Immigrant Experience In Americanah By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The immigrant experience in America can differ depending on what you look like and where you come from. Immigrants in America get treated much differently because of the qualities immigrants may or may not have. So they have to assimilate and change the way they are to fit into the American melting pot. “Americanah” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a novel about a Nigerian woman named Ifemelu. Ifemelu is a well-educated woman who immigrates to America for a better education. Her life becomes more than that when her experience in America becomes a bit hectic. She finds out that living in America isn’t easy and it’s expensive. She goes through a lot when living in America which includes her on and off relationship with Obinze, her ex-boyfriend,

According to Ifemelu there are two different types of black people in America, African Americans and American Africans. An American African is a black person is an African who immigrated to America and weren’t born in America. An African American is a black person whose ancestors were slaves that are born in America. African Americans weren’t nearly as smart as an American African due to the fact that the education in America is much different than the education in Nigeria. When Ifemelu was speaking to Dike, Ifemelus’ cousin, about what he learned about in school. “Once, she asked Dike what he had done in school before summer, and he said, “Circles.” They would sit on the floor in a circle and share their favorite things. She was appalled. “Can you do division?” He looked at her strangely. “I’m only in first grade, Coz”. When I was your age I could do simple division.” (Adiche 138). She was surprised to learn that he only learned about circles because in Nigeria the kids were doing simple division. This suggests that the education in Nigeria is at an accelerated rate whereas in America the children are learning at a very slow pace. In America the school systems are different, and much easier than the school system is in Nigeria according to Ifemelu. She is startled by the fact that American children get homework passes and take long to learn about the important things that they need to learn. She even tries to get Dike to eat bananas and peanuts, which is a food they eat in Nigeria. “No,” he said firmly. “I don’t think I like Nigeria, Coz.” (Adiche 139) Her cousin Dike is now institutionalized and thinks that Nigeria and weird and that the things that are done in America are normal, he only believes this because he’s an