The role of preconceived judgements in Americana

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is critical of race relations in the United States. Through Ifemelu, Adichie points out how often Americans attempt to cover the fact that they judge based off of skin color. Ifemelu’s race makes her judged until people realize that this is not a black American. Adichie’s novel is not only an argument against racism in the United States, but also an argument against preconceived judgements in the United Kingdom and Nigeria.

Ifemelu consistently mentions throughout her story how she had to adapt to U.S. standards to ensure that her opportunities were not limited. She talks about the advice she received before her first interview. “Lose the braids and straighten your hair. Nobody says this kind of stuff but it matters” (250). To ensure success in the states, you need to look as white as possible. The racism in the states affects everyone at every age. Mr. White was accused of being a drug dealer just based off the fact him and his friend were black. Ifemelu mentions that “a white library employee, watching them, assumed that the two black men were dealing drugs” (424). Mr. White was a library security guard. Most likely the employee would have known him. Adichie adds in snippets of information like this throughout the novel to showcase how blacks in America are judged not only by strangers, but by friends and colleagues.  

Adichie is not only critical of America for its judgmental tendencies. She often brings up how Nigerians judge based off of a person’s international experiences and the appearance of wealth. In the beginning of the novel, Ifemelu is overwhelmed by the grandness of where Aunty Uju lives, owned by the General of course. It’s a show of his power in Nigeria. When she returns to Nigeria as an adult, she looks down upon such houses. “Here she was now, disliking it with the haughty confidence of a person who recognized kitsch” (485). She begins to notice that the Nigerians look up at those who are seen as more westernized as shown through their material goods and experiences. Her new boss brags upon Ifemelu’s foreign education. “Most of my staff are foreign graduates while that woman at Glass hires riffraff who cannot punctuate sentences!” (495). For Aunty Onenu and many others, a foreigner or a Nigerian educated abroad gives them a higher status. They automatically assume that they are better and smarter than Nigerians who never left.

Adichie draws parallels between Nigeria and America throughout Americanah. Although America is racist, Nigeria is elitist. By putting Ifemelu as a citizen of both nations, we see how neither judgements allow for an accurate depiction of character. Adichie tolerates neither elitism nor racism by making despicable characters out of those who are only focused on wealth and status (Emenike) and by not characterizing one race as better than the other. Americanah is an argument on how we should strive to overcome our judgements and focus on character alone.