Samuel Zalanga poses for a picture alongside students of a Christian school in a renowned poor neighborhood in Kibera, Nigeria in June, 2013 known as, “Kibera Slum.” There, he attended a Sunday church service performed by the students of the Christian school, then he participated in a session where the students asked them questions. Zalanga loves returning to Nigeria and providing as much of a positive influence as he can. “I felt moved by their need for a mentor and someone who can help then expand their global understanding,” Zalanga said. | Submitted photo

Professor experiences America

Samuel Zalanga immigrated to America and learned to adapt to an entirely new environment.

By James Adams | Reporter

On the night of Aug. 19, 1993, Samuel Zalanga walked out of the Minneapolis-SaintPaul International airport with a single bag of his belongings and $100 in his pocket. He’d just flown more than 6,000 miles from Nigeria to the United States to finish his doctoral studies at theUniversity of Minnesota. Zalanga walked out of the airport with nowhere to stay but soon met a man who offered Zalanga a place to stay for the night. Zalanga accepted the stranger’s offer.

“When I was young, I was a risk-taker,” Zalanga said.

“When I came to this country, I talked really really slowly… Americans want to go straight to the point.”–Samuel Zalanga, sociology professor

Zalanga was dropped off to the U of M the next day, and while interacting with students and professors, he immediately felt differences in the way people spoke in America versus Nigeria.

“When I came to this country, I talked really really slowly… Americans want to go straight to the point,” Zalanga said.

This wasn’t the only time Zalanga had to adapt to the American culture. Early on, he watched the news and wasn’t used to the violence reported.

“When I walked down the stairs… I would be afraid of someone shooting me,” Zalanga said.

For the last 27 years, Zalanga has continued to adapt and study the American culture, especially during his 20 years as a Sociology and Humanities professor at Bethel, and he has been disappointed by the evolution of it.

Samuel Zalanga says his goodbyes to his doctoral students and department staff at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University in the city of Awaka, Anambra State, Nigeria, in late June, 2018, where he did a Fulbright Scholarship, a scholarship for the exchange of students between U.S. and other nations, for one academic year in (year). Zalanga did the fellowship in the southeastern region of Nigeria, even though he is from the northeast part of Nigeria. “It taught me how to be in a different cultural area and adapt, even though it was in my country of birth,” Zalanga said. | Submitted Photo

“(America) has become more polarized and has become a less caring society.” Zalanga said.

Today, as a Association of Third World Studies Outstanding Service Award winning professor and Nigerian native, Zalanga provides a global understanding element to the students he stands up in front of and lectures. He believes it’s not only incredibly important to know the information he’s lecturing, but to understand the content.

“I want them (his students) to understand the material… and how to apply it (The content he teaches his student),” Zalanga said.