Who are you?

I'm Eunice Offei Panin. Panin, Because I'm a twin, and it's a common name for twins in Ghana. I'm the eldest of the twins, so that's what the Panin is. And I'm a PhD student at the New School in the Milano Public and Urban Policy Program. And as I said before, I'm from Ghana. And yeah, I think that's who I am.

How do you identify?

I'm a woman. I'm a Ghanaian woman. African woman.

How do you want to/prefer to be seen?

I mean, I don't think I have any specific preference on how to be seen. Just a Ghanaian living in New York for the first time and experiencing the city. So, yeah, just a Ghanaian in New. York.

As a Ghanaian in New York, do you feel that, I mean, you know, you are Ghanaian in New York, do you think you're seen as like, have you noticed that you're a seen or perceived as a Ghanaian in New York?

Not really. I mean, at first glance, no, that. But there are some people who do notice because perhaps they're also from Africa. So they might approach you like, are you African? From where? Ghanaian or some people who are Ghanaian have accurately spotted me as Ghanaian. I don't know. Well, I guess there's a way you see someone, this person looks like they could be from Ghana, but other Africans have approached and asked if you were African. So I think by other Africans, they're able to perceive a little bit, but others, that will have to come out in conversation, especially when I speak. Yeah.

Can you also identify other Africans when you see them walking around the city?

Sometimes, yeah. I don't know how to describe it, but I think just the other week, I was with a friend who is also African, and I saw one of the security men at the school. He looked Ghanaian. I don't know how to describe it, but he looked at least African. So I asked. I told my friend, this guy looks like he could be Ghanaian. And he went to him and asked him, are you? And he said, no, he's from Togo. And I was like, okay, I was wrong, but I was close to West [Africa]. There's something. There's something that makes, you know. And there are people I can tell are African and from some part of Africa and. Yeah, we….we know.

Could you tell me why you live in a city?

Why I live in a city in general. I mean, back home, too, I do live in a city. So I'm kind of going to be talking about both Accra and New York. Accra, New York, a city is a very interesting place. You have all sorts of people. There's a lot going on. I like that. I like quiet, but I like the excitement in a city. Everything is available in the city from many parts of the world, even in Accra and especially in New York. Everything from all over the world is here and available at all times of the day. You get to meet people from different places you wouldn't meet living in your town, in Accra or your village. So that about the city, the people, different people from different cultures you get to experience without having traveled to the actual places is really interesting.

Can you tell me about a memorable urban experience you have had?

When I saw this question, I don't know why, [but] this is what keeps coming to mind, [but] it has to do with the transport, the public transport. In Accra, we have these minibusses we call the trotro that you. That move around, you get in with a couple of people and. And so you get on. And when it's getting to your bus stop, you tell the conductor, who we call the mate, to let you down. And one time I was in one, and the door, at some point, the door wouldn't open. The door to the bus wouldn't open. So for the next couple of places, the people who were getting off had to climb out through the window. These were men. And I was like, I was wondering, so how am I going to get out of this car when we get to my stop? You know, I said, oh, I don't know if I had on pants or I had on a dress. How am I going to get out of this car? Because I'm not going out through the window. But luckily for me, they stopped at a welder, and I had it fixed before I got to my stop.

So, how long did it take them to fix the door?

It took a while. More than 20 minutes. And we were just sitting in the car.

Were on your way somewhere?

[I was] on my way somewhere, yeah.

Were you late to where you were going or was there a specific time you had to be there?

I think I had a range of time and it was okay. I didn't have to be [anywhere on time]. It wasn't an official or strict meeting where I had to be there at a certain time. So it was okay. Yeah. And it was a place where they would understand. I'd tell them, like, what went down and they would understand. You know, this was not my first experience. This was actually the second time being in a trotro and the door getting stuck. So I was like, you know, you never know what you're going to get in the trotro. Every day is an adventure, something new. I mean, conversations going on, interesting conversations. People fighting with the conductor over the price change. Like, “When I was coming in the morning, this was not the price. How is this suddenly the price from here to here?” You know, so very interesting.

I'm curious about this window thing. Like, how big is the window?

It's a small window, like [on] a car. A small car.

And they were expecting, like, everyone to…

Climb [through] if they couldn't open it and you had to get out. It looked like that was the only option. I don't know whether the front was available. If you could, then you have to climb, get over the seats and around the people to the front and then get out to that door.

Sounds very inconvenient. Especially if someone's wearing a dress or they're carrying a bunch of things.

Yeah, very, very inconvenient. I can't believe it. Yeah, I always think that's what kept coming to my mind. But also, I mean, in the markets, for instance, in Accra, like the Makola market, where a lot of women, predominantly women working, they're selling, the entrepreneurs and, you know, sometimes they just [have]loud music going on and people dancing while they sell their stuff. Right in front of their spaces. Just dancing; dancing to music.

I mean, like, what kind of dancing?

Oh, like somebody could be playing Afrobeats and they are just dancing.

Did that impact them being able to sell their things?

I think what it did more was to maybe help them relieve the stress of the day of, like, the toughness of the economy and people not buying as much. And that they're able to dance in the midst of that I thought was interesting because if you would have a conversation with any of them, they would be complaining about how sales are slow and they're not getting enough people not buying. But in the midst of that, there's music going and they're dancing.

How supportive do you feel the city is to your needs?

[I am] kind of in the middle. I think sometimes they are supportive. And like in this. In cities. I think cities have a lot more resources for you. I mean, particularly even women, because the biological female needs and the things you need are more readily available in the city for you. And I didn't realize this, the advantage we have in the cities, until I realized that some people do not have access to, I mean, even sanitary pads and there are whole foundations set up to provide sanitary pads for girls in some rural areas and things. And I was like, oh, I just need to walk to the store and then I can buy it. It got expensive at some point, but I have access to it easily. And that's something that you get in cities. And I think that is a side of the city supporting [those needs]. And also in cities, because of the education and stuff like that, I think women are increasingly being given opportunities. You have more [opportunity] in the cities than you would in the rural areas. You think in this day and age, I mean, women are being [denied opportunities]. But you go to a rural area and find out [about] girls who are not being allowed to go to school or participate because they are women in 2024.

I've seen that in multiple countries.

And you almost forget because you're in the city and the conversation is going on, women are human, they have to participate. And you get there and no conversation, they're not being allowed in. So I think in that kind of sense, resources, education network[s], the cities provide for that. But there are also challenges in a city like New York, even in Accra, I mean, housing is almost as expensive in Accra as it is in New York. Oh yeah. Like, literally. So that, in that sense, how difficult it is, I mean, coming from Africa to here to try to find accommodation [was challenging]. We tried and we realized we need a little. A bit more than we have all the requirements, all the things that were being required to sign a lease, to be able to rent an apartment. I didn't feel there was enough support for an African coming to New York for school to have a place to stay. So if you don't have somebody who can help you, have relatives or have family or friends who, you know, who could help you with a place to stay, you're kind of on your own. There's very little support in that regard.

It is very difficult. And about this, when you were talking about girls not being able to go to school, is that from other places? Like, did you see that also in Ghana?

Yeah. In some of the rural areas, like sometimes some of the villages in the north, young ladies being forced to marry older men against their will. Yeah. Not having a say, you know, just being at home. You're supposed to be at home, be in the kitchen, like, still going on to this day? In some rural areas in Ghana, yes.

And I had some friends go for something, I think a mission trip there, and they saw them, and he came back, and he was telling me. And I'm like, I am always talking about this, fighting for this kind of stuff, but I forget that. I think we've made it. We are not there yet, but we've made significant progress. So to hear that, like, there's some parts of this country where they are still this far back was like, I thought I knew, but it was surprising a little bit.

When did you find that out?

This was about four, five years ago that I had this conversation with this person, but with other people. I've seen that there's still that issue in some other places.

Do you feel included in the city (as a person of value)?

In certain places? Yeah. Yes. Like in school, in class, I think my opinions are valued and heard, like, among friends. And so, yeah, I definitely feel valued there. But I think apart from that, I have not really been thinking about it. I mean, we're all going about our responsibilities, our duties. So you wouldn't think about people valuing you? By spaces where I have to be, I think I see that I'm valued being in there. I guess I'm fortunate to be in spaces where my opinion is valued. I'm valued as a person and the different perspectives that I bring. People would like to hear: “What's happening?” “What do you have to say about this?” And then maybe something from Ghana that they don't know and they are willing to hear about.

Do you feel that when you talk about the spaces that you go into, to the environments that you go into, do you feel like those. That those spaces are inclusive for you? Like, if they're like, in the built environment, do you feel like in your apartment or walking around wherever you're going, do you feel that those included in those spaces in a way that makes it like it's thought about, that you, as someone with your body type is able to navigate.

This is a funny thing. The elevator in my building is really small. So for me, it works for me. But I think about other people because if somebody is claustrophobic or slightly bigger, this is very inconvenient, how tiny this is. But then also I see in that place maybe they might not expect somebody like me to be living in that building or that specific area that I live in now. But I guess I haven't had any weird looks or anything. But I did notice that not many people who look like me live there. Yeah. But anybody I've met so far has been very super nice or minding their business. So it hasn't [been bad]. If they were weird, it would have been, it would have compounded the effect when you've already realized that it seems kind of off because not a lot of people like you live, live there in that building or something like that. But everybody has been cool.

What would make the city more convenient for you?

Well, in the Bronx, [there are] a lot of African spots, places where you could easily meet a lot of Africans. African food, things that you need to prepare your food. Not a lot in the city here. And for one thing in Accra, for the city to be more supportive would be more convenient. Travel means and commute times…the traffic is crazy in Accra and that's only gotten worse. And some people I had conversations with, people who were thinking about doing some research on the psychological effects of staying in that kind of traffic to go to work and then come home. So you have to leave your house crazy early to get to work at a reasonable time. And you're going to spend also hours on the road back home. And I think that's a big thing. The infrastructure, more convenient infrastructure here? I think. Yeah, more opportunities for community for people to meet other Africans. But then at the same time an opportunity for people who are willing to learn about [other people]. Because I'm not here, I came from Africa, I'm not here to meet only Africans. I would like to hear from other people. So the opportunity to meet and interact more with other people, learn from them and get to experience other cultures would be great.

And for how do you, when you are in Accra, how do you usually get around? Is it the bus or do you have a car or what's the best way for you to get around there?

I do have a car. So that is the most convenient way of getting around because then at least you have a bit of control over your time and how you would get there. But then the traffic is crazy and there are some places like the market I told you about, Makola Market or those major [areas]. Like, really, there's a place in Accra we call Accra. Yeah, like “I'm Going to Accra.” So those places are crazy packed with people all the time. So, in those areas, I'd rather not drive. I'd like to take public transport to go there because you struggle to find a place to park or just [dealing with] the traffic to get in there. And then when you get there, you're not going to find a place to park your car. So I don't like to drive to such places. I would rather take the bus.

If you take the bus to buy stuff at the market, is it difficult to get it back? Is it a challenge?

It's a challenge. You have to carry your things and you just get one seat. You [need to] pay for one more seat to put your things in because they don't have enough space at the back or like the boot to keep stuff. You could keep some things under your seat, but depending on the amount of things that you buy, [it can be] very inconvenient. You would rather have your car, you know. So if you could get somebody, a driver or you're with someone who would drive you there and then drop you off, you buy the things, then you meet them somewhere and go home. Or you could order an Uber. It would be expensive getting out of there with the traffic, but yeah, Uber or taxi.

You have to think about all that when you are [out]. You decide, like, I'm going to buy. But the women and the men and the people who work, they find their way around it. You know, there are people who do that often, so I don't know how they do it. Whenever I see them, I'm stressed just looking atthem do it, but they do it so often.

Who is part of your community?

So my community in both places, family. But then my friends from school and then my friends from church, making friends from there has been really good. So I have friends here at school, I have friends at church that I hang out with over the weekend. I hang out with friends from school during the week, Sometimes over the weekend, sometimes after class, as you know. And then. Yeah. So those have been the people who have made the stay here easy. [It was] kind of soft landing for for me. Yeah. I mean, you know this. Well, the particular cohort of the PhD that we came in had a community, so it was easy to just come in there with them and [I] have friends from there. And then also my friends from church, you know, it's nice. It's good to have friends in a place.

What else should we know about how you feel about cities?

I like living in the city. I actually, I enjoy the city. As I talked about earlier, different people, different cultures, different activities going on. Just walking down the street is interesting. You see, you see things. And I like how in New York nobody cares about anything. There are some things I see people doing. And if it was in Ghana, at least you get people staring at you, in Accra. Yeah, they would definitely stare or somebody will say something.

Could you share one of those if you feel comfortable?

I see people wearing some of the things people wear here. I saw someone wear something and I was like, well, if this one was walking somewhere in Accra, someone would definitely say something. Like, pass a comment, pass a comment. It may or may not be offensive.

What were they wearing?

I mean, in New York it's completely normal. Nobody cares about that kind of stuff. But maybe some. Even some color of hair or [something]. I mean, now in Accra, things have gotten so that it has to be a certain level of extreme, which [is] still nobody would care about in New York. But in Accra you get a few stares. Yeah. For instance, items of clothing and stuff. Yeah. Or like people kissing in public. People would look at you.

New York is very interesting in that way.

Yes. So I did notice. I was like, I realized if I was just living in the city and this was my community, this was my area, there are things I would wear to walk around here [that] I wouldn't wear in Ghana because somebody would say something, somebody would look at you. But here, no, you could, you could wear anything and go wherever you're going. And I was like, so I guess I'm grateful for the Ghanaian community I have at church because they would keep some sort of. Keep you in some sort of. Like, you can't wear. You can't wear that.

Would you say it's more like modest? Like more modest clothing?

Yeah, modest. And also if you are, you know, there are some things people can wear just that like people can be wearing. [Like] walking around in their pajamas. And [if] you do that. Somebody, an auntie. I mean, you know, we have many aunties in Africa. They may not be your biological aunties, but they are aunties…they're gonna say something.

[It is] something like that, that kind of like. Yeah, okay. So, yeah, so that, that freedom [in] New York to do whatever. So I like that about cities. And at the same time, I think if a person lives in a city, sometimes you need to go out of a city for a little bit. I mean, for me, for some quiet calm and then come back into the city. So I like to live in the city and then go out for a little break and then come back to regular life in the city. That's how I feel about the city and living in the city. So it's good to have that option of stepping out of it for a bit and then coming back to the city.

How is that helpful for you?

I think it is because everything is always going, going, going in the city. There's things happening all the time. Activity all the time. Sometimes it's nice to have a place or be in a place where it's quiet. And sometimes in those places, I know not all of them, but you can get to a place where you get to interact. Here, everybody's like, moving, go, go, go. Nobody has time to. But you get to be in a place where people say hi, and just a different pace is helpful, too. I think [it is] mostly for relaxation.