Abstract
Migration is a global issue that entails the movement of people from one place to another. Edward Said states that “our age, with its modern warfare, imperialism and the quasi, theological ambitions of totalitarian rulers is indeed the age of the refugee, the displaced person, mass migration” (2002: 138). The crossing of transnational borders and entry into the receiving country presents various challenges which an immigrant has to contend with. In the assimilatory process, identities are reshaped and reformed into something that is not quite the same and various forms of negotiations occur. This paper contends that a key concern for immigrants in the host country is the negotiation of different cultural forms such as the use of language, the expression of a particular “hair do style” and ways of behaviour which are often alien or not acceptable to the immigrant. Conformity with established codes of behaviour provides easy admission and acceptance to Western life and culture, while rebellion on the other hand poses its own challenges and ambiguities. With the aid of Homi K. Bhabha’s postcolonial theory of hybridity, this paper examines how the immigrant utilizes mimicry and rebellion as strategies for survival and as means of challenging and subverting the stereotyped image of the “native African” in the West in particular. It concludes that through mimicry and outright rebellion, the immigrant can effectively or somehow challenge dominant Western beliefs and assumptions. Key words: Migration, mimicry, Western beliefs, Nigeria, Africa.
Highlights
Americanah chronicles the yearning of most Nigerians to travel abroad in the quest of the “proverbial greener pastures”
Several historical and economic reasons are behind this phenomenon of mass migration that has picked up speed and volume since the second half of the twentieth century
This study has examined how some fictional Nigerian characters, like Emenike and Aunty Uju who migrate to a foreign country, mimic Western modes of life in order to quickly assimilate and blend into the host country
Summary
Americanah chronicles the yearning of most Nigerians to travel abroad in the quest of the “proverbial greener pastures”. Several historical and economic reasons are behind this phenomenon of mass migration that has picked up speed and volume since the second half of the twentieth century. Poverty and lack of decent jobs have become reasons for leaving one’s home country, and this is considered as economic migration. This is often seen in inter-country migration, especially in the movement of people from developing. Some fictional characters in Americanah such as Ifemelu, Aunty Uju and Emenike are representative of Nigerians who travel abroad for academic and economic reasons. On arrival in the host country, the immigrant is often faced with the task of reengineering their mind to process and mediate certain cultural and behavioural information previously had vis a vis the one currently available in the host country
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