Americanah By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Analysis

“Remember, remember always, that all of us, you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt (“Immigration Quotes from Great Americans”). In today’s day and age, immigration has become an even more relevant topic ever since the 45th president was elected. When people immigrate to other countries for a better life, the process is also another row of hurdles they have to jump over. Not only is the crowd booing in their ears, but the referee has strapped one hundred pound weights onto each of their ankles. As difficult as it already is for them to jump over these hurdles, the very country they’re fleeing to is the crowd and referee. As readers follow along Ifemelu and Obinze’s story in Americanah, instead of focusing on their love story, immigration is also a major
Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, teaches readers about the motivation as to why people immigrate to other countries, the challenges immigrants face when they arrive, and how they adjust and manage to pull through even when things become hard. The motivation for immigrants to leave their home country can range anywhere from fleeing from genocide or searching for a job. Many characters in Americanah left Nigeria because of the government and strikes that were going on at Universities. “Once, while visiting, Ifemelu had heard Ginika’s father say, ‘This regime is treating us like sheep and we are starting to behave as if we are sheep. I have not been able to do any real research in years, because every day I am organizing strikes and talking about unpaid salary and there is no chalk in the classrooms’” (Adichie 77-78). Ifemelu's friend’s, Ginika, parents were deciding to immigrate to America because, at the time, Nigeria's government were not paying educators, which led to long strikes and affects Ginika’s family specifically, since her father was a researcher. “ ‘What is this kind of nonsense?’ Aunty Uju said. ‘Honestly, you should come and