Americanah, and the Influence of Racial Diversity on Race Prevalence

In the novel Americanah, the author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie juxtaposes the the main character Ifemelu’s relationships to contrast the settings of Lagos and America, ultimately illustrating how racism, while prevalent everywhere, can be a greater factor for social-economic situation in countries with greater racial diversity rather than for those that have less diversity.

Throughout the book, the female protagonist, Ifemelu, has romantic relationships that differ greatly based on whether they were in Lagos (Nigeria) or America. Ifemelu’s most emphasized relationship is with Obinze, during her high school and college years and later, when she comes back to Lagos. Both times, her relationship takes place in Lagos. In this setting, it is notable that Ifemelu and Obinze have no racial or cultural difference, both being Nigerian Blacks, and there is rarely any mention of race at all in their conversations. Rather, both times the relationship happened, Ifemelu was more concerned about their social-economic situations– when they were younger, Obinze was clearly more affluent than Ifemelu, which made her feel insecure (like when he discussed being “on his mother’s passport” while Ifemelu could only ashamedly think that her mother did not have a passport). This wealth gap is still here after Ifemelu comes back to Lagos and begins seeing Obinze again– he is a rich real-estate agent with a pretty wife, and Ifemelu, though also wealthier than before, can only be the “mistress”, putting her status as lower and almost unresected. Both relationships in Lagos (where most-to-all are Black and only wealth differs), as can be seen, are clearly more to do with general wealth with no mention of race. Thus, in this area with less racial diversity and Ifemelu is part of the majority race, race is not as important a factor in social status.

In direct contrast with her relationships with Obinze is Ifemelu’s relationship with Curt in America. Curt is a wealthy white man who loved to take her travelling. Because this is an interracial relationship, Ifemelu thinks people are surprised or even affronted when they see her holding hands with Curt as they go down the street. However, because she is with Curt, Ifemelu is treated with more respect than before and is held to a higher position. As such, Curt represents the idea of “white privilege” and, by dating him, Ifemelu can share in some of the privilege. The change in attitudes of people towards Ifemelu conveys how racism is keenly prevalent whenever she is with Curt and thus highlights the importance of race for social-economic situations in America. In addition, Curt also tells her she’s “his first black girlfriend”, and his past partners have all been “exotic” (including women of other ethnicities, like Asian women). The use of exotic creates an objectifying tone and implies that Curt is seemingly collecting trophies, treating this as a sort of game to find the most exotic woman, thus patronizing women of other races. This fixative attitude on different races again emphasizes the prevalence of race within the relationship in America, in which there is greater racial diversity and Ifemelus is more of a minority race. Hence, in this land of greater racial diversity, race has greater influence on social-economic situation.

Because of the different settings of Lagos and America, though these two of Ifemelu’s relationships both have a great social power disparity (with the men being of higher social-economic status than Ifemelu), in America, this disparity is more affected by racial difference, while in Lagos, it is more affected by general wealth. Thus, Americanah depicts the contrasting settings of Lagos and America through two of Ifemelu’s relationships in these different settings, depicting how in countries with greater racial diversity, racism can be more influential in social-economic situation.

Tracy Lei