Radar Jones Onguetou, age 21, moved to the U.S. at age 15 leaving his entire family, consisting of a mother, father, and six other siblings, behind him. He moved over from Camaroon, Africa, a place where buildings and technology are lacking. He moved here to “play ball.” A stereotype in Africa about the U.S. was that if they moved here, no matter what situation they were put in, they would succeed. America was a place where dreams came true and nothing bad ever happened.
Radar’s relationship with his mom was strong, but he rarely talked to his dad. Sports were considered healthy in Africa, but also a waste of time. His parents discouraged him from playing sports, and they wanted him to focus more on academics, his father especially. Since his father was so set in his ways, it was hard to see that he had once been a boxer. Radar knew his true passion was playing basketball and had to hide it from his parents. He would keep his shoes at the local recreational center and play basketball instead of doing schoolwork. Since he was doing well in school, he didn’t consider this to be a bad lie that he told his parents.
Later his father needed surgery due to a problem with his prostate. While in the hospital, he heard about Radar being an honors student. This was the first time Radar remembers having a true conversation with his father, with his father being proud. Academics are a big part of his family. Four of his siblings have their doctorates and his father just wanted Radar to succeed just the same.
When at the airport about to move to the U.S., Radar recalls being overwhelmed with excitement, but the look on his mothers face was full of worry. She was silent the entire time and she let him do all the talking. She was happy for him to be able to achieve his goal.
Radar talks about his struggles and hardships he had to deal with when initially arriving in the states. Stereotypes were a big obstacle he and other people needed to overcome. His coach, upon arriving, handed him a bag of used clothing, including underwear. This deeply offended Radar because his coach had made the assumption that he was poor, when in fact, his family was better off than most back home.
In Camaroon, parents give their children money and basically support them until they are out of college. Here in the states, most parents make their kids get jobs. Radar soon realized this after a few months. His first job was to scrape glue off a floor, getting it ready to be re-carpeted. He commented on how this job was “worse than slavery.” His boss was taken aback by this comment and didn’t know how to react since this was coming from a black person.
Radar talked about how people here are racist, even accidentally, such as his coach and the bag of clothes. He had good intentions, but still offended Radar. They assume things and act in different ways to try to cater to Radar just because they have preconceived ideas about him, even if they aren’t true.
Leaving at the age of 15 made Radar grow up quickly. He hasn’t seen his family in six years and he left all, but one of his friends behind him. His best friend came over with him and they experienced this new life together. However, last summer, his best friend passed away due to a heart condition that the doctors didn’t know about until it was too late. This experience made Radar stronger. It was hard to go through something like this without family, but he had made a new family with his team.
He never stopped playing basketball and made it into UNH on a full scholarship. The discrimination reappeared when becoming a college athlete. He said that teachers have the idea that athletes aren’t smart and they have lower expectations for them. This assumption makes Radar try harder to rebel against them. Radar said being an athlete is not at all easy. He has to do well in school to prove everyone wrong, as well as putting 100 percent effort into being a star athlete.
Being on the basketball team has helped him learn many things. It’s more difficult than people think. He’s learned teamwork and accepting differences. The players on the team may not have been friends outside basketball, and may never have even liked each other. They need to learn to set aside differences they have and be able to trust one another. Playing together on a team requires them to work well together and be supportive. Last year Radar couldn’t play for three fourths of the season due to a knee injury; however, his teammates supported him and still considered him a part of the team. When he was ready to play again they accepted him and helped him recover without pushing him too hard.
Radar is also working on an autobiography. His journey to the states and the different prejudices he had to endure still affect him and have even evolved into new prejudices. He talks about the clashes in society and how even subconsciously people are still racist or have prejudices. There are stereotypes that he has overcome and still needs to overcome. These help him strive to do better in life. When asked what his biggest accomplishments are and what he is proud of, his reply was, "nothing yet." He sees himself going places and right now he's still working towards that.
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