Laura answers “I am reading Americanah, and I'm about...”

A Goodreads user asked this question about Americanah:

I am reading Americanah, and I'm about half way through. If, for the protagonist, Nigeria is 100 % good, and the USA is 100% bad, why come to the States?

Laura Maybe you should read the story. I'm an immigrant and I saw how both Nigeria and the US were presented as beautiful and toxic for the protagonist. I s…moreMaybe you should read the story. I'm an immigrant and I saw how both Nigeria and the US were presented as beautiful and toxic for the protagonist. I saw her cultural shock. I saw her partial integration. And although I'm not black, I saw a lot of my own experience with immigration in her story. You don't understand what she's talking about until you're told yourself that the only reason you got into such a good university is due to politics favoring foreign students, not your aptitudes. You can then, year after year, prove yourself more qualified than your native colleagues and faults will still be found with you. It takes a lot of energy and courage to not run away and take what's yours: the right to excel at what you are good, the right to choice, the right to not be insulted (that last one is often trampled) because you sometimes make a mistake in the 4th language you became fluent in. It's quite clear you didn't read the story or didn't want to read the story. Come back to it if/when you are ready to really read it. (less)

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