Moving From Nigeria to the US: Culture, Curiosity, and Starting Over With Mo Sibyl: S1E8

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Mo Sibyl, a Nigerian-born podcaster, pharmacist, researcher, and cultural commentator revisits Facebook posts and quotations from her first years abroad. Together, Mo and Stephanie explore language assumptions, homesickness, graduate school, friendship, boundaries, organ donation, mathematics, and the emotional work of rebuilding a life in another country.

What Mo Sibyl Shares About Moving From Nigeria to the United States

• Why strangers’ questions about her accent, clothing, and English became frustrating
• How she learned to separate genuine cultural curiosity from judgment
• Moving from a successful pharmacy career in Nigeria to a US graduate student stipend
• The loneliness of leaving friends behind and starting over socially
• Why relationships often change after migration
• English, Yoruba identity, and the linguistic diversity of Nigeria
• How the right teacher transformed her relationship with mathematics
• Why an organ donation question raised deeper questions about immigration and belonging
• Learning to set boundaries without becoming distrustful
• Why intention matters more than finding the perfect question to ask an immigrant

Why Nigerians Speak English and How Language Assumptions Affect Immigrants

Soon after arriving in the US, Mo noticed that strangers often expressed surprise that she and her husband spoke English. At the time, she responded with sarcasm. Looking back, she sees that some people were likely curious about the Nigerian clothing she wore and wanted to know more.

Today, she focuses on the intention behind the question. She doesn’t believe immigrants should accept every intrusive comment, but she also doesn’t want fear of saying the wrong thing to stop people from learning about one another.

The Financial and Emotional Reality of Starting Over Abroad

Before leaving Nigeria, Mo worked as a pharmacist and was financially established. Graduate school in the US meant living on a stipend, relying on buses, and adjusting to a lower standard of living. She also struggled with homesickness. At first, friends called regularly. Over time, time differences, work, and changing lives created distance.

Mo describes leaving Nigeria and rebuilding her life in her twenties as one of the bravest things she has done. Language, Education, and Identity Mo is Yoruba and explains that English is Nigeria’s official language, while Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo are among the country’s major Indigenous languages.

Although she later built a career around statistics and research, she was once afraid of mathematics. The right tutor helped her understand the logic behind it, changing both her confidence and academic path.

Immigration, Organ Donation, and Belonging

When Mo applied for a US driver’s license, she was unexpectedly asked whether she wanted to become an organ donor. The question made her think about belonging. She could be excluded from legal status and other parts of American life while still being asked to donate her organs.

She initially declined because she wanted more time to think. Her views have since changed, but she still believes the decision deserves more context than a checkbox at the DMV.

Friendship, Boundaries, and Cultural Curiosity

A painful betrayal taught Mo that kindness doesn’t require giving everyone unlimited access to her life. She now approaches both relationships and cultural questions with more patience and discernment.

There’s no perfect alternative to “Where are you from?” What matters is whether the question is asked with genuine interest, respect, and a willingness to listen.

About Mo Sibyl

Mo Sibyl is a Nigerian-born, US-educated, Korean-speaking pharmacist, researcher, podcaster, and cultural commentator.

Her work explores culture, identity, migration, and the lives of people who move between communities and countries.

Mo's podcast: https://www.mosibyl.com/

Original publication date: March 19, 2018

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