Examples Of Racism In Americah By Adichie

Question One

The book Americanah by Chimamada Ngozi Adichie follows Ifemelu— a beautiful, self-assured young women who departs from Nigeria to America for university. While in America she goes through triumphs and defeats, struggling friendships and relationships, while also having to carry load of something she didnt have to carrying in Nigeria: racism and being black. Due to race throughout the novel Ifemelu experiences many forms of racism such as micro-aggression and casual yet subtle forms of racism. Adichie expresses these different forms of racism through Ifemelu’s blog which expresses her observations of causal racism experienced in white America.
““Dike, put it back,” Uju said, with the nasal, sliding accent she put on when she spoke to white Americans, in the presence of white Americans, in the hearing of white Americans.” Pooh-reet-back. And with the accent emerged a new persona, apologetic and self-abasing.”
Aunty Uju had been living in America for years, and while still in Nigeria, Ifemelu saw Uju as a confident, outspoken woman, unfortunately it became clear to Ifemelu that while she was living in America it had down casted Uju's identity. Uju has learned to be apologetic and embarrassed about her Nigerian accent, and then speaks in a white American accent in the presence of white people and to fit in with the culture. Many experiences of race, ignorance and racism led to Uju to create a new "persona," that Ifemelu was at first not aware about and left her disappointed in her Aunty