I remember reading Americanah this summer and thinking wow! I had heard a lot of immigrant stories before, but never one like this. Adichie forced me to turn the lens on myself. The culture we have in the united states is very hard to understand. We believe in complete equality but we don’t always practice that belief. Adichie addresses two types of these scenarios. The first is the attitude we have toward feminism. Feminism is taken as a negative connotation, but what’s wrong with advocating for women’s equality. Adichie points out how we have become normal to ideas of treating women differently. She brings up how women are on average paid less than men. Even if these women are at the top of their fields they are compensated less. We have just accepted this. That should not be okay to anyone who lives in a country where equality is a building block in the foundation. Adichie also discusses how a female celebrity had to justify the pictures of herself, but explaining she was in a relationship. If it was a man, there would be no explanation required. 

The other scenario is that of blacks and black americans. Black americans are associated with a negative connotation here in America. We have given black americans the title of being the best athletes, comedians, or performers, but when they breakthrough in another field there is much surprise. Adichie references the time her undergrad professor expressed shock at her writing the best paper in class. As much as we would like to believe that every human in blind to color, judgement is present even its most subconscious expressions. Adichie talks about the great struggles black americans have faced during their time. It is absolutely amazing how they have been able to overcome such hardships, and they truly as a group have come very far. It is something we should celebrate and recognize instead of letting it become just another history fact. 

I think Adichie is an extremely eloquent speaker and I respect her determination to motivate others to be themselves. The writing group she has started in Nigeria is such a great achievement. Allowing people of all ages to explore an avenue that is normally shunned in their society, gives hope to those who may feel they have no purpose. I know in India the same culture exists. Children are expected to stay in the realm of science and technology. Most parents are only willing to let their children pursue careers in medicine or engineering. Many students who don’t find joy in either of these avenues are often depressed because they feel they have let down their family or they end up pursuing a career they don’t have a passion for. To have someone that is able to motivate and encourage others paths such as writing would be a boon to many of these students. 

I really enjoyed reading Americanah this summer, and I was hoping to see Adichie this year on campus, but unfortunately the circumstances did not quite work out. However, I stay in awe of the achievements of this amazing woman who has managed to impact the lives of so many around her.