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Diversity means mostly white people and 9% black and a few hispanics.

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Mainstream means that something is popular under white people

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The world treats you differently if you are black

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What to expect as a black person travelling in different parts of the world

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Yes, it sucks to be white and poor, but imagine being in that same situation but then black.

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White people can say that they don't want to talk about race, because they don't need to think about it.

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Racists doesn't exist anymore it is our vocabulary which is the problem. in history the real racists were monsters, now if someone is racist they should be put on a spectrum and it should be a disorder or syndrome.

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Magic Negro = never threatening, always calm, so that the white people feel comfortable with him. Used in literature and in Hollywood , it means a secondary character (black) usually very wise and there to advise the white person. Is there to lessen the guilt of the white person

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Why is he magic just because he is normal. why is it that most black people are said to be something different

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"The magic negro who never does anything wrong", --> kind and understanding towards racism and prejudice, never thinking

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Racism is not about your genes it is about how you look. Even is your mom or dad is white, if you have dark skin you are black, point.

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it is only white people who have the right to point out racism in our society. If it is a black person who calls out racism it is the "race card" and they are exaggerating and angry

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The split of race in society also exists n the scientific side of it. Scientist are divided on the fact if race is an invention or not.

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She talked about how romantic love is and how she would solve divide in the U.S. Then she said that because of the race-ness of love and especially between a black and white person.

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She started the online dating, but quit because of the too racist and true surroundings

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What does it mean to be American for Ifemelu before and after she goes to the US.

Before Ife

what does the concept of American dream mean for Ifemelu

The American dream is the set of ideals of the United States. It is very typical for immigrants to come to the U.S. with the dream of starting a life full of freedom. For Ifemelu it is the same. Also because Obinze was always so optimistic and idealistic of America, and that influenced Ifemelu’s view on it a lot. But when she came there she realised that the American dream was full of shit.

focus and analyse the tone, the narrative, the voice, the purpose and the language of the blog that Ifemelu tie, compare and contrast the tone or the voice that ifemelu adopts in her blog compared to her voice and tone when she is interacting with people.

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- what kind of social commentary critiquing Nigerian society at that time in that context.
- western culture being superior. Ifemelu father talking in big English words. the influence of imperialism and colonialism which is still present 30 years later.
- corruption and bribery which is linked to power and institutions in Nigeria
- education. Ifemelu and her friends are talking about what they are doing after graduating, and they automatically assume that everybody should aspire to go to the US or the UK for further education.
- The mother of Obinze, when she was in a break because she was an activist, and when iIemelu goes to the clinic to check for pregnancies and the receptionist looks down on her. this is a critique of the sexism in Nigeria
- aunty U
- ju and her relationship with the general. he gives her anything she wants, except actual money. she is submissive towards him.
- Obinze and Ifemelu’s relationship seems to be more healthy (give and take) but isn’t Obinze a bit sexist with the fact that he like her because he thinks she is different the fact that she speaks up for herself and that she is not like other girls, is that a bit sexist?
- what was happening at that time in Nigeria. (do some research about the political and economic situation in Nigeria in the 1990’s)
- Nigeria before the 1990s had loads of coups and its rulers kept changing. This china of political instability had started since the 1960s when Nigeria gained its independence from Great Britain. A new constitution was set up in 1990, and the country was supposed to return to civilian rule in 1992. An election took place in 1992, but the current government annulled the results, claiming fraud and postponed additional elections. The current government was Babangida, who succeeded in a coup in 1985. In 1993 there was another election, which was believed to be the first fair election held in Nigeria, but once again Babangida claimed fraud and annulled the results. This resulted in demonstrations and hundreds were killed in the following two months. The pressure grew within the country and finally, after two months of chaos, Babangida resigned and Ernest Shonekan was appointed as the president. He was overthrown within 3 months by Abacha, who once again promised civilian rule. however, he dismantled all elected institutions, terminated all national and state assemblies, closed independent publications, banned all political activity, and suspended the constitution. There were again a lot of demonstrations and the economy dropped. after a few attempted coupes and times of chaos and demonstrations, Abdulsalam Abubakar took place and he left the country back to democracy by May 1999. The newly elected democratic president Olusegun Obasanjo remained president of Nigeria until 2007.
- In what ways does this political context shape the characters that are talked about in chapter 3 - 9
- They come to see the western world as a kind of paradise, as it has everything Nigeria is fighting for. Democracy and a solid constitution and more.
- why would they want to go to western universities and go the UK if they are just free of British rules?
- Americanah is an immigrant narrative, but it is not single narrative
- Obinze vs Ifemelu, very different.
- how does the author address the audience in those chapters?
- are the readers being addressed as tourists or are we being addressed as people who can clearly relate to what she is going to? the examples of life in Nigeria at that time.

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3 main events that happen in part 2

loosing her accent

moves to america

hair change (cutting + natural)

realisation that America is not what she thinks it was

disappointment

realisation

revelation

Chapter 3 - 9 is focused on her time in nigeria

Nr. 1 Characters

Aunty Uju

Curt

Kimberly and Laura

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yes, your grandparents have have survives, but in America there is still a class divide.

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Racism isn't just for black people, but in America that is a fact.

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Trying to relate to black people talking about race, is a no-go because it is not the same

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In the beginning, Baldwin says that he tried to write the letter 5 times, but that each time he stopped and tore it up. this shows how much he cares about this letter. Later in his letter, he talks about innocence and the innocence that white people always wear when they are unwilling to recognize that they too have inflicted harm upon African-Americans. He says that for “it is the innocence which constitutes the crime.” Baldwin says that the white people who are reading his letter will call him angry and bitter, saying that racism probably doesn’t exist. This concept of black people being shunned and labeled as an angry black person has come up over and over again in both the articles we read in class and in the book Americanah.
This feeling is also heavily felt by Ifemelu, as shown in the following quotes:
“If you’re telling a non-black person about something racist that happened to you, make sure you are not bitter. Don’t complain. Be forgiving. If possible, make it funny. Most of all, do not be angry. Black people are not supposed to be angry about racism. Otherwise, you get no sympathy. This applies only to white liberals, by the way. Don’t even bother telling a white conservative about anything racist that happened to you. Because the conservative will tell you that YOU are the real racist and your mouth will hang open in confusion.” - Ifemelu, Americanah.
“I came from a country where race was not an issue; I did not think of myself
as black and I only become black when I came to America
….But we don't talk
about it. We don't even tell our white partners the small things that piss us off
and the things we wish they understood better because we're worried they will
say we're overreacting, or we're be
ing too sensitive…But we don't say any of
this stuff. We let it pile up inside our heads and when we come to nice liberal
dinners like this, we say that race doesn't matter because that's what we're
supposed to say, to keep our nice liberal friends comfortable.” - Ifemelu, Americanah.
Baldwin also talks about how American society is made so that black people have limitations to where they can rise. That black people are supposed to and expected to make peace with being mediocre, instead of striving for greatness. Again, the argument that white people will not agree with this and probably say that it is exaggerated comes back. In my opinion, this links to Aunty Uju, as even though she is a doctor time 2 (she got her diploma in both Nigeria and America), her new clients still doubt her skills and professionalism. Not only to her does this happen, but also to Ifemelu, and likely so many other black people in America. Quoting Ifemelu “ Sometimes in America, Race is Class” with the story of his dramatic change, and end with: It didn’t matter to him how much money I had. As far as he was concerned I did not fit as the owner of that stately house because of the way I looked. In America’s public discourse, “Blacks” as a whole are often lumped with “Poor Whites.” Not Poor Blacks and Poor Whites. But Blacks and Poor Whites. A curious thing indeed.” This shows that black people are expected to stay at the bottom and that it comes as a surprise when they are not.
In conclusion, Baldwin ends with the assessment that freedom has not yet been won, “the country is celebrating one hundred years of freedom one hundred years too soon.” - James Baldwin.

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“Why was it a compliment, an accomplishment, to sound American? She had won; Cristina Thomas, pallid –faced Cristina Thomas under whose gaze she had shrunk like a small, defeated animal, would speak to her normally now. She had won….And so…she resolved to stop faking the American accent”

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“Why was it a compliment, an accomplishment, to sound American? She had won; Cristina Thomas, pallid –faced Cristina Thomas under whose gaze she had shrunk like a small, defeated animal, would speak to her normally now. She had won….And so…she resolved to stop faking the American accent”

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The reference to Cristina Thomas is from a memory Ifemelu has of first arriving in America and the admission assistant didnt understand what she was saying.

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“This was truly her; this was the voice with which she would speak if she were woken up form a deep sleep during an earthquake.”

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“This was truly her; this was the voice with which she would speak if she were woken up form a deep sleep during an earthquake.”

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Ifemelu on finding her accent.

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Language and accents play a very important role in Americanah. When Ifemelu moves to America, in the beginning to tries to hide her Nigerian accent. But when someone tells her how good her accent sounds, she is embarrassed when she realizes that she takes that as a compliment. From then on, she did not hide her Nigerian accent behind an American one. Even in her youth language plays quite a role. Her father speaks very differently then other Nigerians in the book, trying to make himself sound smarter by using complicated and academic words he himself doesn't understand.

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Ginika is one of Ifemelu's friends during her youth in Nigeria. Ginika moves to the U.S. during high school, and when Ifemelu's moves there she helps her to get acclimates and finds a job for Ifemelu.

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He is an intelligent man who always seems aware of his lack of higher education, causing him to use overly large words frequently, without really knowing what they mean.

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Kimberly employs Ifemelu as a babysitter when Ifemelu is in need for a job. She is a rich white woman, and while she attempt to be charitable and kind, often says things that are incredibly privileged and even racist. However, she and Ifemelu are good friends and truly care about each other.

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Kimberly's cousin and one of Ifemelu's boyfriends. He is a rich, handsome white man who falls in love with Ifemelu and dates her for a long time. He is very optimistic and spontaneous, and everything just always seems to fall into place for him.

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Blain is Ifemelu's "black American boyfriend". He is a professor at Yale and is very principled and high-minded. He has very American friends with who Ifemelu clashes with sometimes. He shares his passion for Barack Obama with Ifemelu.

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Ifemelu's mother is a super-religious woman who uses her faith to try to hide from the corrupt realities of the world. Her relationship with religion is described through her hair, which is beautiful an full at first, but then goes through many sudden and brutal transformations as she grapples with the demands of different churches and preachers. She loves Ifemelu but doesn't understand her very well.

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The child of Aunty Uju and The General. He is an innocent boy who grows up in America to be a funny and popular teenager. His outgoing personality hides depression and a crisis of identity, as a black teenager in a white suburban neighbourhood. Dike once attempts suicide.

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Aunty uju is quite a complex character. She is Ifemelus aunt and the mother of Dike. Aunty Uju has a relationship with The General at the beginning of the story, and their son is Dike. After he dies in a military "accident", she flees to America with Dike and starts a new life as a doctor, where she lives a life of stress and hardship. America made Aunty Uju change, it hardens her.  She is always the closest to Ifemelu of any of her relatives.

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Obinze is Ifemelu's first love and he is one of the main characters of the book. As a teenager, he is nearly obsessed with America, only reading American books. After graduating, he moves to England and tries to become a citizen, but fails. After he is deported from England and goes back to Nigeria, he becomes rich and wealthy by selling real estate. He marries Kosi and has a child. But he never falls out of love with Ifemelu. The narration of Americanah sometimes switches to Obinze's life and thoughts, especially his difficult life working illegally in Londen before returning to Nigeria to become a rich family man.

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Ifemelu is the main character of the book. She is an intelligent, stubborn and outspoken Nigerian woman who moves to America to attend university. She has lots of difficulty adjusting herself to the American culture and society, but eventually feels more comfortable with her life and starts a very popular blog about race. Before she came to the United States, she wasn't aware that she was black, but when she arrived and while there, she is made acutely aware of her race and the importance of race to American life and relationships.

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“Relaxing your hair is like being in prison. You're caged in. Your hair rules you. You didn't go running with Curt today because you don't want to sweat out this straightness. You're always battling to make your hair do what it wasn't meant to do.” - Wambui, chp. 20

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“Relaxing your hair is like being in prison. You're caged in. Your hair rules you. You didn't go running with Curt today because you don't want to sweat out this straightness. You're always battling to make your hair do what it wasn't meant to do.” - Wambui, chp. 20

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This is what Wambui says about Ifemelu's hair, after Ifemelus hair starts to fall out. Wambui convinced Ifemelu to go natural with her hair, and she even cut Ifemelu's hair super short. It is the point where Ifemelu realizes that she should take care of her hair in a better way, and lets it go natural. This is also when she starts visiting the site HappilyKinkyNappy.com

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"I have to take my braids out for my interviews and relax my hair. Kemi told me that I shouldn’t wear braids to the interview. If you have braids, they will think you are unprofessional." - Aunty Uju, p. 146

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"I have to take my braids out for my interviews and relax my hair. Kemi told me that I shouldn’t wear braids to the interview. If you have braids, they will think you are unprofessional." - Aunty Uju, p. 146

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Aunty Uju tries very hard to adapt to American Society. In this quote Ifemelu and Aunty Uju discuss the discrimination black and African women face in the U.S. because of their hair choices.

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Hair is a big symbol of identity for Ifemelu. The fact that the first chapter starts with Ifemelu going to the braiding salon, and that most of the story is being told by Ifemelu whilst she is getting her hair braided, shows the importance of this symbol. It started with her mother's hair when Ifemelu was a child. Her mother cuts off her long beautiful hair that was very often referred to as her “crowning glory”. After that, her mother became a different person.
When Ifemelu moves to America, The symbolism of her hair is even further developed. Like Aunty Uju told her, if you don’t relax your hair at a job interview in America, you won’t get taken seriously. Through Ifemelu’s hair changes, hair is addressed as a political thing. As many female characters in the book want their natural hair but can’t have it because it is not taken seriously in the business world. Or when it is not political, as many people say her natural hair as a political statement, even when she did not intend to.

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Author and context

race relations , ethnicity and nationality

racism

blackness or black identities

whiteness as a concept or construct

feminism