside me in a train during rush hours, my main problem with living here has been battling racism."

On how he deals with these situations, Emmanuel said, "I've just learnt to ignore them and move on. It also helps to not to attribute every negative encounter on racism because sometimes, it's not about what race I am."

It was difficult for Emmanuel to settle in Malaysia at first because he was having a hard time finding friends.

"People here are the complete opposite from the people back home. Here, people tend to not like strangers or even talk to people they are not familiar with, as opposed to back in my country where people are very open and caring."

However, in 2014, Emmanuel founded Geekception, a YouTube channel that focuses on the subject of technology such as mobile technology, PC and software reviews.

His YouTube channel opened up a possibility for him to meet more like-minded people, especially when attending related local events.

"Though I've only been on Youtube for 2 years, I've been able to get access to most companies here, which has definitely helped in the growth of the channel," Emmanuel said.

He recalled having to send messages via Facebook, Twitter, and company websites previously. He even had to make calls to Singapore and China several times just to secure invites and access to exclusive launches and products. Emmanuel was used to sending out emails but not getting any replies.

For the first 1.5 years of Geekception, Emmanuel struggled to make a mark until he went to his first tech event thanks to the help of a friend.

"I got nothing until I eventually networked with another YouTuber from KLGadgetTV, Warren, who took me to my first event. Another person who has been of tremendous help is Vernon Chan of the influential blog Vernonchan.com."

"It was, and sometimes continues to be, a huge hustle," Emmanuel added.

Emmanuel, who is recognised as one of the top 100 people in technology in Nigeria by Ynaija.com, believes that there are many opportunities to succeed in Malaysia as long as it is accompanied by determination.

"I feel that Malaysia is a land filled with opportunities if you're willing to work hard and keep on learning," he said.

"It just requires a lot of hard work, persistence and the will to never give up."

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