Exchanges between the US and Cameroon have been positively
affected by the 9/11 events. Investigating on the `Myths and Realities of the
American Model' for the Cameroonian public, Roger A. Takaam states that
«For most Cameroonians, the United States of America remains a prodigious
land». He means a land where Cameroonians would like to visit. In other
words, it is «... more than a myth, America, through what is called the
American Way of life is more than reality; it is an attempt to build a
dream».221(*) The
`Americanization of Cameroon' is a process in globalization, which Takaam sees
to be manifested through culture, especially the Hollywood culture. Looking at
icons of the American culture such as the cinema (Hollywood, Columbia
Pictures), music and musicians (what he calls `the hip hop generation'),
vehicles (such as Chevrolet, Lincoln Navigator and Ford), and the writer
concludes, «After all, it is always special to say `my latest acquisition
is from the United States».222(*) However, Takaam does not fail to note that it is not
only dreams and ambitions that will welcome Cameroonians to the US, but also
atrocities, misery and crime.
Picking up this cultural aspect of Cameroon US relations, and
studying it from the perspective of Franco-American rivalry, Theiry Gervais
Gango reads a geopolitical game in cultural manifestations between France and
the US in Cameroon. For him, though «The United States model of investment
in Cameroonian culture is not as visible as the French model»,223(*) the Cameroonian society is
fast becoming American, right from the interior. While «France likes arts,
Gango argues, the US prefers cultural exchanges».224(*) The US Embassy is
increasingly organizing such exchanges. The US also intends, according to
Gango, to invest in festivals, create more American Corners, support libraries
and studies in general by providing books, while working for an increasing
number of exchange programs that will bring together citizens of both
countries. In all, «to make her position firm in Cameroon ... over 400 top
personalities in Cameroonian administration, have been trained in the US ... in
a country[Cameroon] where most posts in enterprises are fast becoming
Americanized» ,225(*) Gango reads from American thought.
Evolution of the number of visas given at the US
embassy from 1995 to 2004
1995: 844
1996: 1613
1997: 1824
1998: 2398
1999: 4001
2000: 4038
2001: 5449
2002: 6380
2003: 6895
2004: 7125
Figure 3. Source: Consular section, US embassy, Yaoundé
To push the cultural idea a little further, the number of visas
delivered to Cameroonians at the US Embassy should be considered. Jules Romuald
Nkonlak studied that case with the observation that «though obtaining the
US visa is so difficult to come by, many knock at the doors of the US Embassy
daily».226(*) While
appreciating all the measures taken by the American government to ease the
granting of visas, and recognizing the rise of the number of visas from 844 in
1995 to about 7000 in 2004, Nkonlak acknowledges that this quest for US visa is
proof of the American dream that inhabits Cameroonian minds.
This continuing increase in visas expands the number of
Cameroonians who have studied in the US. Accepting that the US has the best
institutions of higher learning with close to 200 of the 500 most prestigious
universities in the world, a greater number of Cameroonians studying there
constitutes `soft power imperialism'. This reinforces the number of future
high-ranking Cameroonian officials who would have studied in the US. Little
wonder the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) Central African regional
representation is based in Yaoundé.
This intensification of cultural exchanges can also be read
through the Cameroonian lens, as seen through the activities of the American
Language Center (Yaoundé and Douala) and the number of Cameroonians
learning American English. Operational since the 1970s under the authority of
the embassy, the ALC intends to spread American English while presenting US
academic institutions and cultural life. Commenting on its mission, Madina sees
the ALC as corresponding with the Americanization of the world, «At a
moment when the US shows itself as the world super-power, everything is put in
place to augment that power, and project it everywhere in the
world».227(*) In
Madina's finding, most of those who study there are students who want to
continue their studies in the US or any other country where English is the
language of instruction. Workers who study there are those about to travel
abroad or about to take a job in Cameroon with foreign firms. In this sense,
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and GRE apply to students, while
the United Nations Medical Licence Exams (USMLE), the GMAT, the LSAT and the
PRACIS apply to nurses, businesspersons, lawyers and researchers respectively.
At a larger level, the US has been working on religious
tolerance in Cameroon at different levels. In the area of religious freedom and
tolerance, the Public Affairs Section organized a panel discussion on
«Islam and Religious Tolerance,» excerpts of which were aired during
two editions of the CNN weekly television program «Understanding
Islam.» The Ambassador also reached out to the Muslim community of
Cameroon by hosting an Iftaar dinner during the holy month of Ramadan in 2005.
In addition, approximately 500 copies of the International Information Programs
pamphlet «Muslim Life in America» were distributed to Muslim leaders
throughout the country. To complement this, the American government, in
partnership with private institutions, organized a conference in Yaoundé
on Inter-Faith understanding and tolerance, which drew several participants
from Cameroonian major religions.
