The amazing stories of Africans living in the United States are rarely told in the United States where most people in the news are often white. Kids who grow up watching television or browsing news sites often end up believing that the world ends in California and starts in New York. They may also end up believing that success, peace, care, love and intelligence are all white while failure, chaos, terror, ignorance, anger and violence are all black. TODAY NEWS AFRICA USA knows that’s false. Our popular segment “My American Story” highlights the perseverance, tenacity, intelligence, sophistication, struggles and successes of Africans in the United States and Canada – Simon Ateba, editor-in-chief of TODAY NEWS AFRICA USA, Washington D.C., August 18, 2018.
Eric Fouh, an Assistant Professor of Practice Computer and Information Science at the University of Pennsylvania who moved to the United States about 11 years ago, is a brilliant and simple man who answers long questions with simple but concise answers as demonstrated in an interview he granted TODAY NEWS NEWS AFRICA USA in early August 2019.
Born in the central African country of Cameroon, Mr. Fouh studied Computer Science at Virginia Tech and the Université de Picardie.
What fascinates him the most about living in the United States is “Meeting people with interesting life stories”, he said.
Mr. Fouh granted an interview to TODAY NEWS AFRICA USA, and gave us a peep into his extraordinary life in the United States.
What’s your name now? What was your name before? What do people call you and what do you prefer to be called?
Eric Fouh, Eric Fouh, Eric or Eric Fouh.
What African country do you identify with and what part of that country do you associate with? What state do you live in the United States? What’s your citizenship?
Cameroon, Douala, Philadelphia, Cameroon
Where and what did you study?
Computer Science, Virginia Tech, université de picardie jules verne
Where do you work or what type of job do you do?
University of Pennsylvania, Assistant Professor of Practice Computer and Information Science
How long have you been in the United States?
I have been living here a little over 11 years
What has been your most memorable moment in the United States?
My school years were great. Met lifelong friends
What has surprised you the most in the United States?
The diversity of people and opinions
What do you like the most about living in the United States?
Meeting people with interesting life stories.
What do you miss the most about not living in Africa?
People that I love, the warm weather.
What’s the biggest lesson you have learned about being in the United States?
Not sure maybe not to worry too much?
What’s your biggest challenge in the United States?
Being away from the most of my siblings
What’s the biggest misconception about life in the United States that people in Africa have?
Tough one… Whatever misconception people have, it was probably depicted in a movie or a commercial.
They say that everyone has a book in them. What would your book be about
love friendship
What do you spend the most time thinking about?
food.
What is something you will NEVER do again?
I don’t know.
What are some of the events in your life that made you who you are?
I don’t think I can single out specific events. People have a great impact on me, they made me who I am.
What is the strangest thing you have come across?
I absolutely don’t know… First tell me what do you mean by “strangest”?
What are you addicted to?
food
As you get older, what are you becoming more and more afraid of?
Losing my teeth and brain (dementia)
What song or artist do you like but rarely admit to liking?
Lots of rappers lol
If life is a game, like some people say, what are some of the rules?
“Don’t worry about a thing, Cause every little thing gonna be all right” – Bob Marley
What’s the most surprising self-realization you’ve had?
Teaching a topic that I like
What do you regret not doing?
I have no regrets so far
What gives your life meaning?
Family, friends, people that I love and who love me
What are you most insecure about?
My ability to sing lol
How do you get in the way of your own success?
I play too much maybe
What are you afraid people see when they look at you?
I don’t know. I hope they don’t see anything bad when they look at me.
What’s one thing you did that you really wish you could go back and undo?
Nothing. I learned from most of the things I did
When do you feel truly “alive”?
When I am laughing and/or eating surrounded by family and friends
What do you like most about your family?
Loving, funny, crazy, caring. That’s what I like about my family
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