Why deny your heritage?

As a teenage African girl living in the United Kingdom it saddens me to note that many of my peers are either ignorant of the reality that is Africa, or misguided in their beliefs. I can not blame them for it seems (in my experience) that many girls and boys who are African to the core, will after entering the UK undergo a metamorphosis.
I have been asked on countless occasions if the rest of my family live in mud huts; not only is there never any evidence to suggest this, but those who dare show such arrogance, are often aware that my family do not live in mud huts and contrary to popular belief neither did my grandparents. I came to the UK when I was only eight years old, never the less I would like to believe that in the eight years since, I have managed to remain true to my African heritage. Why then does it seem as if nearly every black girl around is trying to deny their roots?
Black girls everywhere are trying desperately to fit into the European community around them and though I can empathise with their reasons, it is a deeply saddening thing to observe. These girls in an attempt to meld themselves into that which they are not are now being referred to as 'ratchet'.
Black beautiful girls are undergoing hours of pain at the hair dressers getting weaves that resemble birds nests, stuffing their voluptuous curves -that are atypical of many African women -into air restricting bits of material (that can not be classified under any stretch of the imagination) as clothes. The boys are just as bad.
To an extent this change in the girls can be traced back to their male counterparts. It seems that many boys will (upon entering the UK) strive to eradicate any trace of the African within them. Some will even go to the extent of shunning all that is African and will claim to favour 'white girls'.
These 'Africans in Denial' as I often call them are some of the most racist people I have ever met and it is these sorts of people who I believe are helping to maintain the stereotypes that shroud the beauty that is Africa behind negativity. I wont lie, Africa does indeed have its problems; poverty among them, but these AD's (Africans in Denial) constantly focus on Africa's negative points in order to gain sympathy and acceptance with their peers. Instead of schooling those around them, they will bow to the pressure and play up the stereotype to the full. I often hear most AD's claiming to not like Africa because everyone there is poor and wants their money, one can only laugh, and I have resisted the urge on countless occasions to ridicule such people.
In a foreign country that is miles away from all that they once knew, they have found a way to survive and fit in.